Indonesia: Puffing on cigarettes in smoke-free areas still rampant: Survey finds
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
Philippines: House OKs bill increasing taxes on alcohol, e-cigarettes starting 2020
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,
Philippines: Baguio pushes smoke-free campaign
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
Philippines: DOF seeks higher taxes on electronic cigarettes
10 August 2019 MANILA – Shortly after a new law imposing higher excise taxes on tobacco products has been enacted, the Department of Finance is
Malaysia: Sabah to start penalising smokers at eateries next year
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
Philippines: Higher sin tax to ensure expanded healthcare — DOF
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
WHO says e-cigarettes ‘undoubtedly harmful’
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
Illicit cigarette trade study funded by tobacco industry
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”
Thailand: PM to keep e-cigs illegal
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
Philippines: DOF to propose higher taxes on e-cigs, vapes; juice flavors to be limited to two
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
Malaysia: Teens the target for vape products
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
E-cigarettes still harmful to health, and don’t really stop smoking
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
Secondhand Smoke Is Much More Than Just a Smelly Nuisance
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,
Cambodia: Gov’t to act against sale of unstamped cigarette packets
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
Philippines: DOH bans use of e-cigarettes, vapes in public
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,
Singapore: Cigarette packs to be sold in standardised plain packaging in Singapore from July 1, 2020
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
Myanmar: Threefold increase in tobacco consumption among youths under 15
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
Indonesia: National Narcotics Agency Calls for Ban on Electronic Cigarettes
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
Philippines: Time to quit?
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
Smoking at home to soon become a punishable offence in Thailand
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
Indonesia: Asean Countries Urged to Follow Indonesia’s Step to Ban Online Cigarette Ads
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
Thailand: Smoking at home to be banned
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
Thailand: New law against smoking at home
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
Indonesia: Small step for health
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
Indonesia: Southeast Asia tobacco control alliance praises Indonesia’s ad ban
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
Myanmar to designate archaeological zone as smoke-free areas
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
Indonesia: Government bans online cigarette adverts
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
YLKI Calls for a Ban on Cigarette Ads on the Internet
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
Indonesia cracks down on online tobacco ads
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
Philippines: Iloilo City gets WHO award for tobacco control initiatives
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
Philippines: Duque: No proof e-cigarettes are healthier smoking option
5 June 2019 Jovic Yee MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III warned the public on Wednesday against the use of electronic cigarettes, stressing
Philippines: House, Senate agree on tobacco tax increase
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
Myanmar: Myanmar earns the lowest tobacco tax revenue in Asean region
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
Thailand: BMA declares six no-smoking zones
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
Philippines: DILG draws the line on designated smoking areas
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
Philippines: Butt out your cigarette and never light it again
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.
Public Health Advocates’ Joint Message to our Lawmakers on the Harmful Effects of E-Cigarettes and Heated Tobacco Products
31 May 2019 The recent deliberations in the Senate on the proposal to include a tax on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs) without any
Myanmar: Ministry working on changes to tobacco control law
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
Word No Tobacco Day: UN agencies in Thailand join forces to fight tobacco
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
Philippines: Malacañang certifies ‘Sin Tax’ bill as urgent
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
Cambodia: Phnom Penh schools encouraged to be smoke-free
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
Cambodia: Phnom Penh youth leads World No Tobacco Day celebrations
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
Philippines: ‘Sin’ taxes must rise
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
Philippines: Senate panel eyes higher tobacco tax, stiffer sanctions on smuggling
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
Thailand: Smoking claims 72,000 Thai lives every year
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
Philippines: Duterte certifies as urgent bill on higher tobacco excise tax
28 May 2019 Darryl John Esguerra MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte has certified as urgent Senate Bill No. 2233 which seeks to increase the
Thailand: Tax-evasion lawsuit to proceed against Philip Morris
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.
Philippine: Gatchalian pushes for passage of tobacco tax hike bill
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
Philippine: Healthcare funding gap to get bigger if no sin tax increase —DOF
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
Philippine: Gov’t launches new ad campaign vs smoking
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