France’s Parliament will finalize a ban on disposable e-cigarettes (“vapes”) this week, closing a two-year legislative process delayed by EU notifications and political shifts. The move targets colorful, low-cost vapes accused of addicting youth through sugary flavors and plastic waste. Health advocates warn, however, that nicotine pouches and candy-like nicotine pearls now dominate the market, demanding urgent regulatory action.

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The Maldives Ministry of Health has enacted stringent tobacco control measures granting police authority to seize and destroy vaping devices found in public or private possession. The updated Tobacco Control General Regulations, gazetted this week, close enforcement loopholes in the nation’s December 2024 vape import and usage ban.

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In a significant development for tobacco control policy, the state of California and the city and county of Denver have recently implemented what appear to be the nation’s first bans on flavored tobacco products that specifically include nicotinic alkaloids and nicotine analogs. These novel restrictions come as regulators grapple with the increasing popularity of products that use compounds chemically similar to nicotine but fall outside the scope of existing tobacco laws.

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Canada has temporarily halted its proposed ban on flavored vaping products, Mental Health and Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks confirmed in January 2025. The decision follows intense lobbying by tobacco harm reduction advocates and new evidence highlighting flavors’ role in helping adults quit smoking. However, activists warn the reprieve may end after the next federal election.

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A new bill under consideration in Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies aims to criminalize the sale, importation, and advertising of electronic cigarettes. The proposed legislation, introduced by Congresswoman Gisela Simona (União-MT), would impose penalties of two to four years imprisonment and fines for anyone who sells, imports, or advertises e-cigarettes without registration from the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa).

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The government of the Swiss canton of Basel-Stadt has rejected a proposal to ban the sale of disposable vapes, despite sympathizing with the measure’s intentions. In a statement released on Tuesday, the cantonal executive said that a motion put forward in the Great Council (the canton’s parliament) would violate “higher-ranking law” and is therefore inadmissible.

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The Bulgarian National Assembly’s Economic Policy Committee unanimously approved amendments to the Tobacco, Tobacco Products, and Related Products Act that would introduce a complete ban on the sale, distribution, and advertising of single-use and reusable electronic cigarettes, also known as vapes, and similar devices, regardless of whether they contain nicotine. The proposed changes were introduced by Dr. Kostadin Angelov, chair of the parliament’s Health Committee, on February 7, 2025.

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Indonesia now imposes fines of up to IDR 750,000 (≈$50) and three months’ jail time for smoking or vaping while operating motorcycles or cars. The regulation, rooted in Traffic Law No. 22/2009, aims to reduce road accidents caused by impaired driver concentration.

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S.B. 1182 Aims to Ban Flavored Cigarettes, E-Cigarettes, and Other Tobacco Items

Texas State Senator Carol Alvarado (D-Houston) has once again introduced legislation that would ban the sale of flavored tobacco products throughout the state. On Friday, February 5, 2025, Sen. Alvarado filed S.B. 1182, which closely resembles a similar bill she proposed in 2023.

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Hong Kong is set to enforce a ban on the possession and use of e-cigarettes in public spaces as early as mid-2026. This move comes as part of the government’s broader strategy to protect youth and further reduce smoking rates across the city.

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