Scotland’s ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) has pledged to ban the display of vaping products in retail outlets if re-elected, aligning vape regulations more closely with existing tobacco restrictions. The move, aimed at reducing youth appeal linked to colorful packaging and in-store visibility, would be enabled through powers in the UK’s pending Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The proposal builds on existing measures, including the ban on single-use vapes, and reflects broader efforts to tighten controls on nicotine products amid concerns over rising youth usage.
Tag: vape ban
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French Group Urges Stricter Vape Controls, Plain Packaging
French advocacy group Contre-Feu called for tighter regulation of e-cigarettes, accusing manufacturers of targeting young people through flavored products, packaging, and marketing. The group is pushing for measures including plain packaging, stricter rules on flavor naming, and a ban on online sales, citing survey data showing more than half of 13–16 year-olds are drawn to vaping by sweet or fruity flavors. The intervention comes as smoking rates decline in France, but vaping grows, with the market generating around €1.6 billion annually, highlighting concerns that nicotine companies are shifting focus to sustain demand among younger consumers.
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Russian Retailers Pull Vapes Ahead of Potential Ban
In Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region, around 550 retailers voluntarily removed vapes and e-liquids from sale amid a broader crackdown on the category and expectations of a future nationwide ban. Regional authorities said the initiative follows a 2025 self-regulation program that encouraged businesses to exit the vape market, citing concerns over counterfeit products and weak regulatory oversight. Enforcement actions have also intensified, including store closures for violations, as officials signal a shift toward stricter controls and possible federal prohibition of vape sales in the near term.
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Seoul Expands No-Smoking Enforcement to Vaping
The city of Seoul will begin business inspections and public outreach ahead of April 24, when revisions to the Tobacco Business Act take effect, classifying all nicotine-using e-cigarettes and vaping devices as tobacco products. The change means vaping will be subject to the same restrictions as combustible cigarettes, including bans in designated no-smoking zones. Officials said the revision closes a legal gap dating to 1988, which previously allowed some vaping-related fines to be overturned because e-cigarettes were not explicitly covered by the law.
From April 14 to May 15, Seoul will conduct city-wide inspections of retailers, including unmanned shops, while running public awareness efforts from April 13–23.
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Dutch Retailers Keep Selling Illegal Vapes Despite Fines
Hundreds of retailers across the Netherlands continue selling illegal flavored vapes and supplying minors despite repeated penalties, according to reporting by RTL Nieuws based on enforcement data from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. Records show 244 businesses were fined at least twice over four years, with 72 receiving five fines and six racking up 10 or more; one seller was issued a 14th fine during an inspection observed by reporters and said stopping sales was “not worth it.”
Inspectors say nearly half of vape checks ended in a fine or warning, but current penalties — ranging from €1,360 for a first offense to a maximum cumulative €22,500 — are failing to deter persistent violators. Administrative law professor Herman Bröring of the University of Groningen told RTL the system is “not working well enough,” while NVWA officials acknowledged sellers are increasingly hiding stock to evade checks as the agency adapts its inspection tactics.
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Indonesia Proposes Vape Ban Over Narcotics Concerns
Indonesia’s National Narcotics Agency (BNN) proposed a nationwide ban on electronic cigarettes and vape liquids as part of revisions to the country’s narcotics and psychotropic substances bill, citing evidence that vaping devices are being used to distribute illicit drugs. BNN chief Suyudi Ario Seto told lawmakers that lab tests on 341 vape liquid samples found synthetic cannabinoids in 11 samples, methamphetamine in one, and etomidate in 23. He said existing health regulations carry lighter penalties, limiting enforcement effectiveness.
Seto noted that several ASEAN countries — including Singapore and Thailand — already prohibit vapes, arguing that banning the devices in Indonesia would help curb the spread of new psychoactive substances, 175 of which are already present in the country.
