Myanmar: Anti-tobacco law to be upgraded with harsher punishments, fines
6 September 2016 One decade after a law to control tobacco use went into effect, the government is finally pledging to give teeth to the
WHO warns of intensified tobacco industry interference
16 September 2016 THE World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday warned member-states against the intensified efforts of the tobacco industry to interfere in the implementation
Philippines, Brunei lead ASEAN in curbing tobacco industry interference
17 September 2016 THE Philippines and Brunei lead their ASEAN peers in efforts to put a check on tobacco industry interference in health governance matters.
Indonesia: Health costs of smoking may be higher than tobacco profit
6 September 2016 Quitting smoking is hard as cigarettes contain nicotine, an addictive substance in tobacco that fuels cravings. After smoking, the brain becomes dependent
Thailand: Smoking banned in all taxis
31 August 2016 All taxis will be 100% “no smoking” from Thursday, with stiff fines for passengers and drivers who disregard the ban, and all
Malaysia: Teen puffers on the rise
27 August 2016 AN average of 50 to 60 teenagers are picking up the smoking habit daily nationwide and this is worrying, said the Health
Indonesia: Plan to raise price of smokes gets cheers
23 August 2016 Burdened by a persistent deficit in the national health insurance, the government, earlier reluctant to try to stop the country’s addiction to
Myanmar: Cigarette packs to display mandatory warnings
17 August 2016 Cigarette packs sold around the country will display health and addiction warnings beginning September 1. In a move to combat cigarette addiction,
Indonesia: Cigarette price hike may scare smokers: researcher
23 August 2016 Plans to increase cigarette prices to Rp 50,000 (US$4) per pack from currently Rp 15,000, will be effective to reduce the number
Indonesia: House speaker agrees to cigarette price hike
20 August 2016 House of Representative speaker Ade Komarudin has agreed to a plan to hike cigarette prices to Rp 50,000 (US$3.79) per pack, more
Indonesia: Protobacco lobby intensifies
19 August 2016 Protobacco lobbying in Indonesia, dubbed the country of baby smokers because of its alarmingly high smoking rate among children, is endangering the
Tobacco Industry’s Interference in Indonesia Highest in ASEAN
15 August 2016 TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Widyastuti Soerojo, head of the special division for control at the Indonesian Public Health Scholars Association (IAKMI), said that the
Philippines: Anti-smoking group backs ‘cigarette holiday’ bill
13 August 2016 The proposal to prohibit selling tobacco products and smoking cigarettes every 15th day of the month is now backed by an anti-smoking
USA/ASIA: US-BASED THINK-TANK TRIES TO INTIMIDATE REGIONAL TOBACCO CONTROL GROUP
Tobacco control advocates are familiar with the “scream test” – the litmus test for an effective measure that hurts the tobacco industry and causes it
Malaysia: Community service awaits errant smokers in Penang
3 August 2016 GEORGE TOWN: Those caught smoking in the George Town World Heritage Site may have to do community service. State exco member Phee
Malaysia: They can only puff in designated yellow circles in heritage enclave
2 August 2016 GEORGE TOWN: If you are craving for nicotine inside the no-smoking heritage enclave here, look for the yellow semi-circle marked with a
Singapore: Ban on point-of-sale display of tobacco products from Aug 1, 2017
28 July 2016 SINGAPORE – The point-of-sale display ban on tobacco products – approved in Parliament in March – takes effect on August 1, 2017. Retailers
Cambodia: Past Deadline, Most Cigarettes Still Lack Graphic Pictures
27 July 2016 Days after a law went into effect requiring all cigarette packages sold in Cambodia to be plastered with graphic images of the
Cambodia: Government Says it Will Enforce Smoke Ban in September
21 July 2016 Smokers who light up inside bars, restaurants, hotels and other establishment where the public gathers will face fines of 20,000 riel (about
Tobacco control in Thailand means creative approaches to quitting
19 July 2016 Here’s how the Asian nation dramatically curbed tobacco usage and got 91% of smokers to support harsher action against cigarettes. “Can I
Vietnam: Is TPP a public health threat?
20 July 2016 HÀ NỘI — The Government should bar certain industries from exploiting the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) lest they damage public health, health activists
Young campaigners collect antitobacco letters for Jokowi
19 July 2016 No smoking – Members of Indonesian Young Reformers take a picture after a press conference on Monday ahead of the 2016 National
World Bank paper notes sin tax gains, but says more work necessary on health component
18 July 2016 “OPEN and systematic monitoring” will be critical to the success of the Sin Tax Law, a World Bank working paper reported as
Myanmar: Tobacco giant accused of tricks to hook children
14 July 2016 Anti-smoking campaigners have urged the government of Aung San Suu Kyi to crack down on British American Tobacco in Burma, where it
Indonesia on track to become world’s largest tobacco market
13 July 2016 If current trends hold, Indonesia is on track to become the world’s largest market for tobacco. As other countries move to regulate
With return of Big Tobacco to Myanmar, smoking rates on the rise
11 July 2016 Since the return of Big Tobacco to Myanmar en masse in 2013, smoking rates have increased markedly. Tobacco control experts warn that
Philippines 15th among 23 Western Pacific countries with youth smokers
3 July 2016 MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines ranks 15th out of the 23 countries in the Western Pacific with youth smokers. In the report
Indonesia: Pictorial warnings not included in tobacco bill
27 June 2016 Activists have raised suspicion of what they called “foul play” in the deliberation of the controversial tobacco bill in the House of
Philippines: Smoker Aquino thanked for anti-smoking laws
26 June 2016 Health advocates yesterday expressed gratitude to President Aquino who, despite being a smoker, approved two “vital” tobacco control laws during his term.
