Regional updates archive

(UPDATED) ‘With the President as our reliable ally in public health, and with medical associations and advocacy groups joining our campaign, our anti-smoking efforts are

Part 1: Doctors say it’s just like taking poison in smaller amounts 26 February 2020 Michelle Abad AT A GLANCE The science behind electronic cigarettes

Part 2: Amid a crackdown in its home market, leading e-cigarette company JUUL treads carefully with ‘transparency’ efforts as it sets up shop in the

The law is vague on the status of vaping in Myanmar, and the Ministry of Health and Sports may ban e-cigarettes before changes can be

24 February 2020 Chris Kirkham, Fanny Potkin, Neil Jerome Morales (Reuters) – Juul Labs Inc is halting sales in Indonesia, citing concerns that it can’t stop retailers

Those who fail to pay the penalties will face cases, Mayor Benjamin Magalong writes in his demand letter to those caught by the Smoke-free Task

7 February 2020 Mom Kunthear The City Hall has ordered all tobacco companies to cease advertising and displaying cigarettes in public because they violate the

12 February 2020 Seventeen Hotels and restaurants in Kampong Speu Province were given awards by the Ministry of Tourism Cambodia for complying with the Sub-decree

21 February 2020 Jay Yesterday, (20 Feb), Japan Tobacco International Singapore (JTI) pleaded guilty to three offence under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale)

31 January 2019 Amrin Amin Singapore has banned e-cigarettes to protect the public from the harm they can cause, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Home

28 January 2020 Ted Cordero To effectively address health concerns arising from consumption of tobacco and alcohol products, excise taxes should be adjusted every three

Head of business group for area says no reports of business being affected since curbs enforced 18 January 2020 Vanessa Liu More than 4,000 tickets

18 December 2019 Katrina Domingo MANILA – (UPDATE) The Senate ratified on Wednesday a bill that will tax electronic cigarettes and impose higher duties on alcohol to

29 November 2019 AP BANGKOK (AP) — A court in Thailand on Friday found the local unit of tobacco giant Philip Morris guilty of evading

24 November 2019 Gemma Holliani Cahya For the past few years, cigarette companies have introduced a new form of nicotine consumption that they say is

21 November 2019 Michelle Abad MANILA, Philippines – Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III told Rappler on Thursday, November 21, that the department is

21 November 2019 Julia Mari Ornedo and Amita Legaspi Senator Pia Cayetano on Wednesday blamed the total ban on e-cigarettes on the refusal of key

15 November 2019 CNN Philippines Staff Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 15)— The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday confirmed the first case of electronic cigarette

15 November 2019 HÀ NỘI ­ – Plans have been proposed to increase tax on tobacco, ban electronic vapes and tighten online advertising of cigarettes.

12 November 2019  Christia Marie Ramos MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has certified as urgent a proposed law that will increase excise tax on

31 October 2019 Liza Agoot BAGUIO CITY – The city government is again reminding the public, including the tourists, that this city strictly implements the anti-smoking

28 October 2019 Saiful Ridzaimi There has been an increasing number of vape-related illness lately and here’s another one to add to the list! Vaping

29 October 2019 Blake Chen PETALING JAYA: Malaysians are happy that the Kuala Lumpur High Court has dismissed a constitutional challenge against the Health Ministry’s

23 October 2019 Philippines Daily Inquirer MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), heeding the directive of the Department of Health

20 October 2019 VNA Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are piloting programmes to reduce smoking. Hanoi (VNS/VNA) — Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are

18 October 2019 Mayen Jaymalin MANILA, Philippines – Despite a legal setback, the Department of Health (DOH) will continue to campaign and raise public awareness

15 October 2019 Macon Ramos-Araneta Amid rising concerns in many countries about the health risks of electronic cigarettes and vapes, Senator Pia Cayetano reiterated that

14 October 2019 Ma. Teresa Montemayor MANILA — The Sin Tax Coalition, a group of health advocates, on Monday called on President Rodrigo Duterte to certify

4 October 2019 Phan Anh People found smoking at 30 Hanoi landmarks will be fined on the spot starting this month, a city official said.

28 September 2019 Ian McIntyre GEORGE TOWN: Batu Ferringhi, which spans 7km, will be gazetted as Penang’s first no-smoking tourism zone by next month. State health

25 September 2019 Kyaw Ko Ko Bagan  authorities have prohibited smoking in eight more areas of the ancient capital, bringing to 56 the number of

13 September 2019 Gayatri Suroyo and Maikel Jefriando; Additional reporting by Fanny Potkin; Editing by Susan Fenton JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia will raise the minimum

10 September 2019 Nuria Ling SINGAPORE — A 35-year-old man who illegally sold 200 sets of electronic cigarettes online was sentenced to a fine of

3 September 2019 Lisa Du, Bruce Einhorn Juul Labs Inc., the e-cigarette pioneer grappling with negative publicity and government crackdowns in the U.S., is setting

1 September 2019 More than 100,000 people die each year from cancer in Việt Nam, and medical experts believe the fatality rate will rise because

2 September 2019 Ma. Teresa Montemayor MANILA — Health groups on Monday said there is no scientific evidence to support claims that e-cigarettes and heated tobacco

31 August 2019 Thailand becomes first country in Asia to enforce standardised packaging to deter smoking All cigarettes sold in Thailand will come in standardised,

28 August 2019 Post Reporter E-cigarettes will encourage former smokers to return to their habit and play a part in “recruiting” new smokers, according to

28 August 2019 Vincent Cabreza BAGUIO CITY – Anti-smoking crusaders want to raise cigarette prices by 1,000 percent and capitalize on President Duterte’s campaign against

29 August 2019 Air pollution in Jakarta not only occurs outdoors but also indoors, as tobacco smoking is still widespread within smoke-free area in shopping

20 August 2019 Mara Cepeda The new sin tax bill is the first measure to have successfully hurdled the House in the 18th Congress MANILA,

11 August 2019 Zaldy Comanda  BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Benjamin Magalong assured his full support to the city’s smoke-free campaign and to the enforcers implementing the

10 August 2019 MANILA – Shortly after a new law imposing higher excise taxes on tobacco products has been enacted, the Department of Finance is

2 August 2019 Olivia Miwil  KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government has extended the grace period for a state-wide smoking ban at all eateries to Dec

29 July 2019 Chino S. Leyco The newly signed law imposing higher taxes on cigarettes and a new tax on e-cigarettes as well as other

28 July 2019 Allison Jackson Electronic cigarettes are “undoubtedly harmful” and should be regulated, the WHO said Friday as it warned against the use of

26 August 2019 Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo I AM responding to the article, “Illegal cigarette trade ‘beyond crisis point’, says Japan Tobacco International Bhd (JTI) Malaysia”

21 August 2019 Mongkol Bangprara Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has vowed to retain Thailand’s ban on e-cigarettes, insisting the new government will not yield to

1 August 2019 Richa Noriega The Department of Finance is proposing to raise taxes on electronic cigarettes and vapes to impose restriction for smokers on

1 August 2019 R. Sekaran GEORGE TOWN: Vape products in all shapes and sizes have been flooding the market, including those targeting schoolchildren. Besides vape