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Russian Businesses Propose State Monopoly Over Vape Ban
Russian small business group Opora Russia and industry associations are urging federal authorities to abandon plans to ban the sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems and e-liquids, warning the move would push the market further into the shadow economy without reducing nicotine use. In an appeal to First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov last week, the group argued that allowing regions to impose their own vape bans — an idea backed by President Vladimir Putin and already pursued in areas such as the Vologda, Penza, and Perm regions — would fragment the national market and drive legitimate retailers out of business. Industry representatives estimate around 20,000 outlets sell ENDS in Russia, serving 10–12 million consumers, while claiming 75–85% of current sales already occur in the gray market.
As an alternative to prohibition, associations, including the Union of Participants in the Circulation of Nicotine-Containing Products, have proposed creating a state-controlled monopoly on the production of base e-liquid under a concession model, allowing tighter oversight of product flows and taxation. They cite past excise hikes as evidence that restrictive policy has reduced legal sales and tax receipts while expanding illicit trade. The proposal has been referred to the Finance Ministry for review as the government continues work on draft legislation that could allow regions to experiment with retail bans between 2027 and 2032.
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Hong Kong to Impose Two-Tier Penalty for Carrying Vapes
Starting April 30, Hong Kong will introduce a two-tier penalty for the possession of vaping and heated tobacco products in public under amendments to its tobacco control law. Individuals carrying small quantities — no more than five vape pods, 5 ml of e-liquid, 100 heat sticks or 100 herbal sticks — will face a fixed HK$3,000 ($390) penalty, while possession of larger amounts can lead to prosecution, with fines up to HK$50,000 ($6,500) and six months’ imprisonment. Officials said the phased approach begins with public places due to enforcement challenges in private residences, with a broader ban on possession possible later.
Enforcement officers will operate in plain clothes using a risk-based approach, with powers to check identification, seize devices, and issue electronic penalty notices, including to tourists. Authorities also confirmed standardized cigarette packaging and a duty stamp system will take effect on March 1, 2027.
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Virginia AG Pushing to Enforce New Vape Regulations
As of April 1, 2026, Virginia vape shops must sell only liquid nicotine and vapor products listed in the state’s official registry. Attorney General Jay Jones has instructed local prosecutors to begin enforcement, with retailers facing fines of $1,000 per unlisted product per day until compliance. The grace period for compliance, initially set at 60 days from the registry’s January 1 launch, was extended to April 1 following confusion over a federal injunction that had temporarily allowed unregistered products to remain on shelves. Vape shop owners warn that the new rules will impact sales, as many popular products are not yet listed.
Legislators are also advancing the Vape Enforcement Act, shifting oversight and licensing from the Department of Taxation to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority and mandating inspections every 24 months to prevent sales to minors. The bills, which have passed the General Assembly and await Governor Abigail Spanberger’s signature, aim to close loopholes, strengthen enforcement, and ensure harmful unregulated products are removed from the market.
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Ireland Called to Consider Australian-Style Vape Ban
Calls to restrict vape sales to pharmacies have resurfaced in Ireland after a regional health forum asked the Health Service Executive to study whether an Australia-style model could curb youth vaping. At the HSE South-West Regional Health Forum, councilors from multiple parties backed a motion from Cork City South East Councilor Peter Horgan, urging research into the potential benefits and drawbacks of limiting vape sales to pharmacy-only settings. The proposal follows mounting concern over youth use, with estimates suggesting one in five 15–16 year olds now vape, and ongoing criticism of brightly colored devices and sweet flavors seen as appealing to children.
Supporters of the motion pointed to Australia’s 2024 shift to pharmacy-only sales for all vaping products as a possible template, arguing that higher prices and restricted access there may have reduced affordability for young people despite illicit trade challenges. HSE representatives highlighted existing national campaigns aimed at parents, schools and teenagers, including peer-led education and the “Take a Breath” initiative launched in 2025. The forum agreed to seek national HSE funding for a feasibility study, with the intention of using the findings to inform future policy discussions at the government level.