Bangkok, 17 October 2019: Pervasive tobacco industry actions interfering in government policies that protect public health remain a major obstacle to full implementation of effective tobacco control measures in the ASEAN region. Countries are moving at a glacial pace in preventing and countering tobacco industry interference as required under Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework …
This briefing paper provides evidence-based guidance for policy development regarding electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS, such as e-cigarettes that heat a nicotine-containing e-liquid or e-juice without tobacco) and heated tobacco products (HTPs, which contain tobacco). It is particularly relevant in the light of at least 215 severe respiratory illnesses and two vaping-related deaths recently reported …
Cigarette smoking kills; vaping e-cigarettes kills, too Read More »
Bangkok, 29 August 2019: Noting that tobacco companies have started complying with Thailand’s Standardized Packaging Regulation two weeks ahead of the required deadline, the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) commends Thailand being the first country in the ASEAN Region and Asia at large to usher in standardized tobacco packaging. Starting 10 September 2019 with …
All cigarettes in Thailand will be sold in dull packaging starting 10 Sept 2019 Read More »
Manila/Bangkok, 26 July 2019: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) warmly welcomes Republic Act (RA) 11346 or the Tobacco Tax Law 2019, which will protect Filipinos from tobacco health harms and help fund implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act signed into law earlier this year. RA 11346 was signed into law by …
New tobacco tax increases will protect and promote health of all Filipinos Read More »
Philip Morris International (PMI) and the PMI-funded Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) have hijacked public health’s smoke-free terminology to detract from the global tobacco control treaty, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). PMI claims it wants a smoke-free future, but it’s one built on smokers shifting to heated tobacco products (HTP) and …
Bangkok, 15 July 2019: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) has accused the Foundation for a Smoke-free World (FSFW) funded by Philip Morris International (PMI) of hijacking its Smoke-free Index, first published in 2016 in support of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). SEATCA developed its Smoke-Free Index to …
Foundation funded by Philip Morris hijacks SEATCA’s Smoke-Free Index Read More »
Bangkok, 5 July 2019: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) warmly welcomes the Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) announcement of the implementation date for standardized tobacco packaging in Singapore, making it the second Asian country to implement this important tobacco control measure. Following parliamentary approval in February 2019, this gazettement of Tobacco (Control of …
Standardized packaging to deglamorize tobacco packs in Singapore by July 2020 Read More »
Bangkok, 17 June 2019: Actions by the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Informatics (KemKomInfo) to block online cigarette advertisements at the request of the Ministry of Health to protect Indonesian youths from being exposed to tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) were applauded by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA), which urged other ASEAN …
SEATCA lauds Indonesian government’s ban on cigarette ads on Internet Read More »
Manila/Bangkok, 4 June 2019: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) welcomes the approval of Senate Bill 2233 to further increase tobacco taxes to reduce tobacco use, save lives, and raise much needed revenues to fund the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act. The bill, approved on third and final reading, increases excise taxes on cigarettes …
31 May 2019 The recent deliberations in the Senate on the proposal to include a tax on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs) without any public consultation appears to be an insidious ploy by the tobacco industry to legitimize these products’ presence in the market. This should not be sanctioned without the necessary, open, proper, …