European Council President António Costa has confirmed that the European Union is exploring new taxes on electronic cigarettes to fund its 2028–2034 multi-annual budget. This strategy seeks to generate direct EU revenue while avoiding higher financial contributions from member states.
Read moreVietnam’s Ministry of Health has proposed a complete ban on e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and related components during a National Assembly Standing Committee meeting on September 21. The proposal amends the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harm to outlaw all production, commercial trade, storage, and personal use of novel nicotine devices.
Expanding the Scope of Tobacco Prohibitions
Presenting the draft law, Permanent Deputy Minister of Health Vu Manh Ha outlined restrictions targeting modern nicotine products. The law prohibits the production, sale, import, and export of electronic devices, component assemblies, and solutions used to assemble e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
Online commerce faces strict curbs. The draft bans tobacco sales across the internet, e-commerce platforms, social networks, and digital platforms, while also prohibiting point-of-sale displays. Retailers must verify customer ages using the national VNeID digital identification app or passports whenever a buyer is suspected of being under 18. Additionally, sales within a 100-meter radius of educational and medical facilities are banned.
Lawmakers Debate Retail Licensing and Enforcement
While endorsing stricter public health protections, the National Assembly’s Committee on Culture and Social Affairs questioned several provisions. Chairman Nguyen Dac Vinh opposed the draft’s plan to abolish tobacco sales licenses for wholesalers and retailers, warning that deregulation could increase access and consumer numbers.
Nguyen Dac Vinh also noted that the strict 100-meter retail buffer around schools is impractical, recommending that the Government regulate sales in “adjacent areas” instead. He also urged flexibility regarding VNeID verification to prevent excessive data collection.
Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Hong Dien emphasized the need for actionable digital oversight, stating:
“Clause 7 of Article 9 of the draft prohibits the sale of tobacco products on the internet, e-commerce platforms, social networks, and digital platforms… but it does not simultaneously define the responsibilities of the platform operators; the mechanism for detecting and removing infringing content and accounts; or coordinating handling.”
Economic and Financial Committee Chairman Phan Van Mai supported prioritizing public health over retail revenue:
“We shouldn’t think of tobacco retail as an unattainable ‘livelihood’ for the people, because the income from this is actually not much.”
Lawmakers will continue reviewing the draft to resolve overlaps in device definitions and align the policy with national investment laws.
Indonesian public health advocates and Islamic organizations have mobilized to prevent tobacco products and e-cigarettes from receiving halal certification. The debate intensified during a public forum in Jakarta as the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Body (BPJPH) prepares to implement mandatory halal regulations on October 18, 2026.
Although BPJPH’s official mandatory list focuses on food, beverages, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, the ambiguous status of addictive substances has sparked debate. Under Government Regulation (PP) No. 28 of 2024, tobacco and e-cigarettes are legally classified as addictive substances subject to strict health warnings.
Health Experts Challenge Product Ethics
Public health leaders argue that certifying tobacco as halal sends a contradictory and dangerous message to consumers. Indonesian Consumers Empowerment Forum (FKBI) Chairman Tulus Abadi stated that tobacco products carry the same negative societal impacts as alcohol.
“The addictive nature shows that cigarettes are not thayyib, because they create negative externalities along with dependency and addiction for users,” Abadi said.
National Committee on Tobacco Control (Komnas PT) Chairman Prof. Hasbullah Thabrany questioned the logic of certifying products that carry mandatory health warnings. “If 10 ml of liquid nicotine can kill a human instantly and cigarette packs state ‘smoking kills you,’ does it make sense to label it halal?” Thabrany asked. “For the benefit of the people, let all Muslims speak up: do not let cigarette products receive a halal label!”
Muhammadiyah Demands Mandatory Non-Halal Labels
Muhammadiyah, Indonesia’s second-largest Islamic organization, held a formal meeting with BPJPH Head Ahmad Haikal Hasan to request explicit “non-halal” labeling on all combustible cigarettes and vapes. The group previously issued formal religious decrees (fatwas) declaring smoking haram in 2010 and e-cigarettes haram in 2020.
“Muhammadiyah has taken a firm stance for more than a decade: cigarettes are haram,” said Nur Fajri Romadhon of Muhammadiyah’s Tarjih and Tajdid Council. Dr. KH. M. Saad Ibrahim added, “Granting a halal label to cigarettes would be proof of a setback.”
BPJPH Regulatory Response
BPJPH officials confirmed that halal registration operates strictly under Law No. 33 of 2014 and formal religious guidance. Products confirmed as non-halal are exempt from halal certification but must display clear non-halal warnings to protect consumer choice.
Dr. Djamaludin, Director of Halal Registration at BPJPH, stated that input from health experts and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) will serve as technical guidance for upcoming product labeling policies.
A survey conducted by the SKDS research center and released by the Smokeless Industry Association shows that 31% of Latvian residents aged 20 to 75 consume tobacco or nicotine products. Traditional combustible cigarettes remain the primary choice, used by 20% of the total population—representing 64.5% of all active nicotine consumers.
Alternative nicotine products account for a smaller share of the market:
- E-cigarettes: 9% of respondents
- Heated tobacco: 4% of respondents
- Nicotine pouches: 2% of respondents
- Other nicotine products: 2% of respondents
Public opinion leans heavily toward harm reduction rather than outright prohibition. The survey found that 69% of Latvians consider public education more effective than bans. Furthermore, 48% believe the state should actively support harm reduction by giving adult smokers who cannot quit the option to switch to smoke-free alternatives, compared to 29% who oppose this view.
The data highlights unintended consequences following last year’s restrictions on smoke-free products. Among acquaintances of respondents, 23% now purchase alternatives through illegal channels, 20% travel abroad to buy them, and 9% returned to smoking conventional cigarettes. Only 3% quit nicotine altogether.
The São Paulo Court of Justice (TJSP) has confirmed that condominium administrations can legally penalize residents who smoke on private balconies when smoke drifts into neighboring units. Ruling on Civil Appeal No. 1020836-89.2023.8.26.0577, the court established that individual property ownership does not grant unrestricted freedom to impair the living conditions of nearby residents.
Read moreSenegal’s smoking prevalence dropped from over 6% to roughly 4.4%, driven by targeted tobacco tax policies and national control measures. Abdoulaye Diagne, Executive Director of the Consortium for Economic and Social Research (CRES), announced the findings during the official launch of the Tobacco Control Data Initiative (TCDI) platform in Dakar.
Read moreConvenience store owners across Scotland are warning that government proposals to force vaping products behind closed shutters will expand the illicit trade network. The Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) voiced these concerns during the ongoing Tobacco and vapes packaging, appearance and display consultation, which runs until October 2.
Read moreThe Nevada Tobacco Control & Smoke-Free Coalition presented a plan to the Legislature’s Joint Interim Standing Committee on Revenue on July 8, seeking the state’s first tobacco tax increase since 2015. The initiative would raise cigarette taxes from $1.80 to $3.55 per pack and increase taxes on vapes and other tobacco products to generate an estimated $65 million annually.
Read moreResearchers from the CDC Foundation have determined that state e-cigarette directory laws in Alabama, Oklahoma, and Louisiana failed to achieve sustained reductions in flavored vape sales. Published in JAMA Network Open, the study shows that unapproved devices continued to reach consumers despite state-level registries designed to eliminate unauthorized products.
Read moreBrazil’s Chamber of Deputies is evaluating Bill 2005/26, a proposal to ban the manufacture, import, sale, transport, storage, and advertising of electronic smoking devices (DEFs), including vapes and heated tobacco products. The text also outlaws device usage in enclosed public and private collective venues.
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