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Tag: vape

  • Vietnam Tightens School Accountability in Vape Crackdown

    Vietnam Tightens School Accountability in Vape Crackdown

    Vietnam introduced fines of up to VND10 million ($380) for school principals if students are caught using e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products on campus, under Decree 371 issued by the Ministry of Health. The measure, the first to assign direct legal responsibility to school leaders, comes as youth vaping among ages 13–17 rose sharply from 2.6% in 2019 to 8.1% in 2023. Students face fines of VND3–5 million ($114 to $190), with all products confiscated and destroyed, while large-scale illegal production or trade may trigger criminal penalties of up to VND1 billion ($38,000) or five years in prison.

    The enforcement framework supports Vietnam’s nationwide ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products starting in 2025, with early data showing declines in vaping-related cases and hospitalizations, signaling increased regulatory pressure on alternative nicotine products.

  • German Tobacco Use Drops, as ‘Substitutes’ Rise 18%

    German Tobacco Use Drops, as ‘Substitutes’ Rise 18%

    Germany’s taxed cigarette volumes edged higher in 2025, even as long-term tobacco consumption continued to decline, according to preliminary data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). A total of 66.4 billion cigarettes were taxed during the year, up 0.2% (0.1 billion cigarettes) from 2024, but less than half the 146.5 billion recorded in 1991. Per capita cigarette consumption stood at 795 cigarettes in 2025, compared with 1,831 in 1991. Sales of fine-cut tobacco fell 1.2% year on year to 24,864 tons, while cigars and cigarillos declined 6.6% to 2.1 billion units. Hookah tobacco sales dropped 8.8% to 1,162 tons, despite regulatory changes allowing larger pack sizes again, while pipe tobacco rose 2.9% to 323 tons. In contrast, taxed volumes of tobacco substitute products such as e-cigarette liquids increased sharply, rising 18.2% year on year to 1.5 million liters, reflecting continued growth in non-combustible alternatives under Germany’s evolving tobacco tax regime.

  • Seoul Rolling Out Public Smoking Booths

    Seoul Rolling Out Public Smoking Booths

    Seoul’s Gangnam District began rolling out newly designed “separated smoking booths” along major commercial streets to curb secondhand smoke and reduce friction between smokers and pedestrians, officials said today (January 22). The first installations physically separate smokers from passersby and also distinguish between conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes, assigning each to different structures. Fully enclosed cigarette booths feature smoke-control systems, air purifiers, and air curtains, while semi-open e-cigarette booths emphasize ventilation and filtration. District officials said the initiative aims to improve street cleanliness and walkability in high-traffic areas, with expansion to be considered based on public response.

  • Vietnam Looking to Tighten Tobacco Regs

    Vietnam Looking to Tighten Tobacco Regs

    Vietnam’s Ministry of Health is seeking public feedback on a draft amendment to the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention that would significantly tighten regulations and close gaps in the current legal framework, according to Vietnam News. The proposed amendments prioritize public health over economic interests, align with Party and Politburo resolutions on health protection, and aim to fully meet Vietnam’s obligations under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Key measures include banning the holding, transport, storage, advertising, promotion and use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products; prohibiting the display of tobacco products at retail outlets; expanding smoke-free venues; and increasing health warning requirements on packaging. The draft also introduces clear legal definitions for e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, strengthens responsibilities of government agencies and local authorities, and adds new prohibitions on producing or trading components used to assemble such products, with a focus on protecting women, children and public health overall.

  • Retailers Push New Welsh Govt. to Focus on Illicit Crime

    Retailers Push New Welsh Govt. to Focus on Illicit Crime

    Members of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) are urging the next Welsh government, due to be formed after the May election, to introduce a £6,500 grant to help independent retailers install modern CCTV systems to tackle rising retail crime. The organization argues that better enforcement would help curb the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes, protect legitimate retailers, and disrupt organized crime networks linked to the black market.

    The call mirrors a similar request the Fed made recently to the Scottish government and forms part of three manifesto proposals submitted to Welsh political parties ahead of the vote. The Fed is also seeking the creation and funding of a dedicated Retail Crime Taskforce in Wales, modeled on Scotland’s, alongside ring-fenced funding for trading standards officers to crack down on rogue trading.

    Fed Welsh president Clive Birkby said the organization wants small independent shops placed “at the heart” of the next government’s agenda, with urgent action on retail crime, business rates, and the fair rollout of Wales’ deposit return scheme.

  • Cabbacis Hosting Webinar Outlining its $7.5M Offering

    Cabbacis Hosting Webinar Outlining its $7.5M Offering

    Cabbacis announced it will host an investor webinar on January 22 at 11:30 EST as part of its ongoing $7.5 million Regulation A offering. During the session, CEO and chairman Joseph Pandolfino will outline the company’s commercialization strategy for its patented iBlend cigarettes and vaporizer pods, which combine very-low-nicotine tobacco with non-intoxicating hemp and are positioned as harm-reduction products aimed at reducing nicotine dependence and supporting quit attempts.

