LATEST ALERTSSpain: More than 85% of Spaniards would be in favour of a more restrictive regulation on tobacco products and 72% would ban smoking on restaurant and bar terraces, press reports. The survey was conducted by the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC). Susana Morena, coordinator of the Smoke-free week (a campaign organised by semFYC) said the restrictions on smoking should be extended to e-cigarettes and tobacco-heating devices. She said there was a false perception among young people that such products were less dangerous.
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Russia: Members of the parliamentary cross-party working group on protecting the health of citizens from alcohol, drug and tobacco are planning to submit a bill to prohibit the sale of nicotine-containing products to people born after 2010, media reports. The current legal framework includes heated tobacco products and nicotine-containing liquids under the definition of nicotine-containing products.
24th May 2022 - Asia, Bangladesh |
Bangladesh: Around 40 members of Parliament have signed a declaration vowing to achieve a “tobacco-free Bangladesh” by 2040, fulfilling a “visionary statement” made by prime minister Sheikh Hasina in 2016, press reports.
24th May 2022 - Australasia, Australia |
Australia: A change of government, following the weekend’s federal election, could have a direct impact on nicotine and innovative tobacco products in the country. The Australian Labor Party, which has promised to crack down on “unhealthy products”, now has 75 seats in the House of Representatives (out of 151) and 26 in the Senate (out of 76). This approach, together with the existing 2030 National Tobacco Strategy, which will be focused on reducing tobacco lobbying and holding public campaigns warning of the dangers of tobacco products, is sure to play a big role in future regulation.
24th May 2022 - North America, United States |
US - Federal: In an appointment that has been met with dismay by many in the tobacco alternatives industry, Brian King is to be the new head of the US FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). He will take over the position on 3rd July after spending more than a decade at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In announcing his choice, FDA commissioner Robert Califf emphasised that King has detailed knowledge of premarket review pathways and tobacco product applications.
New Jersey: Senate Bill S 2667 has been introduced. It would prohibit the sale of menthol cigarettes and the sale or distribution of e-cigarettes and related products in all flavours but for tobacco.
23rd May 2022 - Colombia, South America |
Colombia: The Ministry of Health reports that between 2016 and 2021, smoking prevalence fell from 8.3% to 5.6%, a drop of 1m in the number of smokers in Colombia. The ministry has not revealed figures for the number of users of e-cigarettes or heated tobacco.
23rd May 2022 - Paraguay, South America |
Paraguay: The Senate last week approved the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, an international treaty adopted in 2012 by parties to the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The matter now moves on to the Chamber of Deputies, whose approval is required before Paraguay ratifies the treaty.
23rd May 2022 - Russia |
Russia: State Duma member Sultan Khamzaev, head of the federal Sober Russia project, has proposed banning QR codes, web addresses and corporate social media accounts from the packaging of tobacco and nicotine-containing products, media reports. Advertising of tobacco and nicotine-containing products is prohibited in Russia.Russia:
23rd May 2022 - Europe |
EU: The European Commission published on Friday, 20th May, an initiative to evaluate the EU’s legislative framework for tobacco, covering product regulation, advertising, promotion and sponsorship. It aims to assess how far the framework has fulfilled its goals and whether it can support a “tobacco-free generation” by 2040, as intended by the Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA). The initiative, which will help the Commission decide whether the EU approach should continue or be amended, is now open for feedback until 17th June.
US - California: The Scotts Valley City Council passed an ordinance on Wednesday 18th May with a favourable vote of 5-0, local media reports. The ordinance would ban the sale of flavoured tobacco products in the city, and also prohibit smoking or vaping in any designated seating areas of restaurants or outdoor eating establishments. We see yet another locality enact a flavour ban, while the referendum at state level to enact the state-wide flavour ban is still pending. Scotts Valley City is within the Santa Cruz county and has a population of around 12,000.
20th May 2022 - Australasia, New Zealand |
New Zealand: The government announced through an official newsletter that a Smoke-free Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Bill is expected to be presented in Parliament in late June 2022. This bill aims to reduce retail availability, change the age limits for sale of smoked tobacco products (cigarettes) and reduce their appeal. Despite not affecting heated tobacco and e-cigarettes so far, it shows the government commitment to banning conventional cigarettes and its support for vaping and heated tobacco products.
19th May 2022 - Europe |
EU: On behalf of the European Commission (EC), Stella Kyriakides, commissioner for health and food safety, answered a parliamentary question – submitted by Sara Skyttedal – on the role of new nicotine products in reducing cigarette consumption and on snus’ legal status. The commissioner said that the EC is determined to follow up on the most robust scientific evidence in establishing a regulatory approach fully reflecting the objectives of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. She said that the Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER)’s scientific opinion on e-cigarettes found supporting evidence for the harmful consequences of e-cig consumption and weak evidence for their effectiveness in helping smokers to quit. She also added that smokeless and emerging tobacco and related products containing nicotine prolong nicotine addiction and that the Commission does not envisage any change to snus status.
