Regional updates archive

9 May 2019 In partnership with SEATCA and the Smoke-free Cities Asia Pacific Network (SCAN), the Province of Siem Reap together with the Ministry of

5 May 2019 Sheila Crisostomo MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III yesterday pushed anew for an increase in tobacco taxes to P60 per

3 May 2019 Mohamed Basyir GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government is currently studying a proposal to make the state free of cigarette smoke, with a

Jimenez, Misamis Occidental, 8 March 2019: In partnership with SEATCA and the Smoke-free Cities Asia Pacific Network (SCAN), the Municipality of Jimenez in Misamis Occidental,

24 April 2019 Khouth Sophak Chakrya Health experts on Tuesday called on the government to save Cambodian lives by raising tobacco taxes and use the

24 April 2019 Sen David Health experts are calling for the government to increase tobacco tax and use the money to expand health care benefits

18 April 2019 Chito Chavez An anti-smoking advocate insisted that law enforcers and concerned government agencies should strictly enforce the smoking ban on transport terminals

18 April 2019 Robert Kozinets Advertising agencies have cleverly leveraged social media to keep tobacco advertising under the regulation radar, University of Southern California’s Robert

Pilar, Bataan, 9 April 2019: During the commemoration of the Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) which marks the greatness of Filipino fighters during World

31 March 2019 Bernama MELAKA: The Health Ministry is committed to enacting a stand-alone Tobacco Control Act which designates all public places as no-smoking areas.

Singapore, 26-28 March 2019: SEATCA in close collaboration with the World Health Organization in the Western Pacific Region (WHO WPRO) and the Singapore Health Promotion

24 March 2019 Viviane Apostol and Carlos Jacinto “There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women,” according to Kofi Annan,

23 March 2019 Sun Star ANTI-SMOKING advocates renewed on Friday, March 22, their call for higher tax rates for cigarettes saying it would be beneficial

17 March 2019 Joshua Uyheng As May elections draw near, legislators are faced with the daunting task of reflecting upon — and marketing — their

11 March 2019 Politiko Central Luzon: Bataan 2nd District Representative Jose Enrique “Joet” Garcia III hailed Sunday the local government of Pilar, Bataan and its

11 March 2019 Charissa Luci-Atienza  Manila Bulletin: Bataan Rep. Jose Enrique Garcia III wants to restrict the importation, manufacture, use, sale, distribution and advertisement of

11 March 2019 Dian Septiari JakartaPost: The tobacco industry is trying to ride the wave of women’s empowerment that is celebrated globally every March, as

4 March 2019 Wassayos Ngamkham Bangkok Post: Police arrested 23 people and seized 2,856 hookahs, e-cigarettes and vaping solution, worth more than 900,000 baht, in

8 March 2019 John Grafilo Myanmar Times: A regional anti-tobacco organisation on Thursday warned women against falling for a campaign by tobacco companies to lure women

5 March 2019 Vanne Elaine Terrazola Manila Bulletin: Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III is seeking to simplify the packaging for all cigarettes and other tobacco

1 March 2019 Pech Sotheary Khmer Times: The Apsara Authority has received the Smoke-free Heritage Award from the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance and World

1 March 2019 Christia Marie Ramos Inquirer: MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) renewed its call for the passage of a bill that

28 February 2019 Sofia Tomacruz Rappler: Survey results show 9 out of 10 Filipinos support increasing the minimum age for the purchase of cigarettes from

2019 poll candidates challenged to support stricter tobacco control legislation Nine out of 10 adult Filipinos agree that smoking or the use of cigarettes in

27 February: SEATCA’s Smoke-free Program Manager Dr. Domilyn Villarreiz was one of the main resource speakers in the workshop to advance the campaign to make

19 February 2019 The Thaiger The Nation: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) on Tuesday said it strongly supported Thailand’s move to ban smoking

13 February 2019 The Nation: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) strongly supports Thailand’s move to ban smoking inside the passenger buildings in all

Yangon, 25-26 February 2018: The People’s Health Foundation (PHF) under the leadership of Dr. Than Sein organized a two-day meeting in Yangon to strengthen its tobacco

25 February 2019 Ben O, de Vera The Inquirer: Further jacking up the excise tax on cigarettes to P60 a pack, as proposed under a

19 February 2019 Gundo Weiler The Inquirer: The country’s legislators face a unique opportunity to save lives and protect the health of millions of Filipinos

18 February 2019 Pamela Mariz Geminiano Philippines News Agency: BAGUIO CITY–The Baguio smoke-free task force and city officials destroyed some PHP150,000 worth of cigarettes confiscated

12 February 2019 Lim Sun Sun Channel NewAsia: The use of global social media campaigns by multinational tobacco companies to glamourise smoking is what authorities

11 February 2019 Rei Kurohi The Straits Times: SINGAPORE – Cigarette packs sold here will soon have standardised plain packaging with larger health warnings, after

11 February 2019 Jalelah Abu Baker and Lianne Chia Channel NewsAsia: SINGAPORE: New restrictions on cigarette packaging will be introduced in Singapore, after amendments to the Tobacco (Control

3 February 2019 Online Reporter The Bangkok Post: Smoking will not be allowed inside the passenger buildings at all six airports operated by Airports of

29 January 2019 Filane Mikee Cervantes Philippines News Agency: MANILA — An estimated 713,000 smoking attributable deaths could be averted by a measure seeking to increase

28 January 2019 Mario Casayuran Manila Bulletin: The Senate ways and means committee starts Tuesday its public hearing on bills seeking to raise the excise

29-30 January 2019: The Myanmar Ministry of Health, People’s Health Foundation under the leadership of Dr. Than Sein and SEATCA organized a two-day meeting in Mandalay

26 January 2019 Ida Nadirah Ibrahim Malay Mail: KUALA LUMPUR, Roughly seven out of 10 retailers are participants of incentive programmes offered by tobacco companies

25 January 2019 Clarissa Chung The Star Online: KUALA LUMPUR: A study showed that about 70% of retailers accepted incentives such as cash and shopping

24 January 2019 Jessica Glenza The Guardian:  Mary Assunta: ‘Ideas jumped into tobacco control only recently and was making policy statements that echoed the tobacco

23 January 2019 Jessica Glenza The Guardian Free-market thinktanks from Malaysia to Chile and Australia received funding from the industry alongside governments as they argued

20 January 2019 Jovic Yee Inquirer At least 30 medical associations warned they would campaign against the reelection bids of senators who would block or

18 January 2019 Channel News Asia BUTTERWORTH: Penang plans to gazette the entire state as a smoke-free area in the next five years, health official

17 January 2019 CNN Philippines Staff CNN Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 16) — The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday renewed its warning against the

8 January 2019 Kenneth Lee Malaymail PETALING JAYA, Jan 8 — Pelita Samudra Pertama (M) Sdn Bhd (Pelita) plans to stop selling cigarettes at its

7 January 2019 Opalyn Mok Malay Mail GEORGE TOWN, Jan 7 – Health enforcers caught 648 people lighting up in non-smoking zones last year and

6 January 2019 News Straits Times ASTUDY by a team of researchers has shown that in areas where the smoking ban was enforced, such as

5 January 2019 MASAYUKI YUDA, CLIFF VENZON and JUSTINA LEE, Nikkei staff writers Asian Nikkei Governments hike tobacco taxes to mitigate health threats and fund

5 January 2019 Jason Thomas The ASEAN Post Malaysia has become the latest ASEAN member state to establish more smoke-free zones; rolling out a divisive