Regional updates archive

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

30 July 2019 E. Ulysses Dorotheo, MD, FPAO I am writing in relation to the article, “Makers of e-cigarettes have 3 months to get FDA

15 July 2019 Nadhira Nuraini Afifa Many of us still mourn the death of the much-loved disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, affectionately known as Pak Topo,

3 July 2019 Voun Dara From this month, joint working groups formed by the Ministry of Economy and Finance will act against those involved in

3 July 2019 CNN Philippines Staff Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 3) — The Department of Health has banned the use of electronic cigarettes in public,

1 July 2019 SINGAPORE (ANN): Tobacco products sold in Singapore must have standardised packaging and enlarged graphic health warnings from July 1 2020, the Ministry

27 June 2019 From 2001 to 2016, cigarette and tobacco consumption among the youths under 15 has increased around threefold, said Union Minister for Health

25 June 2019 Antara & Nur Yasmin Jakarta. Indonesia’s antidrug agency has come out against vaping, noting that the popular replacement for arguably more harmful conventional cigarettes was prone

24 June 2019 Business Mirror Editorial Cigarette packs contain warnings about the health hazards of smoking. And with so few public places where people are

24 June 2019 BANGKOK (THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – People in Thailand will no longer be allowed to smoke at home if their habit has

18 June 2019  Telly Nathalia Jakarta. The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance, or Seatca, on Monday called on members of the Association of Southeast Asian

21 June 2019 Online Reporters A law prohibiting smoking at home will come into effect on Aug 20 in a bid to reduce deaths caused

21 June 2019 Songpol Kaopatumtip A new law which will be enforced on August 20, 2019 will target family members who smoke at home, the

17 June 2019 Editorial Board Treading softly and ever so cautiously is the hallmark of our policy on tobacco, the livelihood for millions of farmers

17 June 2019 Ivany Atina Arbi The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) has applauded Indonesia for its move to block online cigarette advertising, as

7 June 2019 Xiaoxia YANGON, June 7 (Xinhua) — Myanmar is deliberating to designate the country’s Bagan-Nyaung U archaeological zone as smoke-free areas, according to

14 June 2019 Gemma Holliani Cahya The internet is a free space no more for tobacco companies seeking to market their products after the Communications

13 June 2019 Translator: Ricky Mohammad Nugraha Editor: Mahinda Arkyasa TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) Cchairman Tulus Abadi said that internet cigarette advertisements that encourage people to smoke ‘deserve’ to

14 June 2019 REUTERS A man smokes cigarette as he attends morning prayers to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy fasting month

10 June 2019 Perla Lena ILOILO CITY — The World Health Organization (WHO) has named Iloilo City as among the recipients of the 2019 World No

5 June 2019 Jovic Yee MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III warned the public on Wednesday against the use of electronic cigarettes, stressing

5 June 2019 DJ Yap, Julie M. Aurelio, Marlon Ramos  MANILA, Philippines — The bill raising the excise on tobacco products is only waiting for President Rodrigo

30 May 2019 Myanmar manufactures 10 billion cigarettes every year, and the government should increase cigarette tax as the tax revenue is the lowest among

29 May 2019 Supoj Wancharoen Victory Momument is one of the six no-smoking zones in the capital establised by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. (Photo by

2 June 2019 Chito Chavez The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has reiterated that “under no circumstances should there be any designated

31 May 2019 Istu Septania and Sebastian Partogi Once smokers understand why they need to quit, they can discover how to let go of cigarettes.

30 May 2019 AUNG PHAY KYI SOE The Ministry of Health and Sports is working on a draft amendment to the Control of Smoking and Consumption

Bangkok, 31 May 2019 – As Thailand joins the world in marking World No Tobacco Day on 31 May, nearly 200 of its citizens will die

28 May 2019 Jeffrey Damicog Malacanang has certified as urgent the bill which proposes the imposition of higher excise tax on tobacco products. Justice Secretary

May 30 2019 Pech Sotheary City Hall officials and civil society organisations yesterday urged leaders of educational institutions to strengthen smoke-free environments in a bid

Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 30 May 2019: As part of the World No Tobacco Day 2019 celebrations, the Boy Scouts of Cambodia, the Red Cross Youth

27 May 2019 Legislators are expected to be busy in the next two weeks tackling the issue of whether taxes on so-called “sin” products such

28 May 2019 Butch Fernandez SENATORS firmed up an emerging consensus Monday to raise cigarette excise tax on top of stiffer penalties against illicit tobacco

28 May 2019 Though Thailand still has over 10 million smokers, who praises government’s efforts to curb addiction to cigarettes SMOKING kills on average more

28 May 2019 Darryl John Esguerra  MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte has certified as urgent Senate Bill No. 2233 which seeks to increase the

28 May 2019 PUBLIC Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn assured yesterday that a lawsuit against a leading tobacco firm over tax-evasion charges would continue as normal.

20 May 2019 Filane Mikee Cervantes MANILA – Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday pushed for the passage of a bill seeking to increase excise taxes on

18 May 2019 Aileen Cerrudo The Department of Finance (DOF) said there will be a funding gap of P62 billion for the recently passed Universal

18 May 2019 Ben O. de Vera The government, through the Department of Finance (DOF) and the Department of Health (DOH), has unleashed a one-two

17 May 2019 Ma. Teresa Montemayor MANILA — Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III on Friday stressed the importance of passing the pending sin

13 May 2019 Katharina R. Lestari A local ban on smoking has help transform a Jakarta slum into a healthy living environment Catholic layman Azas Tigor Nainggolan initiated a

7 May 2019 Sofia Tomacruz The Pulse Asia survey also shows 75% of Filipinos believe taxes on cigarettes should be raised MANILA, Philippines – Seven