August 17, 2023

Canada: Health warning labels to be displayed on individual cigarettes

Canada’s latest tobacco labelling regulation amendments came into force on 1 August, 2023. These amendments include a new requirement forcing manufacturers to display a health warning directly on individual cigarettes, […]
March 20, 2023

Oman: Tobacco products to be sold in plain packaging

Photograph: Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion – Oman The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion of Oman has issued the Ministerial Decision 67/2023 Deeming an Omani Standard […]
January 5, 2023

Ireland: tobacco worth over 1.1 million Euro seized at Dublin Port

(Photo: Dublin Port website)   Irish Tax and Customs seized 1.5 tonnes of ‘roll your own’ tobacco on 18 October 2022 at Dublin Port. The consignment carrying illicit tobacco product […]
January 5, 2023

Belgium: 57 million cigarettes seized in a joint operation

(Photo: Europol website)   Belgium Customs seized over 57 million cigarettes and more than 42 tons of cut tobacco in August 2022 in a joint operation against illicit trade in […]
July 11, 2022

Kazakhstan: New tax on heated tobacco products adopted in Parliament

On 11 July 2022 a new excise tax on heated tobacco products (HTPs) was approved in by the President of Kazakhstan, through the Tax Code 2022, in spite of the […]
July 11, 2022

Ukraine: New provisions banning the use of tobacco and nicotine products in public places entered into force

Photograph: Ms Lada Bulakh, MP, member of the Committee on Public Health, Medical Assistance and Medical Insurance, providing a new sign to a restaurant, stating the ban on using HTPs, […]
May 16, 2022

Georgia: regulations on plain packaging adopted

The Parliament of Georgia adopted a set of amendments to the tobacco control legislation in May 2017 (Law No. 859-IIს), which foresaw the introduction of plain packaging for tobacco products. […]
May 10, 2022

Cabo Verde: strong Tobacco Control Law adopted

On 10 May 2022, the Parliament of Cabo Verde passed Law No. 8/X/2022 on tobacco control. The adoption of the Law brings the country closer to its long-term vision of […]
May 6, 2022

New Zealand: New packaging regulations for vaping products

The next phase in the implementation of the requirements of the “Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Regulations 2021” comes into force on 11 May 2022. From 11 May 2022, all […]
May 1, 2022

Finland: strengthened regulation on packaging, flavours and outdoor smoking

Photo courtesy of Hannu Huhtamo The Tobacco Act of Finland was tightened as the President of the Republic approved the amendments on 13 April 2022. The new amendments include the […]
February 18, 2022

Northern Ireland adopts new measures to protect the youth

Photograph: Mr Robin Swann MLA, Minister of Health, and Ms Colette Rogers, from the Public Health Agency, raising awareness of new regulations on smoking in private vehicles. (Photo courtesy of […]
February 15, 2022

Tunisia: new health warnings of 70% on front and back of packages of tobacco products

In Tunisia, tobacco weighs heavily on the health of its population and on its economy. In 2019, 13,200 deaths, or 20% of all deaths are attributable to tobacco, while the […]
February 7, 2022

Lao People’s Democratic Republic: tobacco control law amended

The National Assembly agreed, on 16 November 2021, to adopt the Law on Tobacco Control (Amended) through resolution No. 36/NA, dated 16 November 2021, the President of the Lao People’s […]
January 24, 2022

Costa Rica regulates the use and taxation on ENDS, ENNDS and HTPs

The Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica has adopted Law No. 10066, on the “Regulation of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), Similar Non-Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENNDS) and Electronic Devices using heated […]
January 7, 2022

Ukraine: New tobacco control law adopted

The Parliament of Ukraine (the Rada) adopted, on 16 December 2021, the act “On amendments to some laws of Ukraine on the protection of public health from the harmful effects […]
November 5, 2021

Botswana adopts a comprehensive tobacco control law

Photograph: Hon. Dr Edwin G. Dikoloti, Minister of Health and Wellness, who was a strong advocate for the adoption of the new law. (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Health […]
September 22, 2021

Mexico: New pictures approved for the next round of warnings, including with reference to COVID-19

On 15 September 2021, the requirements for Mexico’s next round of pictorial health warnings were published in the Official Journal. Mexico requires a 30% picture warning on the front, a […]
August 27, 2021

Germany: Tobacco Duty Modernisation Act adopted

The German cabinet adopted the draft Tobacco Duty Modernisation Act on 10 August 2021 and was promulgated on 17 August 2021. With this legislation, the German Government is adapting tobacco […]
July 31, 2021

