LATEST ALERTS
5th November 2024
- Kuwait: The International Conference on Tobacco Control organised by the Ministry of Health has recommended that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries establish national observatories to monitor tobacco industry activities and align with the World Health Organization (WHO) standards on tobacco control. Additionally, the conference advocated for regulating novel emerging products in the region, such as nicotine pouches, and recommended increasing excise taxes on tobacco.
20th June 2024
- Bahrain: The government referred an amendment to the Law on Tobacco and Smoking Control to the parliament, press reports. The new amendment proposes to increase the sanctions imposed on importing, distributing or selling oral (non-smoked) tobacco products to imprisonment for a maximum period of one year and a maximum fine of BHD100,000 ($266,000). Currently, not complying with the ban on oral tobacco can lead to a minimum fine of BHD2,000 ($5,300) and a maximum of BHD5,000 ($13,300).
30th April 2024
- Bahrain: The minister of industry and commerce has issued decision 34/2024, authorising the Ministry of Health to monitor the implementation of the Electronic Nicotine Products standards for one year. The Ministry of Health was mandated in March 2023 to monitor the implementation for a period of one year under decision 26/2023.
7th December 2023
- Bahrain: The National Bureau of Revenue has announced the imminent implementation of the final phase of the distinctive mark system (digital stamp). Under decision 3/2023, from 24th December 2023 the possession, trade, supply and sale of heated tobacco products (HTPs) without a digital stamp will be prohibited.
20th March 2023
- Bahrain: On 19th March, the minister of industry and commerce issued Decision No.26/2023, authorising the Ministry of Health to monitor the implementation of the Electronic Nicotine Products standards for a period of one year. Originally, Decision No.121/2021 mandated the Ministry of Health to monitor the implementation for six months.
13th February 2023
- Bahrain: The National Bureau of Revenue has released Decision No. 3/2023, which states that all available-for-sale heated tobacco products must be marked with a digital stamp in accordance with Decision No. 3/2022. The digital stamps will be available to importers and manufacturers online from 14th May; from 17th September, no product will be imported without a valid and activated digital stamp. The possession, trade, supply and sale of heated tobacco products without a digital stamp will be prohibited from 24th December 2023.
18th October 2022
- Bahrain: The Bahraini Testing and Metrology Directorate has confirmed to TobaccoIntelligence that according to the Technical Regulation of Electronic Nicotine Products it is mandatory to include a production code (batch number) on all packaging. No specific format has been envisaged and importers are free to place the batch number anywhere on the package.
5th September 2022
- Bahrain: The National Bureau for Revenue announced yesterday that from 16th October all cigarettes available for sale must be marked with distinctive digital stamps as laid down by decree No. 3/2022, issued in May. From that date any cigarettes not having the digital stamp will either be destroyed or confiscated. The system is to be extended later to include other tobacco products such as heated tobacco, hookahs and e-cigarettes.
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