Market & legal data of the tobacco alternatives sector in Asia

18th September 2024: Bangladesh: The Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) criticised the country’s tobacco tax structure, calling it “flawed” due to the low cost and easy accessibility of tobacco products. The ATMA highlighted that 161,000 people die annually from tobacco-related causes in Bangladesh and argued that the tax system fails to discourage tobacco use by not raising prices. This approach is in contrast to global policies that aim to reduce tobacco consumption by increasing taxes.
17th September 2024: Bangladesh: Stop Tobacco Bangladesh, an anti-tobacco group based on social media, has called for a ban on films that violate the country’s tobacco control laws by showing cigarette use, and for punitive measures against those responsible. The organisation noted that, despite laws prohibiting tobacco use in films and similar platforms, the Bangladeshi entertainment industry continues to promote smoking and tobacco consumption.
17th September 2024: India: The central government has proposed stricter tobacco regulations for online content platforms, amending the Cigarette and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Rules, 2024. By increasing exposure to anti-tobacco messages, the government aims to raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco and discourage its consumption.
17th September 2024: Malaysia: Health groups representing medical doctors, pharmacists, parents and youths have called for the implementation of the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 and its regulations by October, press reports. The act was published in February but will not enter into force until the implementing regulations are issued by the Ministry of Health. The 20 health groups demand point-of-sale display bans, prohibition of sales online and via vending machines, and mandatory health warnings for tobacco products.
16th September 2024: Malaysia: The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP), an organisation upholding consumer rights and interests in Malaysia, has urged the government to urgently ban the display of tobacco-related products at payment counters in shops, press reports. The draft regulations to implement the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024, which would regulate heated tobacco products, have still not been published.
16th September 2024: Indonesia: The Indonesian Tobacco Farmers’ Association (APTI) has sent a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture urging the repeal of the draft regulations developing the government regulations that established a comprehensive regulatory framework for heated tobacco products (HTPs) and nicotine pouches, press reports. The draft regulations envisage plain packaging requirements. The association argues that the draft regulations, which still need to be approved, threaten the survivability of the tobacco farming industry.
13th September 2024: Jordan: Yesterday (12th September), the government issued system 62/2024, amending the Special Tax System 80/2000. Under the new amendments, heated tobacco products (HTPs) are now subject to a tax of up to JOD0.90 ($1.27) per 20 sticks, while heated tobacco devices are subject to tax at a rate of JOD20 ($28) per unit. The amendments entered into force immediately.
12th September 2024: Taiwan: No heated tobacco products (HTPs) in Taiwan have yet passed the health risk assessment required by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which is necessary before they can be sold, press reports. Although the ministry had initially estimated that the results would be available by October, delays have occurred as companies continue to submit additional documents. The release of the results may be further delayed, depending on how quickly the companies provide the required information. Lo Su-ying, head of the Tobacco Control Division Team at the ministry, noted that 12 companies have applied for the assessment, with 6 currently in the review stage. However, all are still providing supplementary information, such as epidemiological monitoring data on people under 20 and susceptible groups.
12th September 2024: Commonwealth of Independent States: The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS, an intergovernmental organisation in Eurasia, consisting of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) has finished creating an action plan for all member states to prevent the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine products on public health, media reports. Representatives from several member states have participated in a videoconference to discuss and make final edits to the plan. After the meeting, it was decided to get the plan approved domestically and then submit it to the CIS Council of Heads of Government for further review.
10th September 2024: India: The Anti-Tobacco Forum has called on the Karnataka state government to ensure that the upcoming Dasara festival (a major Hindu celebration) will be held as a “tobacco-free Mysuru Dasara”. Vasanthkumar Mysoremath, the forum’s convener, made the appeal following the state government’s recent announcement that Mysuru Dasara 2024 will be celebrated on a grand scale.
10th September 2024: India: Health experts have highlighted India’s unique tobacco burden, noting that both traditional products – such as bidis – and modern cigarettes contribute to the widespread use of tobacco. Narender Saini, former general secretary of the Indian Medical Association, said that, despite strict tobacco control measures, around 267m people in India continue to use tobacco – resulting in nearly 1m tobacco-related deaths each year.
10th September 2024: Malaysia: The Department of Statistics Malaysia released statistics today on the manufacturing sector’s value, which reached MYR157.1bn ($36.2bn) in July – a surge of 9.1% compared with a year ago. The increase was driven largely by a double-digit growth of 16% in the food, beverages and tobacco subsector.

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