Kyrgyzstan: New, comprehensive tobacco control act adopted

On 29 July 2021, the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic adopted the Law “On protecting the health of citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic from the consequences of tobacco consumption, […]
July 20, 2021

Mexico prohibits the import of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products

On 19 February 2020 Mexico banned the importation of electronic cigarettes, with or without nicotine, and heated tobacco products through a Presidential Decree. The Decree, published in the Federal Official […]
July 3, 2021

Turkey: Increased size of pictorial health warnings

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Turkey has adopted on 30 June 2021 an amendment to the regulation of manufacturing and labeling of tobacco products, requiring the increase in […]
July 1, 2021

Denmark: plain packaging legislation adopted

The Danish Parliament has adopted in December 2020 an amendment to the Tobacco Act – the main source of law regulating tobacco products – establishing a requirement to ensure that […]
June 30, 2021

March 30, 2021

Cambodia expands the ban to HTPs in the country

The National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) of Cambodia issued a new directive, on 18 March 2021, instructing all relevant ministries and institutions to take immediate action to stop the […]
March 18, 2021

Report on implementation practices of Article 12 of the Protocol launched

The report on Examples of current practices on the implementation of Article 12 (Free zones and international transit) of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products was launched […]
March 10, 2021

Lebanon: growers explore shifting from tobacco

Tobacco growers in the South of Lebanon have felt in the past years that growing tobacco is no longer a profitable business, compared to the investment in time and effort […]
February 12, 2021

Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan

Every year, 2.7 million people in the European Union (EU) are diagnosed with cancer, and 1.3 million die from it. Over 40% of cancer cases are preventable. Without reversing current […]
February 10, 2021

Trinidad and Tobago: New regulations on picture warnings approved by the Senate

Picture warnings are now at arm’s length in Trinidad and Tobago after the Senate has approved new Regulations requiring them on 9 February 2021. This ends a long history of […]
February 2, 2021

Ukraine: new tobacco tax measures enter into force

On 1 January 2021, new tobacco tax measures entered into force under Law 466-IX “On Amending the Tax Code of Ukraine on Improving Tax Administration, Eliminating Technical and Logical Inconsistencies […]
January 18, 2021

New marking on tobacco products filters containing plastic in the European Union

On 17 December 2020 the regulation (EU) 2020/2151 implementing Directive (EU) 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products […]
January 15, 2021

Cabo Verde strengthens its tobacco taxation policies

On 31 December 2020, the Government of Cabo Verde adopted Law No 109/IX/2020, which incorporates the State Budget for 2021. The specific tax on cigarettes was increased, introducing a fee […]
January 11, 2021

Paraguay: Protección de los espacios públicos contra el consumo de tabaco

La Presidencia de la República del Paraguay aprobó el 29 de diciembre de 2020 el Decreto 4624, que modifica el Decreto 7606/2017 que regula la Ley 5538 de control del […]
January 11, 2021

Paraguay: Protection of public spaces from tobacco use

The Presidency of the Republic of Paraguay adopted Decree 4624, on 29 December 2020, which modifies Decree 7606/2017 that regulates Law 5538 on tobacco control. The new decree regulates the […]
January 1, 2021

Italy/Milan: expanding smoke-free environments

The municipality of the city of Milan, in northern Italy, has recently issued a regulation that might prove of interest to the tobacco control community. The act is titled ‘Regulation […]
December 21, 2020

Australia: the Select Committee on Tobacco Harm Reduction issues its final report

On 6 October 2020, the Senate resolved to establish a Select Committee on Tobacco Harm Reduction (the Committee). The Committee was in charge of inquiring into and reporting on tobacco reduction […]
October 2, 2020

Russian Federation: New regulations on nicotine-containing products adopted

The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, approved on 31 July 2020, new amendments to the Tobacco Control Law, aiming to harmonize the regulation of tobacco and other nicotine […]
October 1, 2020

The Netherlands: Implementation of plain packaging from 01/10/2020

Effective from 1 October 2020, all tobacco products in the Netherlands will be produced in neutral (plain) packaging as a standard, following the growing list of Parties that have already […]
September 29, 2020

The Netherlands: Four tobacco companies fined 82 million euros by Dutch competition watchdog

Each cigarette manufacturer determines its own price that consumers pay in stores for a pack of cigarettes. This price is always printed on the pack. That is different from almost […]
August 17, 2020

Myanmar: Ministry of Health and Sports guidelines on interactions with the tobacco industry

