The 2nd ASEAN Smoke-free Awards (ASA) ceremony during the 17th ASDEAN Health Minister Meeting (AHMM) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 10 September 2026 10 September

12 August 2026; Bangkok, Thailand – Youth advocates across Southeast Asia are celebrating International Youth Day by demanding a unified regional crackdown on nicotine addiction,

30 June 2026 YB Datuk Seri Dr Haji Dzulkefly Bin Ahmad Minister of Health Malaysia Aras 13, Blok E7, Kompleks E Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan

12 June 2026, Bangkok — The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) has called on ASEAN Member States to support the Republic of Palau, which

BANGKOK, 27 May 2026. As World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) 2026 is observed by the global community, the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) and

13 March 2026 Manila, Philippines – Public health advocates are calling for stronger transparency measures in legislative hearings on tobacco and vape taxes after a

23 February 2026; Bangkok, Thailand – Myanmar has officially banned e-cigarettes, electronic shisha, heated smoking devices, and related accessories, becoming the eighth country in Southeast

6 February 2026, Bangkok – The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA)  honored six of Asia’s tobacco control leaders today during its 25th anniversary Tobacco

4 February 2026 Jakarta, Indonesia – Health leaders across Southeast Asia warned that tobacco companies are increasingly exploiting social media and digital platforms to market

Geneva, 18 November 2025  – Alongside the 11th session of the Conference of Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the

13 November 2025, Bangkok – The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) has praised some governments for protecting public health against tobacco industry interference but

5 November 2025, Bangkok: Two decades after world governments agreed to a global health treaty to end the tobacco pandemic, more than half a million

30 October 2025, Bangkok — The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) harshly criticized the tobacco industry for continuing to delay the implementation of the

29 October 2025, Bangkok — The Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) urgently calls on governments to remain vigilant against escalating

Bangkok, 7 October 2025 — The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) today reaffirmed its support for the strong safeguards in the World Health Organization

Bangkok, 16 July 2025 – Tobacco control advocates have sounded alarms over mounting delays in the enforcement of standardized tobacco packaging regulations in Myanmar and

In the Philippines, David echoed the WNTD theme by rallying fellow youth leaders to call on legislators for stronger tobacco control measures. The workshop served

25 April 2025, Bangkok – Twenty years since the entry into force of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), critical gaps remain in

Meet your everyday heroes fighting against Big Tobacco and its tactics to create a new generation addicted to nicotine. On World No Tobacco Day, we

SEATCA is a member of the Stop Tobacco Pollution Alliance (STPA), a global coalition of public health organizations that recognize the significant intersection of tobacco

30 September 2022 At this critical juncture in history, when Malaysian Parliament is deciding on the fate of future generations of Malaysians, we write to

Media release for World Environment Day, 5 June 2022 Bangkok, 4 June 2022 – Tobacco claims 8 million lives globally and trashes the environment in

12 April 2022, Bangkok: As per its Ministry of Health directive issued last 12 October 2021, Myanmar was set to implement standardized tobacco packaging after

23 July 2021 Press Statement The Southeast Asian nations of Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Vietnam could have prevented more than 1.3 million premature deaths from

(14 June 2021, Bangkok) SEATCA calls out the fake charity that the tobacco industry displayed in the Philippines when it donated respirators at the height

(25 May 2021, Bangkok) As over 140 organizations around the world today called for phasing out cigarette sales, the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA)

Press Statement: 19 MAY 2021 Based on the 2021 edition of the Tobacco Tax Index—an appraisal by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) of

Philippines/Bangkok, 20 November 2020: Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the tobacco industry has been vigorously influencing and interfering in public health policies in the ASEAN region.

Philippines/Bangkok, 26 March 2020: The COVID-19 pandemic is an opportune time for smokers and vapers to quit their addiction, says the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control

24 January 2020 Derek Yach President Foundation for a Smoke-free World Open Letter Dear Dr. Yach, SEATCA and University of Bath are not to be

Philippines/Bangkok, 24 January 2020: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) welcomes new taxes on electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs) signed into law

Siem Reap, Cambodia, 28 November 2019: Around 200 smoke-free leaders and representatives from cities all over Asia Pacific are gathered in the home of Angkor

Bangkok/Manila, 23 October 2019: Big Tobacco apparently has no intention to reduce sales of cigarettes while aggressively promoting supposedly smoke-free alternative products. According to a

Bangkok, 17 October 2019: Pervasive tobacco industry actions interfering in government policies that protect public health remain a major obstacle to full implementation of effective

This briefing paper provides evidence-based guidance for policy development regarding electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS, such as e-cigarettes that heat a nicotine-containing e-liquid or e-juice

Bangkok, 29 August 2019: Noting that tobacco companies have started complying with Thailand’s Standardized Packaging Regulation two weeks ahead of the required deadline, the Southeast

Manila/Bangkok, 26 July 2019: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) warmly welcomes Republic Act (RA) 11346 or the Tobacco Tax Law 2019, which will

