Author: James Anderson

A new draft law, No. 13548, has been registered in Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada (parliament), proposing a complete ban on the production, importation, circulation, and sale of all electronic cigarettes, refill containers, and their liquids within the country. The bill’s authors state its primary goal is to protect public health and reduce the spread of nicotine addiction, particularly among the nation’s youth. The push for a total prohibition is fueled by alarming statistics on youth vaping. According to the Ministry of Health, nearly one in five Ukrainians aged 13-15 (19.6% in 2023, up from 18.4% in 2017) regularly use e-cigarettes. The…

The Malaysian government is actively considering a complete ban on the sale and use of all electronic cigarettes and vape products, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad confirmed in the Dewan Rakyat. He stressed that while a ban is being explored, its implementation would require careful and comprehensive study of the legal, enforcement, and public health implications. This consideration comes in response to concerns from MPs about varying state-level actions against vape sales. A special committee on e-cigarettes met on July 22, 2025, to review control strategies and recommended further assessment of the industrial, economic, and licensing impacts should…

Montana has enacted Senate Bill 390 (SB 390), a significant piece of public health legislation that expands the state’s Clean Indoor Air Act to include e-cigarettes (vapes). Signed by Governor Greg Gianforte on May 8, 2025, and effective immediately, the new law closes a long-standing gap in the 20-year-old act, ensuring Montanans are protected from exposure to e-cigarette aerosol in all indoor public places and workplaces where traditional smoking is already prohibited. SB 390 amends the Montana Code Annotated by explicitly revising the definition of “smoking” or “to smoke” to include the use of an “electronic smoking device.” This is…

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a groundbreaking bill that would create a “nicotine-free generation” by permanently banning the sale of all tobacco and vaping products to anyone born on or after January 1, 2006. The proposal, filed by Rep. Tommy Vitolo of Brookline and Sen. Jason Lewis of Winchester, took center stage at a heated hearing of the Joint Committee on Public Health, drawing passionate testimony from youth advocates, health professionals, and concerned business owners. This legislative push follows the successful implementation of similar local ordinances in 17 Massachusetts communities, including Brookline, which was the first in the nation to enact…

A coalition of Wisconsin e-cigarette retailers, Wisconsinites for Alternatives to Smoking and Tobacco, Inc. (WiscoFAST), has filed a federal lawsuit to block a new state law that bans the sale of most vaping products. The law, which took effect July 1st, prohibits the sale of any vaping devices that have not received marketing authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Starting September 1st, retailers could face fines of $1,000 per day for each unauthorized vape they sell. The lawsuit argues that the Wisconsin Department of Revenue is overstepping its authority and usurping the FDA’s power to regulate these…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially authorized Juul Labs to continue selling its e-cigarette device and refill cartridges in both tobacco and menthol flavors. This decision reverses a 2022 marketing denial order that had pushed the once-dominant vape company to the brink of bankruptcy and ends years of regulatory uncertainty. The FDA stated that its review of Juul’s submitted scientific data showed that authorizing these specific products is “appropriate for the protection of public health.” Regulators concluded that the evidence demonstrated that adult smokers who switch completely to Juul’s tobacco- or menthol-flavored products can reduce their exposure…

Vapes have been found to be almost three times more effective than traditional nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) like lozenges or gum for helping people quit smoking, according to a new clinical trial from the University of New South Wales (UNSW). The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, focused on smokers from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, a priority group with disproportionately high smoking rates. Researchers recruited 1,045 adults from Sydney who were daily smokers receiving a government pension or allowance and were willing to attempt quitting. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a free eight-week supply of vapes or standard…

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed civil complaints against two Valley vape shop businesses, New York Smoke Shop LLC and Pro Source Supply LLC, for allegedly consistently and knowingly selling nicotine products to minors. The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) is seeking penalties of $10,000 per violation and the dissolution of the companies in Arizona. According to the AGO, the businesses demonstrated a reckless disregard for the law during undercover inspections conducted as part of the youth tobacco “Counter Strike” program. New York Smoke Shop reportedly had an 83% failure rate over the last three years, passing only one of…

A new law in North Carolina, House Bill 900, has taken effect, prohibiting the sale of most popular disposable vaping products across the state as of Tuesday, July 1st. Signed into law last year by former Governor Roy Cooper, the legislation restricts retailers to selling only those vape products that have received a form of approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The law, which technically went into effect on May 1st but included a 60-day grace period, mandates that for a vape product to be legally sold, it must either have full FDA marketing authorization or have…

Spain’s upcoming anti-tobacco law will prohibit the use of vapes (e-cigarettes) in all the same public spaces where traditional smoking is banned, according to Health Minister Mónica García. This move aims to equate the regulation of electronic cigarettes with that of conventional tobacco. The expanded ban will cover areas such as bar and restaurant terraces, bus stops, company vehicles, school and university facilities, and public swimming pools. Minister García stated that the goal is to close a regulatory loophole that the industry has “exploited to attract new consumers,” emphasizing that there is no scientific evidence that alternative devices reduce tobacco…