The Ministry of Health and Sports of the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar adopted, on 17 August 2020, Directive 91/2020 which contains guidance on interactions with […]
July 24, 2020

A remarkable public health victory in Kazakhstan

The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, approved on 8 July 2020 a comprehensive set of tobacco control measures as part of the so called Health Act. This […]
July 15, 2020

Protected: Protocol Report Protected

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July 7, 2020

Priorities and comments

June 27, 2020

Articles 30 & 31

June 27, 2020

Article 29

June 27, 2020

Article 28

June 27, 2020

Article 27

June 27, 2020

Article 26

June 27, 2020

Article 24

June 27, 2020

Article 23

June 27, 2020

Article 22

June 27, 2020

Article 21

June 27, 2020

Article 20

June 26, 2020

Article 19

June 26, 2020

Article 18

June 26, 2020

Article 17

June 26, 2020

Article 16

June 26, 2020

Article 15

June 26, 2020

Article 14

June 26, 2020

Article 13

June 26, 2020

Article 12

June 26, 2020

Article 11

June 26, 2020

Article 10

June 26, 2020

Article 9

June 26, 2020

Article 8

June 26, 2020

Article 7

June 26, 2020

Article 6

June 26, 2020

Article 5

June 26, 2020

Article 2

June 25, 2020

Protocol Report

June 5, 2020

The Big Ban in Bhutan

The Hon. Minister of Health of Bhutan launched on World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), 31 May 2020, the publication entitled “The Big Ban: Bhutan’s journey towards a tobacco-free society”. This […]
May 20, 2020

European Union: Ban on flavoured tobacco products

The 2014 European Tobacco Products Directive 2014/40/EU, in relation to the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products prohibited the placing on the market of cigarettes and roll-your-own […]
February 25, 2020

Strengthened tobacco control in Bolivia: 100% smoke-free

The Plurinational Legislative Assembly of Bolivia adopted, on 13 February 2020, the new Law No 1280 on Prevention and Control of the Consumption of Tobacco Products strengthens the protection of […]
February 25, 2020

Turkey: ban on imports of electronic cigarettes

On 24 February 2020, the Official Gazette of Turkey published the Presidential Order issued by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, banning the importation of electronic cigarettes and related products in the […]
February 10, 2020

Pakistan extends its ban of tobacco advertising

The Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) 72(I)/2020 approved on 30 January 2020 bans online advertising of tobacco products, as well as point of sale advertising and display of tobacco products. This […]
January 20, 2020

India adopts ban on electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products

The Parliament of India passed on 5 December 2019, Act No. 42 of the Ministry of Law and Justice on the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes. The Act establishes the ban […]
December 19, 2019

Santé Canada propose des règles plus strictes concernant la promotion des produits de vapotage et finalise les exigences en matière d’étiquetage et d’emballage des produits de vapotage

Des données récentes montrent que les taux de vapotage chez les jeunes au Canada augmentent à un rythme inquiétant. Le gouvernement du Canada a donc pris un certain nombre de […]
December 19, 2019

Health Canada proposes stricter rules on vaping product promotion, and finalizes labelling and packaging requirements for vaping products

Evidence shows that youth vaping rates in Canada are increasing at a concerning pace. The Government of Canada has taken a number of steps in recent months to address the […]
November 25, 2019

Australia: new guidance on interactions between public officials and the tobacco industry

The Department of Health’s “Guidance for Public Officials on Interacting with the Tobacco Industry” was released in November 2019, outlining the legal obligations placed on public health organizations and officials […]
November 20, 2019

Austria: comprehensive smoking ban adopted

The Austrian Government adopted, in November 2019, a comprehensive smoke-free policy, which also includes bars and restaurants among the premises covered by the ban. Up until now, smoking had been […]
October 25, 2019

Saudi Arabia imposes higher taxes on tobacco and e-cigarettes, as well as on restaurants and cafes selling tobacco

Saudi Arabia started to apply 100% excise tax on all tobacco products in compliance with the agreed Gulf Cooperation Council tax increase to harmful products to human health and the […]
September 12, 2019

Thailand: the plain packaging legislation enters into force

The 12 September 2019 marks the entry into force date of the regulation on plain cigarette packaging in Thailand that was officially gazette on 14 December 2018. The law permits […]
August 31, 2019

Saudi Arabia adopts plain packaging on tobacco products

The groundbreaking step of introducing plain packaging for all tobacco products has now been completed by Saudi Arabia. The regulation issued by the Food and Drug Authority has now entered […]
July 26, 2019

