LATEST ALERTS

China Tobacco industry modernisation and supervision discussed at Beijing conference ...
Pakistan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa passes excise act without tax hike on oral tobacco ...
United Arab Emirates Ajman Police launch “Your Life is Purer Without Smoking” initiative ...
Italy ADM updates list of nicotine pouches authorised for sale ...
Bulgaria Bill to ban under-age sales of herbal heated sticks heads to first vote ...
New Zealand Health minister defends HTP tax cuts, will meet quit-smoking providers ...
Philippines Bill to introduce track-and-trace stamps heads to second reading ...
Kazakhstan Order issued to change warning notices in tobacco retailers ...
Vietnam Health ministry proposes tobacco tax, which could apply to heated tobacco ...
Brazil Bill introduced to criminalise the manufacture, import and sale of heated tobacc ...
Indonesia Heated tobacco tax due to increase in 2025 ...
Georgia Possible tobacco production licence fee supported in second reading ...

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Heated tobacco and nicotine products in Australasia

Global business and regulatory news covering the alternative tobacco industry

30th May 2024

Relative harm beats absolute harm when it comes to aids for smoking cessation

29th May 2024

Sunak’s UK smoking ban on pause, not fast forward, but Labour may press ahead

12th February 2024

Leaked document suggests New Zealand minister wants tax-free heated tobacco

More News analysis

Daily regulatory updates of the tobacco alternative sector. It includes weekly podcasts and monthly compilations

24th July 2024: New Zealand: After opposition parties criticised health minister Casey Costello’s decision to cut the excise tax on heated tobacco products (HTPs) by 50%, the minister said in a parliamentary enquiry that the government is committed to achieving Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 (less than 5% of smokers) and ensuring there are “tools available to achieve the target audience quitting smoking”. She added that “the main audience for this change are the quit-smoking providers, all of whom I will be meeting with over the next month to discuss the best way to continue to reduce smoking rates and achieve our smoke-free 2025 target”.
18th July 2024: New Zealand: Associate health minister Casey Costello has cut by 50% the excise tax on heated tobacco products (HTPs). New tariff numbers were created (for imported and locally manufactured HTPs), at NZD886.51 (USD540) per kg of tobacco (containing reconstituted tobacco) and NZD777.61 (USD472) per kg of tobacco (other). The tax rates entered into force on 1st July. A spokesperson for the minister told press that Costello made the move to “reduce the cost of the products to encourage smokers to switch to safer alternatives”.
10th June 2024: Australia: Mark Butler, the minister of health, has launched an advertising campaign aimed at raising awareness about the effects of smoking and consuming tobacco products. The campaign will be run through media platforms, such as TikTok and Spotify, and will focus on four groups: young people, adults who vape, adults who smoke and Indigenous adult smokers. Other measures connected to the campaign include the development of an online cessation hub and an app (My QuitBuddy) to provide support and the regular issuance of updated clinical guidance for health practitioners.
27th March 2024: New Zealand: The Ministry of Health has published clarifications on the process for the 2023 annual return of sales information for heated tobacco products (HTPs) and e-cigarettes. Retailers must have a separate return form for each store (including online), while importers and manufacturers only need submit one. The return forms must be submitted to the Vaping Regulatory Authority (vaping@health.govt.nz) by 28th April 2024.
21st March 2024: Australia: Today, the Australian government introduced a bill amending the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 in order to implement the second stage of the vaping reform measures. The Therapeutic Goods and Other Legislation Amendment (Vaping Reforms) Bill 2024 aims to regulate the importation, domestic manufacture, supply, possession and advertisement of all heating devices under the Therapeutic Goods Act. It bans the manufacture of any non-therapeutic heating device, as well as the sale of any non-therapeutic product that was imported before March 2024 and is still being sold. It also establishes sanctions for the possession of non-therapeutic heating devices, with an exception for personal use.
4th March 2024: New Zealand: The government has approved the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill, which will repeal parts of the tobacco control legislation passed by the previous government. The provisions mainly relate to smoked tobacco, which does not include e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. The changes include the repeal of the generational ban for those born after 2008 and the reduction of nicotine levels in conventional cigarettes. The bill needs royal assent before becoming a law.
28th February 2024: New Zealand: The government has introduced the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill, which will repeal parts of the tobacco control legislation passed by the previous government. The provisions mainly relate to smoked tobacco, which does not include e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. The changes include the repeal of the generational ban for those born after 2009 and the reduction of nicotine levels in conventional cigarettes. The bill must now pass three readings in Parliament.
26th January 2024: New Zealand: The Ministry of Health has sent a reminder that they will provide more clarity regarding the annual sales return process for heated tobacco products (due by 31st January each year). They do not expect annual returns to be completed for the 2023 calendar until further advice is provided. The advice is expected to be published before the end of March.
25th January 2024: New Zealand: Health minister Casey Costello allegedly proposes to remove the excise tax from heated tobacco products (HTPs), according to a document leaked to the press. Currently, heated tobacco is taxed under the "other tobacco" category at NZD1,555.23 ($952) per kg. When talking about the government coalition agreement to tax "smoked products only", Costello said "it is definitely one of the things that we have committed to in the coalition agreement, but we're not going to do anything without getting clear advice on it".
8th January 2024: New Zealand: As of 1st January 2024, the tax on heated tobacco has increased to NZD1,555.23 ($967) per kg.
13th December 2023: New Zealand: Associate health minister Casey Costello, who is responsible for policy relating to smoking and vaping in the new coalition government, said she is getting advice on oral products – including nicotine pouches and chewing tobacco – and what role they might play in helping smokers quit, press reports. “Early information I have got around oral nicotine is that it was used highly successfully in Scandinavian countries,” she added. Oral nicotine products are currently forbidden in the country.
28th November 2023: New Zealand: Health organisations have condemned the newly elected National Party’s coalition agreement to repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act – which would remove requirements for denicotinisation, retail outlet reduction and the generation ban – press reports. Future finance minister Nicola Willis said the move was to fund tax cuts, although “our policy is to maintain all of the existing restrictions on smoking in New Zealand – the age limits, the health warnings, the smoking cessation programs”. National’s leader, Christopher Luxon, says he wants the amendments to the legislation repealed before March 2024.

Full-length in-depth reports with detailed data and analysis for individual markets around the world

23rd January 2017

Australia and New Zealand: personal imports lead the field

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Detailed legal reports outlining industry regulation, analysis of the laws, and compliance requirements

23rd April 2024

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25th March 2024

Top changes that matter in this month’s Policy Radar update, February 2024

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Australia: oral tobacco and nicotine pouch regulation, March 2024

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Market data outputs, statistics and forecasts in interactive and downloadable format

26th July 2024

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12th June 2024

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Up-to-date information about current regulations around the world

19th July 2024

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Global regulatory tracker: tobacco-free pouches, June

4th July 2024

Regulatory database: global alerts round-up, June

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