Kenyan lobby group the Campaign for Safer Alternatives (CASA) has strongly condemned the new Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill 2024 as it undergoes its second reading in Parliament, labeling the proposals “regressive” and a “potential death sentence” for millions of Kenyan smokers. CASA Chairman Joseph Magero argued that the bill ignores scientific evidence and would force smokers to continue using deadly combustible cigarettes by penalizing safer nicotine alternatives like vapes and oral pouches.
Read moreA ban on flavored e-cigarettes and vape liquids, which took effect on January 1, 2025 in Latvia, has reportedly led to unintended negative consequences, including a surge in the illicit market and a significant state budget deficit. The law, which prohibited all vape flavors except tobacco, was intended to protect public health and limit youth access to these products.
Read moreA recent survey has revealed a surprising leader in workplace satisfaction: cannabis dispensary and vape shop employees. According to the Shift Pulse Report from workforce management platform Deputy, an impressive 91.87% of these workers reported being “happy” at the end of their shifts, ranking them higher than any other industry sector surveyed. The findings are based on over 1.5 million anonymized end-of-shift surveys submitted between April 2024 and April 2025.
Read moreThe Bangladesh Ministry of Health is advancing a new bill to completely ban all safer nicotine products (SNPs), including vaping devices and oral alternatives. The move has drawn sharp criticism from regional public health advocates, who allege the policy is being driven by foreign-funded organizations and pushed through without public consultation under an interim government.
Read moreAs state legislative sessions wind down for the year, adult vapers and users of other safer alternatives to combustible cigarettes are catching a brief respite from the relentless onslaught of new tax hikes and product restrictions. However, despite campaign-trail promises from figures like Donald Trump to protect flavored vapor products, the tools of tobacco harm reduction remain under increasing threat. This time, the primary driver is not just state-level action, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) persistent failure to regulate and authorize these products in a timely, transparent, and effective manner. This federal inaction has created a vacuum, leading to a chaotic patchwork of state laws that often undermine public health goals. What is urgently needed is a straightforward, science-based, top-down regulatory approach – starting with the FDA – to help the nearly 30 million American adults still using deadly combustible cigarettes transition to safer alternatives.
Read moreRoundup of June 2025 state actions on tobacco & vaping: Tax hikes in Delaware & Indiana, flavor ban considered in CA, new laws in CT, OR & RI.
Read moreThe United Kingdom has taken a decisive and widely publicized step to address the “nasty” issue of single-use e-cigarettes. As of June 1, 2025, a nationwide ban on the sale and supply of disposable vapes is officially in force. The government’s stated aims are clear: to tackle the “alarming rise in youth vaping” and to curb the significant environmental damage caused by millions of these devices being discarded weekly. When the ban was announced in October 2024, Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh described disposables as “extremely wasteful” and a “blight on our towns and cities.” But as the ban takes effect, a critical question emerges: will it actually work? Early indications from retailers, consumers, and public health experts suggest the reality is complex, with a market already adapting in ways that may undermine the ban’s core objectives.
Read moreA 2025 “Nanny State Index” report offers a comparative look at how European countries regulate lifestyle choices, including a significant focus on tobacco and “safer nicotine” products like e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. The index suggests that while many nations are tightening controls, approaches vary widely, with some imposing outright bans and others focusing on high taxation and advertising restrictions. Turkey, Lithuania, Finland, Hungary, and the United Kingdom emerge as some of the jurisdictions with the most stringent measures targeting traditional smoking and alternative nicotine delivery systems.
Read moreBorn into a world shaped by smartphones and social media, Gen Z navigates life with an expectation of speed, convenience, and personal autonomy. This digital-native mindset helps explain the parallel rise of two seemingly unrelated trends that have captured their attention: disposable vapes and cryptocurrency. While one involves a sensory experience and the other a financial one, both tap into core generational values of independence, community, and a desire to engage with modern, digitally-driven systems. Understanding the underlying themes connecting these two phenomena offers a clear window into the motivations and priorities of today’s young adults.
Read moreAustralia’s progressively harsh restrictions on vaping products, including a near-total ban on sales outside pharmacies, have failed to curb demand and may be counterproductive to public health, a new expert review published in the Journal of Smoking Cessation concludes. The report, titled ‘A short history of e-cigarette policy in Australia,’ traces how increasingly strict measures have driven vaping underground rather than reducing its use, particularly among young people, while the nation’s smoking rate remains stubbornly high at around 11%.
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