The interim government of Bangladesh is set to enact a new ordinance with stricter tobacco control measures, primarily targeting the sale and use of vapes and e-cigarettes. The draft ordinance, titled “The Smoking and Use of Tobacco Products (Control) Ordinance, 2024,” also includes provisions banning loose cigarettes, bidis, and chewing tobacco (zarda). The ordinance is set to be presented for approval during the Advisory Council meeting on Thursday (24 October).

The UK government has laid new legislation in Parliament to ban the sale of single-use disposable vapes in England from 1 June 2025, Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh confirmed today. The move aims to address the growing problem of vape waste and the increasing number of young people taking up vaping.

The Maldives government has proposed an amendment to increase the duty on vapes imported between November 1 and November 15. After November 15, the duty on vapes will rise further, and President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced a ban on the sale and use of vapes starting December 15, with instructions to relevant authorities to take action on November 14.

Denmark leads a group of 12 EU health ministers in calling for a European clampdown on vapes to protect children and young people from harm. The coalition, which includes France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain, has backed a paper urging the European Commission to propose new legislation that could include banning flavored vapes and limiting nicotine content.

Ya’ara Saks, Canada’s minister of mental health and addictions, has announced that the federal government will ban most vape flavours across the country soon, more than three years after Ottawa first promised to bring in the regulations. In an interview with CBC News last week, Saks stated, “We have made a commitment from the start to restrict flavours. We haven’t wavered from that. We will have this in place soon. I don’t anticipate this is going to take much longer.”