19th May 2022 - North America, United States |
US - Federal: The Center for Tobacco Products has updated its website to reflect the postponed Cigarette Health Warnings Effective Date: "On May 10, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued an order in the case of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. et al. v. United States Food and Drug Administration et al., No. 6:20-cv-00176, to postpone the effective date of the 'Required Warnings for Cigarette Packages and Advertisements' final rule. The new effective date of the final rule is July 8, 2023."
Malaysia: The minister of health is reviewing the possibility of imposing plain packaging on tobacco products and a ban on their display in shops where they can be bought, press reports. The measure would be part of a set of rules intended to be enacted after the tabling of the bill banning the sales of tobacco products to anyone born after 2005, which we previously reported on. However, the minister has acknowledged the need to conduct thorough studies and engagement sessions with stakeholders first.
19th May 2022 - Europe |
EU: The EU Commission regularly reviews the list of hazardous substances restricted in electrical and electronic equipment. Following a technical assessment, an EU initiative "proposes adding tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBP-A) and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs)" – which are used as flame retardants in electronic devices – "to the list of restricted substances", following feedback on the draft act recently published. The Commission expects to publish a final proposal in Q4 2022.
Russia: A bill prepared by the the Ministry of Finance proposes that from 1st January 2023, the illegal import of tobacco and alcohol products from Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia) should be punished by criminal sanctions (up to five years imprisonment), media reports. The ministry notes that the customs authorities record the facts of the import of tobacco and alcohol from the EAEU under the guise of transportation through Russian territory to other countries. The draft bill is supposed to be sent to the Russian government by July 2022. However, it is still unclear if it would be applicable to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco.
18th May 2022 - Europe |
EU: This morning, the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD) of the European Commission held a stakeholder event on tobacco taxation to receive feedback on the upcoming impact assessment for the review of the Tobacco Excise Directive (TED). Officers stated that the Commission will adopt a proposal in “the first part of Q4 2022” and the impact assessment will be presented “soon”. In addition, they reiterated that the revision is triggered by the “the emergence of new products, such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and new addictive products that reveal the limits of the current legal framework”, as well as the EU’s market fragmentation, illicit trade and low cigarette taxes. Officers also stated that the review intends to be guided by the need to preserve the integrity of the internal market and citizens' health.
Italy: Nine new flavours of heated tobacco consumables have been notified to the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM).
US - California: The San Diego Council passed an ordinance (the SAAFE Act) yesterday, which will ban the sale of all flavoured tobacco products (including menthol) in the city starting 1st January 2023, local media reports. The ordinance does not apply to the sale of shisha, premium cigars or loose-leaf tobacco and unflavoured or tobacco-flavoured e-cigarettes. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved cessation devices will also be exempt from the ban.
US - California: Assembly Bill (AB) 1690 has been ordered to the inactive file, meaning that the bill is ready to be heard on the floor but for some reason is dormant; an author of the bill may move it off the inactive file at a later date. AB 1690 would prohibit a person or entity from selling, giving, or furnishing to another person of any age in this state a cigarette utilising a single-use filter made of any material, a single-use plastic device meant to facilitate manual manipulation or filtration of a cigar, a single-use e-cigarette, or a single-use integrated cannabis vaporiser.
Spain: The government of Catalonia is considering imposing a cigarette tax of €0.20 per cigarette, press reports. The director of the Catalan Waste Agency (ARC) told the media that ARC is considering this tax to compensate for the costs of collecting stubs in the streets. Another option the agency is considering is to give citizens money back for returning cigarette butts, similar to schemes some countries have with containers such as glass bottles. So far, it is uncertain whether the measures would also include used heated tobacco sticks.
Hungary: An amendment to tobacco legislation to address a legal loophole that causes herbal nicotine-free sticks compatible with heating devices intended for heated tobacco consumption being sold outside national tobacco shops is currently being considered, local press reports. The loophole arises from the fact that these products do not fall within the scope of tobacco legislation because they do not contain either nicotine or tobacco. The amendment will presumably only seek to include these herbal nicotine-free products within the retail restrictions set out in the tobacco legislation.
16th May 2022 - Europe |
EU: The Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD) has scheduled a meeting, “Stakeholder event on tobacco taxation”, for 18th May to “give interested parties the opportunity to present their views on the latest developments in the area”. In addition, on 13th May the EU’s transparency portal updated its list of documents related to the Indirect Tax Expert Group (E00956), releasing the agenda of the meeting held on 4th May. TobaccoIntelligence is in the process of obtaining more information about what was discussed during the meeting.