Republic of Moldova: amendments in the 2007 tobacco control act

Republic of Moldova passed amendments to the national tobacco control law 278/2007 (as amended in 2015) with primary aim to include ENDS, heated tobacco products and the devices used with […]
June 20, 2019

Maldives: New labelling regulations enforced

Tobacco packs with design features have started to appear in stores in Maldives. It was this year’s World No Tobacco Day that marked in Maldives the entry into force of […]
May 21, 2019

Brazil sues tobacco companies

Tobacco is the number one cause of preventable death in the world and it is no exception in Brazil. Every year 156,000 people are killed in the biggest country in […]
May 17, 2019

Belgium, fifth European country to adopt plain packaging

As of 1st January 2020, Belgium will be joining the growing number of countries that have adopted plain packaging and therefore be the fifth one in Europe, after France, the […]
May 15, 2019

France prohibits the promotion of PMI project in motorcycle Grand Prix

In a referral order dated 15 May 2019, the interim relief judge of Le Mans ruled in favor of the Comité National Contre le Tabagisme (CNCT), a public organization whose […]
May 1, 2019

Canada : New comprehensive plain packaging regulations for tobacco packaging and products

On 1 May 2019, Canadian Minister of Health Ginette Petitpas Taylor announced the adoption of comprehensive plain packaging regulations for tobacco packaging and products, effective from 9 November 2019 at […]
April 29, 2019

Uruguay adopts plain packaging

The Decree 806, to give effect to Law No 19.723 dated 21 December 2018, was adopted by the Ministry of Public Health on 29 April 2019. This regulation will enter […]
March 11, 2019

Singapore: new regulation on standardized cigarette packaging

As part of continuing efforts to promote healthy living and discourage tobacco consumption, the Parliament of Singapore passed the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) (Amendment) Bill on 11 February […]
March 10, 2019

Saudi Arabia’s Food and Drug Authority has adopted specific policies vis a vis tobacco manufacturers

Article 5.3 of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) states that “in setting and implementing their public health policies with respect to tobacco control, Parties shall act to […]
March 5, 2019

Turkey: new regulations on plain packaging

The law No 7151 on healthcare, amending some sections of the country’s 1996 tobacco control act (No 4207), was officially gazetted and entered into force on 5 December 2018. The […]
February 13, 2019

Ethiopia: parliament passing one of the strongest tobacco control legislations in Africa

The Parliament of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, on 5 February 2019, passed unanimously a new public health legislation on food and medicine administration. The new law covers tobacco […]
February 4, 2019

Belarus: new regulations on production, trade and consumption of tobacco products

On 24 January 2019, the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko issued Decree No. 2 to amend two previous decrees in 2002 and 2007, regulating the production, trade […]
January 31, 2019

Pakistan: new pictorial health warning on cigarette packs

On 29 January 2019, the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination of Pakistan issued a Notification requiring the use of new pictorial health warning on cigarette packs from […]
January 31, 2019

Samoa: strengthening the country’s tobacco control act

The Tobacco Control Amendment Act (No.4) was passed in Samoa on 31 January 2019. This new act brings amendments to the Tobacco Control Act of 2008 by introducing a few […]
January 28, 2019

Azerbaijan: increase in tobacco excise tax

As an effort to discourage tobacco consumption and reduce devastating health consequences, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan has approved new tobacco excise tax rates through the […]
December 24, 2018

Niue: tobacco control law passed

On 24 December 2018, Niue’s Parliament adopted a first ever comprehensive tobacco control legislation aiming to “protect the health of the people of Niue from the diseases caused by tobacco […]
December 19, 2018

Thailand: first country in Asia to adopt tobacco plain packaging

On 14 December, 2018, a new regulation on plain cigarette packaging in Thailand was officially gazetted, making Thailand the first country in Asia and the first middle-income country to adopt […]
December 3, 2018

Colombia: tobacco use data among youth become available for the first time

On 19 November 2018, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Colombia, in collaboration with Universidad del Valle, presented new youth smoking prevalence statistics from the first ever Global […]
November 26, 2018

Ukraine: a significant decline in tobacco use among children over the past decade

New smoking prevalence statistics from the latest Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) in Ukraine were released on 15 November 2018, the International No Smoking Day. The new data were presented […]
October 18, 2018

Uruguay: on the way towards the world’s most comprehensive tobacco branding restrictions

