Members of Parliament (MPs) from the ruling Smer-SD party have submitted a proposal to amend the law on the production, labeling, and sale of tobacco products and related products, aiming to ban the sale of flavored nicotine products and disposable electronic cigarettes in Slovakia. The MPs seek to reduce the attractiveness of these products to minors.

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Iowa has taken a significant step towards protecting children from harmful, illicit vapes by passing the vapor directory during the recent legislative session. The new law, set to take effect on January 2, 2025, provides the state with a clear understanding of which e-cigarette products are legal for sale and establishes an enforcement mechanism to ensure compliance.

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The First Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) determined today that the prohibition on importing e-cigarettes and related products is unconstitutional. The ruling, based on the decree of the Law of General Import and Export Taxes promulgated on June 7, 2022, was approved by a majority after analyzing the project presented by Minister Jorge Pardo Rebolledo.

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The Greek government has announced plans to introduce a new bill in Parliament that will impose stricter penalties on businesses caught selling alcohol, electronic cigarettes, and vaping devices to minors. This joint decision by the ministries of Citizen Protection, Justice, and Health comes in response to repeated incidents of alcohol sales to underage individuals.

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Chris Doel has taken a unique approach to addressing the e-waste epidemic caused by disposable vapes. He collected 130 used vape batteries, the larger “3,500 puff” types with model 20400 cells, which he found littered at a music festival. Doel then repurposed these batteries to create a powerful 48-volt, 1,500-watt e-bike battery that propelled an e-bike for more than 20 miles with minimal pedaling.

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The District Court in The Hague has ruled that the Dutch government had the right to impose a ban on flavored e-cigarettes to protect public health. The court made this decision in a substantive procedure initiated by tobacco product manufacturer British American Tobacco (BAT) and its affiliated company Nicoventures, who argued that the ban was unlawful.

The court stated that the harmfulness of e-cigarettes and the “attractiveness” of sweet flavors to young people are sufficiently established. The 2020 ban allows only certain types of tobacco flavors to be added to e-cigarettes, primarily because young people are sensitive to other flavors, particularly sweet ones. The government also saw indications that sweet-flavored e-cigarettes may eventually lead to smoking regular cigarettes, while the government aims for a “smoke-free generation” by 2040.

According to the court, the potential for e-cigarettes to encourage smoking regular cigarettes does not need to be scientifically proven for a ban to be implemented. The harmfulness of e-cigarettes and the attractiveness of sweet flavors to young people alone justify the flavor ban.

The court acknowledged that the flavor ban infringes on the free movement of goods within the EU but stated that such an infringement may be allowed to protect public health if it is “appropriate, necessary, and proportionate.” The court recognized that the state has the “political discretion to give greater weight to the interests of youth and of a future smoke-free generation in the context of public health.”

The UK Parliament is set to introduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which aims to create the “first smoke-free generation” by preventing anyone born after January 1, 2009, from legally smoking tobacco when they become adults. The legislation will gradually raise the age at which tobacco can be purchased, hoping to “save thousands of lives and protect the NHS,” according to ministers.

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The Malaysian Vapers Alliance (MVA) has urged the Ministry of Health to reconsider the vape display ban introduced under the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852), which is set to take effect on April 1, 2025. MVA argues that the ban not only limits consumers’ right to make informed decisions but also places unnecessary restrictions on access to crucial product information.

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Health Secretary Wes Streeting will announce a new smoking ban outside playgrounds, schools, and hospitals today as part of the government’s efforts to create the first smoke-free generation. However, pub-goers will still be allowed to smoke in beer gardens, marking a victory for pub owners who have campaigned against the clampdown since plans were first revealed earlier this year.

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New Zealand is set to introduce significant changes to its Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990 through the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No 2). The primary goal of these amendments is to make vaping products less appealing and less accessible to individuals under the age of 18. While the Bill is still going through the legislative process and may undergo further modifications, it is expected to come into force in November 2024, with changes taking effect gradually over time.

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