Singapore: New anti-smoking rules from June 1: What you need to know
1 June 2016 SINGAPORE – From Wednesday (June 1), reservoirs and more than 400 parks, including those in private and public housing estates, have been
June is No Smoking Month in the Philippines
27 June 2016 Manila, Philippines: The Department of Health (DOH) headed by Secretary Janette P. Loreto-Garin launched last 20 June the National No Smoking Month
Who is Winning Indonesia’s Tobacco War?
16 June 2016 Why you need to know Battleground Jakarta: Big Tobacco calls Indonesia its ‘crown jewel’; in a country of 250 million people, 70%
Indonesia: Rejecting tobacco pact, govt must empower farmers, enforce laws
18 June 2016 A much lauded 2015 presidential decree on a national development strategy that aims to reduce the prevalence of smoking, especially among teenagers,
Philippines: Cancer support group supports Ubial as DOH secretary
19 June 2016 MANILA – The cancer support group New Vois Association of the Philippines (NVAP) has expressed full support for incoming Health Secretary Paulyn
Indonesia: President urged to protect children from dangers of cigarettes
15 June 2016 Jakarta (ANTARA News) – The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Youth Movement (GM-FCTA) has called on President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to protect
Indonesia: 54 percent of Indonesian children smoke: Minister
14 June 2016 Jakarta (ANTARA News) – Indonesian Minister of Empowerment of Women and Child Protection, Yohana Yambise, has expressed concern about the increasing number
Indonesia: Tobacco firms ignore legal restrictions
14 June 2016 Precious bundles: Workers store shredded tobacco in a warehouse in Temanggung, Central Java. The quality of tobacco relies on the weather. Temanggung’s
Indonesia: Govt to limit public smoking areas
14 June 2016 The government is set to limit smoking in public places for the sake of the health of the nation’s younger generation. Speaking
Malaysia: Plain packaging protects the human right to health
9 June 2016 Representing various Malaysian groups and associations, the National Cancer Society of Malaysia is responding to the statement ‘Plain cigarette packaging an infringement
Malaysia: Anti-smoking measures don’t work, says Subra
7 June 2016 PUTRAJAYA: Anti-smoking campaigns do not seem to be working, with five million Malaysians still on the puff and the number of smokeless
Indonesia: Activists demand bigger, scarier warnings on cigarette packs
6 June 2016 A huge cigarette pack replica showing the picture of a baby in critical condition was installed on Jl. Jend. Sudirman in Central
Malaysia: Health Ministry rapped over tobacco plain packaging plans
25 May 2016 KUALA LUMPUR: A DAP lawmaker has criticised the Health Ministry for backtracking on its plans to implement plain packaging for tobacco products.
Indonesia: Plain cigarette packaging to put smokers off, ministry hopes
28 May 2016 The Health Ministry is pushing for plain packaging on all cigarettes sold in Indonesia to reduce the alarmingly high smoking rate, especially
Indonesia on track to world’s highest smoking rates
1 June 2016 JAKARTA, Indonesia—With few commitments to curb cigarette consumption, Indonesia is poised to have the largest population of smokers in the world in
SEATCA’s Smoke-Free Program Manager eyeing a smoke-free Philippines
After the Philippines elected smoke-free champion and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte last 9 May, the Davao City Anti-Smoking Task Force headed by SEATCA’s Smoke-Free
Scary warnings to appear in Cambodia’s cigarette packs in July
Cambodian smokers will see scary, graphic warnings on cigarette packs starting 23 July 2016, nine months after cigarette companies were given time to comply with the requirements
SEATCA launches world’s first Tobacco Packaging and Labelling Index
To mark this year’s World No Tobacco Day celebration (31 May), the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) released a report recognizing both achievements and gaps in
Asean government urged to enforce large pictorial warnings, plain packaging of tobacco
28 May 2016 To mark this year’s World No Tobacco Day (May 31), the South-East Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) released a report recognising both
Cambodia: Cigarettes must have pictorial warnings by July 2016
27 May 2016 The government in July will begin to issue fines to tobacco companies, distributors and retailers that don’t display a graphic warning on
Cambodia: Gruesome Images Soon To Adorn Cigarette Packs
27 May 2016 Images depicting the dreadful health effects of smoking will soon adorn all cigarette packs in Cambodia, which will be joined by Laos