13th May 2022 - World |
World: A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) states that new problems have emerged as more and more tobacco companies have started producing nicotine pouches, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco. The report states that the electronic waste is set to exacerbate the industry’s huge ecological impact. “These products will not only keep consumers addicted to nicotine, they also will create a whole new ecological crisis, from mining for battery components, to the manufacturing of plastics, to the disposal of 'vaping pods,' and electronic devices, some of which of course also need electricity to function,” the WHO said.
13th May 2022 - Europe, United Kingdom |
US - reminder: 14th May is the deadline for submitting premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) for all synthetic nicotine products that were placed on the market on or before 14th April. Companies not planning to use the online portal and wanting to physically submit the PMTA should do so by today, 13th May, at 4pm.
Slovenia: Today, the minister of health officially presented today via press conference the adopted Strategy for Reducing the Consequences of Tobacco Use - For Slovenia without Tobacco 2022–2030. As we previously reported, the policy paper calls for the urgent regulation of nicotine pouches, raising the minimum age for the purchase of heated tobacco products to 21, extending plain packaging to heated tobacco products, a flavour ban for heated tobacco and limiting the available points of sale of tobacco products, among others.
12th May 2022 - Europe, United Kingdom |
UK: Javed Khan, who has been tasked by the government to head an independent tobacco review, stated that he will present his recommendations to the government on 25th May 2022 at 3pm.
11th May 2022 - Europe |
EU: Previously unreleased EU documents indicate that the European Commission’s Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG Sante) "exaggerated claims about member states’ desire for EU-wide regulation and calls to ban tobacco-free nicotine pouches," according to press reports. It is claimed that while DG Sante defended in a presentation that “most Member States have called for a EU level legislation that regulates these products (including banning nicotine pouches)”, in reality, only a third of all member states responded to its survey.
US - Colorado: House Bill 22-1064 failed to pass the Senate Appropriations Committee, which rejected it yesterday by a 5-2 vote, local media reports. The bill would have banned the sale of flavoured cigarettes, tobacco products, and nicotine products. The senators also explained the bill's failure by saying that the ban would just lead to tobacco and nicotine users buying flavoured products online or out of state, describing youth tobacco use as inevitable but improving.
11th May 2022 - Asia, Philippines |
Philippines: The first set of graphic health warning templates for electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco enters into force today. The templates are valid for a period of two years.
11th May 2022 - Australasia, New Zealand |
New Zealand: From today, all manufacturers and importers of heated tobacco must ensure that their products conform to the new packaging rules, including health warnings and new prohibited features.
10th May 2022 - Asia, Philippines |
Philippines: Candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is on the cusp of winning the presidential election, has previously opposed tobacco taxes, claiming they would slow down activities for producers, manufacturers and sellers. His sister, senator Imee Marcos, also opposed taxing e-cigs and heated tobacco in 2019. Official vote counting started today and is expected to go on for a few days, despite already showing Marcos with a commanding vote margin.
US - Colorado: House Bill 22-1064 has passed the Senate Committee on Finance after amendments and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Appropriations. This bill would prohibit the distribution of flavoured cigarettes, tobacco products, or nicotine products, and would amend the definition of cigarette, tobacco product, or nicotine product to include products containing synthetic nicotine.
Sweden: The Social Affairs Committee will discuss tomorrow the bill "Stricter rules for new nicotine products" (2021/22: 200), which tries to regulate nicotine pouch ingredients, packaging, labelling, advertising, marketing and sales. Additionally, the proposal aims to strengthen the tobacco product advertising and marketing restrictions. This bill was proposed by the government following a public consultation on the regulation of tobacco, e-cigarettes and tobacco-free nicotine products conducted between February 2020 and March 2021.
Belgium: Last week, the Chamber of Deputies approved a bill to ban smoking – including heated tobacco products – on station platforms, starting 1st January 2023.
US - California: The El Dorado County Office of Education recently hosted a student training day for the Tobacco-Use Prevention Education (TUPE) Program, which included students from El Dorado, Independence, Union Mine, and Black Oak Mine Unified School District, local media reports. The purpose of the TUPE Program is to reduce youth usage of tobacco products through tobacco-specific educational instruction and activities that build knowledge as well as social skills and youth development assets. Melissa Kistler, director of District and Program Support and TUPE liaison emphasised the fact that the “training is unique because it is the first time we have cross collaboration between school districts in this county”.