On 6 August 2018, the President of Uruguay Tabaré Vázquez issued an executive decree requiring tobacco product plain packaging and single presentation. As a global leader in tobacco control, Uruguay […]
September 11, 2018

Timor-Leste: pictorial warnings required on tobacco packages and progress is made towards plain packaging

Since 6 September 2018, all tobacco products sold in Timor-Leste are required to display one of the six official combined text and pictorial health warnings covering 85% of the front […]
September 1, 2018

Australia: latest raise of tobacco excise tax

The price of cigarettes raised on 1 September 2018, following an increase of excise taxes by 12.5%. The Government of Australia, in the 2016-17 Budget had foreseen that a series […]
September 1, 2018

India: new pictures and a quit line number on tobacco product packages

The Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Second Amendment Rules were published in India in April 2018. This regulation establishes the new round of pictorial health warnings to […]
August 31, 2018

Bangladesh: the new GATS shows decline in tobacco use

New tobacco prevalence data were issued at the launching of a new Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh. The findings indicate […]
August 9, 2018

Uruguay: Plain Packaging Decree

On Monday, 6 August 2018, the Plain Packaging Decree was signed by President Tabaré Vázquez to advance the implementation of the neutral or generic labelling of cigarette boxes. Uruguay is […]
June 28, 2018

FRANCE: Minister of Health mobilizes the country for strong tobacco control

On Monday 28 May 2018, the French Solidarities and Health Minister Agnès Buzyn reconfirmed the Government’s strong commitment to tackling the tobacco pandemic at national level. During a press conference […]
June 26, 2018

FRANCE: Government committed to protect the environment from tobacco litter

Every year 30 billion cigarette butts are estimated to be disposed in France, with 40% of them ending up on beaches, in forests, rivers and seashores. Moreover, evidence shows that […]
June 19, 2018

Sri Lanka: tobacco company requested to pay compensation

In a landmark case, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka ordered the Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) to pay Lalitha Padmini Fernando a sum of R.s. 400,000 to compensate her for […]
June 18, 2018

Republic of the Congo: three new decrees adopted to implement the 2012 act

On 11 April 2018, the Government of the Republic of the Congo adopted three decrees to operationalize implementation of the tobacco control act of 2012. The new decrees will help […]
February 20, 2018

Singapore increases excise duty on tobacco products by 10%

February 2018 – Singapore is implementing an immediate increase in tobacco excise duty of 10%. The change was announced by Singapore’s Finance Minister, Heng Swee Keat, earlier the same day […]
December 29, 2017

Pakistan: expanding pictorial warnings on cigarette packets

Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations issued, on 19 December 2017, its order requiring an increase in the size of pictorial health warnings on cigarette packaging to 50%. […]
December 15, 2017

Ukraine: the Parliament approved a 7-year tobacco tax increase plan

On 7 November 2017, the Parliament of Ukraine adopted the draft law № 6776-д “On amendments to the Tax Code concerning balancing of the budget revenues in 2018”. This law, […]
December 15, 2017

Brazil: new round of pictorial warnings adopted

Brazil requires a text message on the front 30% of cigarette packages, and a pictorial warning on 100% of the back of the package. The country has finalized its fourth round […]
November 29, 2017

Ireland: Ministers reassert the importance of eliminating tobacco industry interference

On 28 November 2017, Catherine Byrne (Minister of State) and Dr Tony Holohan (Chief Medical Officer) signed an open letter to the Taoiseach, all Government Ministers and all heads (Secretaries […]
October 5, 2017

Tonga: launching of hard-hitting campaign to reduce tobacco use

The Tongan Ministry of Health launched a 6 weeks campaign called Tuku Ifi Leva (Quit Smoking Now) starting on 5 October 2017. The graphic campaign showing the risks of tobacco use including cancers […]
September 25, 2017

Kenya: excise stamps required on all tobacco products

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), in reference to the Excise Duty Act 2016 and the “Excise Duty (Excisable Goods Management System) Regulations, 2017”, calls upon manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers […]
September 14, 2017

Benin: the Parliament adopts a new tobacco control law

After seven years of planning and intense work of the Ministry of Health, the National Assembly of Benin has unanimously adopted, on 14 September 2017, a new tobacco control law […]
August 18, 2017

India: experts gather to help curbing the menace of smokeless tobacco

Inter-Country Meeting on Smokeless Tobacco Policy was organized by the WHO FCTC Global Knowledge Hub on Smokeless Tobacco, NICPR from 16 to 18 August in New Delhi. This meeting facilitated […]