    The company will also update investors on its regulatory pathway with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, leadership team, and plans for an international rollout later in 2026 to generate early revenue and brand validation ahead of U.S. market entry. Cabbacis said proceeds from the offering are intended to support product development and commercialization, positioning the company ahead of a potential FDA rule to cap nicotine levels in cigarettes, while expanding into reduced-nicotine and alternative tobacco formats.

    Register for the webinar here.

  • China Scrutinizing Vape Industry

    China Scrutinizing Vape Industry

    China’s e-cigarette industry is entering a new round of regulatory tightening, with multiple draft policies recently opened for public consultation, according to China Business Network. Last week, the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) released draft rules on credit management for e-cigarette manufacturers and wholesale enterprises, proposing a formal credit system that covers information collection, ratings, public disclosure, penalties for dishonesty, and credit restoration. Under the draft, companies would be graded A to D, with lower-rated firms facing stricter scrutiny on capacity expansion, investment approvals, and even licensing. This follows a STMA draft policy in December aimed at maintaining a dynamic balance between supply and demand, reinforcing total capacity control, and largely prohibiting new capacity additions except under tightly defined conditions.

    Together with earlier moves — including the solicitation of 2026 national e-cigarette standards and the State Council’s December call for tougher crackdowns on tobacco-related illegal activities — the measures signal a push toward more standardized, compliance-driven industry governance. Industry observers say the policies build on the regulatory framework established in 2021, when e-cigarettes were brought under tobacco-style supervision, and are intended to curb disorderly competition, raise compliance thresholds, and accelerate industry consolidation.

  • Cannabis Use Growing, Intertwined with Nicotine

    Cannabis Use Growing, Intertwined with Nicotine

    A new study published in Tobacco Induced Diseases finds that cannabis use—both vaping and smoking—has increased over time, with more young adults initiating use than quitting, and high levels of co-use with nicotine and tobacco products. Researchers from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health report that simultaneous cannabis and e-cigarette use is especially common among young adults who vape nicotine, with similar rates observed across genders. The findings highlight that cannabis consumption is not only growing but increasingly intertwined with nicotine use.

    Analyzing data from the VapeScan longitudinal study of 372 adults in the New York City area between 2021 and 2024, researchers found cannabis users often consume multiple product types, including vapes, edibles, smoked products, CBD, and topicals. By the second year of follow-up, nearly 60% of participants reported cannabis use, with cannabis vaping and smoking both rising. Notably, 21% of participants were new cannabis vape or smoke users over the study period, while only 6% of earlier users quit, underscoring a net increase in use.

    The authors say the expanding variety of cannabis products, rising frequency of use, and widespread cannabis–nicotine co-use pose growing public health and regulatory challenges.

  • Malaysia Vape Retailers Call for Fair Tobacco Controls

    Malaysia Vape Retailers Call for Fair Tobacco Controls

    The Malaysia Retail Electronic Cigarette Association (MRECA) has criticized what it sees as an unbalanced regulatory focus on vaping, while conventional cigarettes—long linked to greater health risks—continue to be sold with limited enforcement. MRECA president Datuk Adzwan Ab Manas said public health policy should be fair and evidence-based, noting that vape products are regulated under the same legal framework as cigarettes through Act 852 and that the industry has invested heavily to meet government compliance requirements.

    He warned that sweeping bans or excessive restrictions on vaping could drive users back to combustible cigarettes or illicit markets, undermining health goals and harming legitimate businesses. MRECA urged the government to pursue balanced regulation, strengthen enforcement against cigarette misuse, engage in open dialogue with industry, and focus on realistic public health outcomes rather than symbolic prohibitions.

  • UK Seized 1.2M Illicit Vapes in 2025

    UK Seized 1.2M Illicit Vapes in 2025

    New figures from UK local councils show that authorities seized an average of two illegal vapes every minute in 2025, removing around 1.2 million illicit devices from high streets nationwide. More than 14,000 enforcement cases were logged involving businesses caught possessing, stocking or selling illegal vaping products, reflecting a sharp rise in unlawful nicotine goods entering local retail outlets.

    Over the past year, enforcement teams also confiscated 7.15 million illegal cigarettes, 257,000 illegal disposable vapes and nearly 10,000 nicotine pouches. Consumer confusion remains widespread, with 54% of UK vapers saying they believe they have unknowingly bought illegal products.

    The data, compiled by online retailer Vape Club through freedom of information requests to local councils and a survey of 2,000 vapers, found that suspected illegal products were most often bought from convenience stores (36%), followed by vape shops (33%) and market stalls or street traders (26%). Vape Club director Dan Marchant said the trade in non-compliant products is damaging the industry’s reputation and called for tougher enforcement against rogue sellers.