Market & legal data of the tobacco alternatives sector in Asia

5th September 2024: South Korea: A group of ten members of parliament from the opposition Democratic Party of Korea has introduced a bill seeking to ban the sale of tobacco and nicotine products in stores offering them through vending machines but at the same time not operated by any retailer (unmanned stores).
5th September 2024: Philippines: The Department of Trade and Industry has issued department order 24-154. The order defines elements of the offences drawn up in Republic Act 11900, which regulates e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and novel tobacco products. It also sets definitions of violations of packaging and health warning rules, product restriction rules, minimum age sale and purchase, online trade and sales restrictions, among others.
3rd September 2024: Malaysia: Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad recently said the draft regulations implementing the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 are in the final stages of approval by the attorney general, and that the regulations, alongside the act, are expected to be enforced by October, press reports. The health minister said in May of this year that the regulations would be issued in June, and in July, he said they would be issued in August. In August, the minister of health said that the regulations would be issued by the end of this year. The regulations will comprehensively regulate e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
3rd September 2024: Indonesia: Today, the Ministry of Health held a public hearing to gather feedback on the draft regulations that would further develop the regulations issued in late July that comprehensively regulated heated tobacco products (HTPs) and nicotine pouches. The July regulations included product and ingredient restrictions, testing and licensing requirements, sales and age restrictions, labelling and health warning requirements, and advertising and usage restrictions. The draft regulations outline more specific provisions, such as the method to carry out the licensing and testing obligations and the specifics of the health warning applicable.
2nd September 2024: Pakistan: Health and social sector experts have identified naswar (oral tobacco) addiction in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as an escalating public health threat, press reports. They warned that the severity of this addiction can lead to serious gum infections, jaw complications and the loss of multiple teeth. Naswar, which is made from fresh tobacco leaves, calcium oxide and other ingredients, has been linked to various types of cancer, according to a report by The Daily Nation.
30th August 2024: Kazakhstan: As of today, a new text warning must be displayed in places where tobacco products are sold, including heated tobacco products (HTPs) and devices, according to our Compliance Calendar.
29th August 2024: Jordan: The Ministry of Health announced it will be launching a campaign in September to ensure that retailers, premises and institutions are complying with the advertising and marketing restrictions on tobacco products as well as the public use restrictions.
29th August 2024: Saudi Arabia: The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority has proposed amendments to decree 3839 (14/12/1438H) on the executive regulations of the value-added tax (VAT). Among them is a proposal that tobacco products, derivatives and substitutes are not considered goods eligible for tax refunds under any circumstance. The proposal will be under consideration until 17th September. Heated tobacco products are subject a 100% excise tax, a customs duty of 100%, and 15% VAT.
29th August 2024: Pakistan: The Federal Board of Revenue, the tax authority in Pakistan, has granted exporters permission to move unmanufactured tobacco from green leaf threshing (GLT) units (where tobacco is processed) without incurring any duties. This relief was provided through federal excise order 1/2024, aimed at easing the challenges faced by exporters.
27th August 2024: Indonesia: Last week, the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) published the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) Indonesia Report 2021. The report “presents detailed information on tobacco use and key tobacco control indicators” as of 2021. Reporting on novel tobacco and nicotine products, the survey found that “use of electronic cigarettes increased by ten times in the last ten years, from 0.3% in 2011 – when the last GATS was conducted – to 3% in 2021”, while “heated tobacco products users were identified only in adults with high school completed and college/university education”. Although the report’s main focus is not on novel products, it recommends “comprehensive and responsive enforcement of tobacco control regulations, including interventions to control the use of electronic cigarettes and other emerging tobacco and nicotine products”. Other recommendations include tax increases and stronger advertising bans.
23rd August 2024: Pakistan: The Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) at Khyber Medical University (KMU) and the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) have emphasised the urgent need for enacting and enforcing smokeless tobacco control policies in Pakistan. Their recommendation is based on a research study examining the biochemical composition of naswar — a type of finely ground, moistened smokeless tobacco, also known as “moist snuff”. The study identified a range of harmful substances in naswar, including nicotine, heavy metals and aflatoxin components, all of which have toxic and carcinogenic properties.
23rd August 2024: Vietnam: Minister of health Dao Hong Lan emphasised the urgent need for a complete ban on the production, sale, import and advertising of e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products (HTPs) and other new tobacco products to safeguard public health. She highlighted the rising use of these products among students and said this poses health risks, including damage to lung function and adolescent brain development. Lan warned that simply restricting the sale, purchase and use of these products by minors would not effectively reduce smoking rates, calling instead for preventive measures to stop the spread of nicotine addiction and protect public health, press reports.

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