New Rules Effective January 1, 2025, Aimed at Addressing Health Concerns Over Irreversible Lung Damage
Vietnam has joined a growing list of countries, including Singapore, Thailand, India, and Australia, in banning travelers from bringing e-cigarettes into the country. As of January 1, 2025, tourists arriving in Vietnam with vapes face substantial fines under new rules that prohibit the possession, sale, and use of vapes and e-liquids.
Read moreLatvia has implemented a comprehensive ban on the sale of flavored e-liquids for electronic smoking devices and tobacco substitutes, as part of a broader effort to curb youth access to tobacco products and promote public health. The new regulations also raise the legal age for purchasing all types of tobacco products to 20 years old.
Read moreMinistry of Social Affairs Favors EU-Wide Regulatory System Over Individual State Bans
Estonia currently has no plans to ban the sale of disposable e-cigarettes, despite Belgium becoming the first EU member state to implement such a ban starting January 1, 2025. Aive Telling, head of the Department of Environmental Protection and Chemical Safety at the Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs, stated that while the possibility of banning disposable vapes has been discussed in Estonia for years, the government currently supports a pan-European approach to regulation.
Read moreVaping Market Faces Significant Changes as Government Implements Stricter Regulations
On January 1, 2025, two significant changes will come into effect in the Italian vaping market, despite the government and Parliament not directly intervening in this year’s budget law to modify vaping regulations. These changes, although anticipated for some time, are expected to have a substantial impact on market dynamics, particularly concerning online sales and the tax burden on e-liquids with and without nicotine and flavorings.
Read moreLicking County Board of Health to Conduct Annual Inspections of Retail Stores Selling ENDS Products
A new ordinance in the city of Heath, Ohio, will take effect on January 1, 2025, regulating the sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) to ensure that only FDA-approved products are available for purchase at local stores. The ordinance, approved by city councilors last year, aims to protect Heath citizens from purchasing unapproved vaping devices and e-cigarettes.
Read moreRhode Island has implemented a ban on the sale or “possession with intent to sell” flavored vape products, effective January 1, 2025. The ban is one of several new laws taking effect across Southern New England at the start of the year.
Read moreThe implementation of Iowa’s law regulating e-cigarettes and vaping products has been delayed following a lawsuit filed by a group of local businesses called Iowans For Alternatives to Smoking & Tobacco (IFAST) on December 17, 2022. The state agreed to postpone enforcement of the law, which was set to take effect on February 3, 2023.
Under the contested law, vaping products had to be marketed by August 2016 and a product application submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by September 9, 2020. Only products approved by the FDA and added to the state’s registry of vaping products would be allowed for sale in Iowa.
Vicki Comegys, CEO of Central Iowa Vapors and an IFAST board member, expressed concerns about the law’s potential impact on local businesses, stating, “Work with us because vaping is here to stay. If they’re not going to get it in Iowa, they’re going to get it on the internet, go across the borders. And that just is not accomplishing what needs to be accomplished.”
IFAST’s lawsuit alleges that the state’s law will disproportionately hurt smaller, local businesses and result in many vaping products being pulled from shelves. While the businesses support certain aspects of the law, such as regulating products for people 21 and older, they argue that the rest of the legislation is ambiguous.
With the enforcement of the law delayed, a hearing for a temporary injunction is scheduled for early March. The Iowa Attorney General’s office, representing the state in the case, declined to comment at this time.
As the legal battle unfolds, the future of e-cigarettes and vaping products in Iowa remains uncertain, with local businesses fighting to protect their interests and the state aiming to regulate the industry.
Communist Party Bill Aims to Strengthen National Public Health by Prohibiting Vaping Devices and Liquids
The Russian State Duma is currently discussing a bill introduced by Communist Party deputies that seeks to completely prohibit the sale of vaping devices and associated liquids, both with and without nicotine. The initiative aims to curb the proliferation of vaping across all age groups, particularly among youth, in an effort to bolster national public health.
The bill, which is publicly available in the State Duma’s electronic database of documents, proposes halting both retail and wholesale sales of all types of vaping devices and their liquids. The amendments emphasize the necessity of safeguarding public health and preventing the development of addiction among the younger generation.
This move follows a series of legislative measures designed to tighten control over the sale of tobacco products and related items. The State Duma has already passed a law in its first reading that significantly increases fines for selling tobacco products, hookahs, and vapes to minors. The new penalties range from 200,000 to 300,000 rubles for individuals, 500,000 to 700,000 rubles for officials, and up to 2 million rubles for organizations.
In addition to the proposed ban, the Federation Council has approved legislation introducing criminal liability for repeated sales of alcohol and nicotine-containing products to minors. Violators now face fines ranging from 50,000 to 80,000 rubles or may be sentenced to correctional labor for up to one year.
State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin noted that this bill is part of a broader strategy to shield youth from addictions and unfair trade practices that jeopardize their health and safety. The legislative initiative is designed to strengthen control over the vaping product market and foster a healthier social environment, according to the RIA news agency.
As the Russian State Duma continues to deliberate on this comprehensive ban on vaping devices and e-liquids, the potential impact on public health, particularly among younger generations, remains a central focus of the discussion.
Companies Scramble to Find Alternatives as Tighter Restrictions Take Effect in January 2025
Tobacco sellers in Latvia are scrambling to find loopholes to circumvent the country’s new law that tightens rules on selling tobacco products and substitutes. The Baltic nation’s move to restrict the sale of these products has prompted businesses to seek alternative ways to offer their products to consumers.
Read moreTemporary Restraining Order Granted Following Complaint from Utah Vapor Business Association
A federal judge has granted a temporary restraining order against the State of Utah, delaying the implementation of restrictions on flavored e-cigarettes that were set to take effect on January 1, 2025. The order, issued by Judge David Barlow on Monday, December 30, 2024, comes in response to a complaint filed by the Utah Vapor Business Association (UVBA) and The Smoke House against the state and other entities.
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