9th May 2022 - Brazil, South America |
Brazil: In response to industry member requests, the National Public Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) has extended the deadline for receiving technical and scientific contributions about e-cigarettes and heated tobacco until 10th June. Previously, the agency published a report suggesting the current prohibition should be maintained, but any firm decisions will come later.
Georgia: Before 1st September 2022, the parliament is planning to amend the Law on Tobacco Control. It intends to introduce health warnings on packs and notification requirements for tobacco products, media reports. As nicotine-containing e-cigarette products and heated tobacco products fall under the definition of tobacco products in Georgia, we believe that such requirements would be applicable to them.
Hong Kong: Hong Kong police have arrested two people for violating the ban on selling alternative smoking products. Officers seized 94 boxes of suspected nicotine-containing e-cigarette cartridges and 74 “smoking devices” during the operation in Mong Kok, press reports. They were the first arrests under the ban, which came into effect on Saturday.
5th May 2022 - Europe |
EU: The European Commission has told TobaccoIntelligence the next step towards adoption of the Delegated EU Directive on exemptions for heated tobacco products, and amending Articles 7 and 11 of Directive 2014/40/EU, will be its translation into all official EU languages and its adoption by the Commission. The Commission will then notify it simultaneously to the European Parliament and the Council, which will have two months to scrutinise it – a period that may be extended by another two months at the initiative of the Parliament or the Council. After that it will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and come into force 20 days later. The transposition period is expected to last at least six months.
US - Colorado: House Bill 22-1064 was approved by the state House yesterday and sent to the Senate for consideration, local media reports. The bill would prohibit the distribution of flavoured cigarettes, tobacco or nicotine products, including those containing synthetic nicotine. Since its introduction, the bill has been changed to exempt hookahs, premium cigars and pipe tobacco.
4th May 2022 - North America, United States |
US - federal: Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Robert Califf, and Michele Mital, acting director of the FDA Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), have explained in an online media call how two proposed rules on menthol and flavours are expected to work. The FDA intends the product standard to cover all types, sizes, nicotine strengths and formulations of cigarettes, cigarette tobacco and roll-your-own tobacco as well as heated tobacco products. The agency is seeking data and evidence for potential exemptions, either for certain types of product or on a case-by-case basis, for products that may have different public health impacts, such as heat-not-burn (HnB) products or low-nicotine cigarettes.
US - Hawaii: House Bill 1570 passed its final reading yesterday on a 36-15 vote. The bill to ban the sale of all flavoured tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, combustible menthol cigarettes and flavoured cigars, has now been passed by both chambers of the Legislature and requires only the signature of governor David Ige to become law.
Hong Kong: Hong Kong Customs reports a major operation to combat illicit heated tobacco and e-cigarettes, with products with an estimated market value of $15m seized in the past month. The Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 came into effect on Saturday, 30th April, banning production, import, sales and promotion of heat-not-burn (HnB) and vaping products, subject to a fine of up to $50,000 and up to six months’ jail.
US - Hawaii: Many bills are currently sitting in the legislative process that would ban flavoured tobacco products. Among them, House Bill 1570 has passed both the House and the Senate, but the House seems to disagree with some amendments and so it may still take a while. The ban of flavoured tobacco products is a current political debate: representatives supporting the bill state they are only banning flavours and not vaping, whereas shop owners state that flavours are 99.9% of the business.
2nd May 2022 - Asia, Philippines |
Philippines: The Department of Health (DOH) reiterated its call for president Rodrigo Duterte to veto the proposed Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulations Act, press report. According to the authority, the approval of the bill is contrary to the president's position to protect the public from the effects of smoking and goes against the already existing laws. The bill was approved by the Senate and House of Representatives in January and is now waiting for the president’s signature.
29th April 2022 - North America, United States |
US - Federal: The first report on the status of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) is expected today (29th April) following an order from a federal judge. More information can be found in a news briefing on our sister site, ECigIntelligence.
29th April 2022 - North America, United States |
US - Federal: Yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced two proposed product standards: one to prohibit menthol as a characterising flavour in cigarettes and one to prohibit all characterising flavours (other than tobacco) in cigars; e-cigarettes are not included in either of the proposed rules. The reason behind proposing these rules is to reduce the appeal of those products to youth. The FDA has emphasised that enforcement against individual consumers for possession of menthol cigarettes or flavoured cigars will not be pursued.
27th April 2022 - Europe, United Kingdom |
UK: Yesterday, 26th April 2022, a Westminster Hall debate on the progress of the government's Smokefree 2030 ambition took place. MP Bob Blackman said that the review of tobacco laws also needs to look at shisha tobacco, chewing tobacco and snus. The independent review led by Javed Khan OBE that will make a set of recommendations to the government is expected to be published next month.
