SEATCA Press Release

Bangkok, 21 November – In anticipation of the 2023 release of a tobacco industry marketing code to establish a global marketing standard for electronic smoking devices (ESDs), the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) today warned governments not to be deceived.  In its latest report, “Tobacco Industry Duplicity: Recycling an Old Marketing Code,” SEATCA maintains …

Governments should reject voluntary codes from the tobacco industry Read More »

Bangkok, 9 November 2022 – Singapore successfully reduced its adult smoking rate to 10.1% in 2020 through multi-pronged tobacco control measures, including a ban on electronic smoking devices (ESD), such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. Despite the increasing prevalence of ESD use in some ASEAN countries, Singapore was quick to arrest the rise of …

Countries urged: Follow Singapore’s successful enforcement of ban on electronic smoking devices Read More »

30 September 2022 At this critical juncture in history, when Malaysian Parliament is deciding on the fate of future generations of Malaysians, we write to lend full and unwavering support from the international tobacco control community to Malaysia’s Ministry of Health in its visionary effort to strengthen tobacco control through its generational end game (GEG) …

International Support for Malaysia’s Generational End Game for Tobacco Read More »

Bangkok, June 29:  United with public health advocates and health experts in the Philippines, the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) reiterates its call for President Rodrigo Duterte to protect the Filipino youth and veto the consolidated House Bill No. 9007 / Senate Bill No. 2239 also known as the Vape Bill. Philippine laws already …

Filipinos urge President Duterte to veto the Vape Bill Read More »

Media release for World Environment Day, 5 June 2022 Bangkok, 4 June 2022 – Tobacco claims 8 million lives globally and trashes the environment in the process. Over 6.25 trillion cigarettes are smoked worldwide every year, including 531 billion sticks in the ASEAN region, most of which are discarded into the environment. This is in …

Tobacco industry trashes the planet while it profits and greenwashes Read More »

Bangkok, 13 June 2022 – The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) welcomed the Philippine Supreme Court’s decision upholding the authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health (DOH) to regulate all products affecting health, including tobacco products. This decision is significant as it quashes a legal challenge by the …

Philippines’ Supreme Court decision upholding FDA authority over tobacco products quashes industry attempt to escape health authorities Read More »

12 April 2022, Bangkok: As per its Ministry of Health directive issued last 12 October 2021, Myanmar was set to implement standardized tobacco packaging after 180 days or by 10 April 2022, followed by a 90-day phaseout of old tobacco packaging. However, transnational, and local cigarette and cheroot producers successfully lobbied for the implementation deadline …

Myanmar government bows to industry pressure, delays implementation of standardized tobacco packaging by 12 months Read More »