The Newton City Council in Connecticut has voted 19-4 to approve a generational ban on tobacco and e-cigarette sales. The measure prohibits purchases by anyone born after March 1, 2004, joining a growing number of Massachusetts communities that have passed similar ordinances to reduce tobacco use among young people.
Read moreWashington state legislators are set to consider House Bill 1203, which would prohibit the sale and advertising of flavored tobacco and nicotine products starting in 2026. The bill, sponsored by Representative Kristine Reeves (D-Federal Way), aims to address the issue of youth addiction to these products.
Read moreThe Trump administration has withdrawn a proposed ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, dealing a blow to public health advocates who say the additive is responsible for thousands of premature deaths each year, particularly among Black Americans. The decision was revealed earlier this week when the draft rule to ban menthol was listed as “withdrawn” in a regulatory docket.
Read moreBritish American Tobacco (BAT) Mexico has announced the suspension of its vaping product sales throughout the country, in compliance with a recent constitutional reform that prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes, vaporizers, and similar electronic devices. Despite employing over 2,300 people in Mexico and expressing disagreement with the ban, the company has decided to abide by the new law.
Read moreThe Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has issued infringement notices totaling $396,000 to 20 retail businesses in Melbourne for the alleged unlawful supply of vaping products. The fines, which amount to $19,800 per business, were the result of a joint operation conducted in December 2024 by the TGA and the Victorian Department of Health to enforce compliance with recent vaping reforms.
Read moreVyacheslav Volodin, the Chairman of the State Duma (the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia), has suggested preparing a cross-faction legislative initiative to ban vapes and e-liquids. The proposal aims to introduce the ban before the end of the current session.
Currently, two draft laws on this topic are under preparation for the first reading in the State Duma Committee on Health Protection. However, considering that nearly all factions have expressed the need for a complete ban on the sale of vapes, Volodin believes it would be appropriate to develop a corresponding cross-faction initiative.
On January 21/2025, the Polish government approved a bill that would prohibit the sale of all disposable and reusable e-cigarettes, including nicotine-free varieties and nicotine pouches, to individuals under the age of 18. Health Minister Izabela Leszczyna emphasized that the proposed amendments to the Act on the Protection of Health Against the Consequences of Using Tobacco and Tobacco Products would also ban the use of nicotine-free e-cigarettes in the same manner as nicotine-containing e-cigarettes.
Key provisions of the bill include:
- Banning the sale of tobacco products, nicotine pouches, electronic cigarettes, and spare containers to minors
- Prohibiting the sale of nicotine-free e-cigarettes in vending machines and online, as well as their advertising
- Extending existing restrictions on the use of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes in public places, such as educational institutions and public transport stops, to nicotine-free devices
- Requiring nicotine-free and nicotine-containing e-liquid compositions to comply with current regulations, excluding mutagenic, carcinogenic, and reproductive function-affecting substances
The proposed measures must be notified to the European Commission, a process that takes three months. Minister Leszczyna expressed hope that after this period, the Sejm (lower house of the Polish parliament) would unanimously adopt the regulations. The provisions related to the sale of e-cigarettes to minors would come into force 14 days after the publication of the amended act.
The bill also allows electronic cigarettes and spare containers that do not meet the new requirements to remain on the market for no longer than six months from the date the law enters into force.
A separate bill approved by the government prohibits the introduction of flavored heated tobacco products into the market. Producers and sellers would have nine months to comply with the new regulations after they come into effect.
Hawaii could become the first U.S. state to set nicotine limits for tobacco products under a new bill introduced in the state legislature. Sen. Chris Lee, D-Kailua, proposed S.B. 1165 last Friday, just days after the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced it was considering a similar nationwide standard.
Read moreDespite recent bans on the sale of single-use electronic cigarettes in Belgium and potential similar measures in France, Luxembourg has decided to continue allowing these products to be sold within its borders. The country’s Ministry of Health confirmed that a prohibition on these devices, which are particularly popular among youth, is not currently under consideration.
Read moreThe UK government has released official guidance detailing its plan to prohibit the sale of single-use, disposable vaping devices starting from June 1, 2025. This comprehensive ban will make it illegal for businesses to sell, offer for sale, or possess for the purpose of selling any vaping products designed for single use only. The new regulations apply to all such devices, whether or not they contain nicotine, and cover both online and physical retail sales across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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