Philip Morris International (PMI) and the PMI-funded Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) have hijacked public health’s smoke-free terminology to detract from the global tobacco

Bangkok, 5 July 2019: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) warmly welcomes the Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) announcement of the implementation date for

Bangkok, 17 June 2019: Actions by the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Informatics (KemKomInfo) to block online cigarette advertisements at the request of the Ministry

Manila/Bangkok, 4 June 2019: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) welcomes the approval of Senate Bill 2233 to further increase tobacco taxes to reduce

Vientiane, 31 May 2019: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) commends Lao PDR’s  move to ban smoking inside the passenger terminals of Vientiane –

Bangkok, 29 May 2019: As the world focuses on ‘tobacco and lung health’ for this year’s World No Tobacco Day on 31 May, the Southeast

Manila, 23 May 2019: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) reiterates that legislators should rely on the scientific evidence that raising tobacco taxes saves

The following is the statement of Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo, Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA): “Hypertension is a major risk factor

Bangkok, 9 May 2019: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) is cautioning the public on last week’s announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug

Phnom Penh, 23 April 2019: Experts from the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA), World Health Organization (WHO), and Cambodia Movement for Health (CMH) today

9 April 2019: Launch of the Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor) Smoke-free Marker. Present during the launch were Philippine Vice-President VP Leni Robredo, Department of the

Bangkok, 12 March 2019: The Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics Organizing Committee’s decision to ban smoking in all game venues including its perimeters in

Bangkok, 7 March 2019: As the world commemorates International Women’s Day on 8 March, the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) puts the spotlight on

Bangkok, 14 February 2019: According to the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA), the Singapore Parliament’s approval of amendments to the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements

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

Bangkok, 4 February 2019: A major new World Bank (WB) report entitled Confronting Tobacco Illicit Trade: A Global Review of Country Experiences underscores that tobacco

Bangkok, 2 February 2019: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) welcomes the World Health Organization’s (WHO) reassurance that it will not engage with the

Manila, 23 January 2019: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) exposes how the tobacco industry is trying to sneak Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) into

Bangkok, 9 January 2019: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance welcomes the certification of Senate Bill (SB) 1599 as an urgent measure by Philippine President

Bangkok, 19 December 2018: Starting 10 September 2019 all cigarette products in Thailand will be sold in plain or standardized packaging. All cigarette products will

Manila, 29 November 2018: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) challenged the truthfulness of statements of tobacco companies and pro-tobacco politicians opposing further tobacco

Bangkok, 16 November 2018: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) applauds Thailand for its continued leadership in tobacco control in Asia as it becomes

Bangkok, 9 November 2018: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) welcomes the decision of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on the tobacco sector, which

Bangkok, 1 November 2018: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) applauds the Singapore Ministry of Health’s plan to introduce plain or standardized packaging with

Manila, 25 October 2018: Voicing support for Health Sec. Francisco Duque III’s call to President Rodrigo Duterte to certify as urgent Senate bill no. 1605

Manila, 12 October 2018: The Philippine government should increase tobacco taxes to further reduce consumption, stop cancer, and raise much-needed revenues to fund Universal Health

COP8 Bulletins  Monday Oct 1 Tuesday Oct 2 Wednesday Oct 3 Thursday Oct 4 Friday Oct 5 Saturday Oct 6 MOP Bulletins Monday Oct 8

Bangkok, 26 September 2018: Among more than 7 million people killed by tobacco-caused diseases globally each year, more than 500,000 occur in ASEAN according to

Bangkok, 24 September 2018: Last 13 September 2018, the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued Memorandum No. 2018-12, amending the DENR’s Code

Bangkok, 13 September 2018: The tobacco industry undermines public health and sustainable development. Governments in ASEAN must invest in and strengthen implementation of the WHO

Bangkok, 15 June 2018: Tobacco companies are facilitating tobacco smuggling while simultaneously attempting to manipulate a global system designed to prevent illicit trade, according to

As we mark World No Tobacco Day 2018, we put the spotlight on the tobacco industry for the many harms and millions of deaths its

(Manila, Philippines – April 23, 2018) HealthJustice Philippines and the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) accused tobacco companies of fear mongering with claims that

Manila, 9 March 2018: The Philippine Tobacco Institute (PTI) is misleading the public to delay the implementation of new Graphic Health Warnings (GHW) on tobacco

22 February 2018: The following is the statement of Ms. Sophapan Ratanachena, Tobacco Tax Program Manager of SEATCA: “The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA)

SEATCA’s Statement on Singapore’s Tobacco Tax Increase The following is the statement of Ms. Sophapan Ratanachena, Tobacco Tax Program Manager of SEATCA (Read)   SEATCA’s

The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) joins the international public health community in denouncing[1] the Philip Morris International (PMI)-funded Foundation for a Smoke-free World

Bangkok, 13 September 2017: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) applauds the decision of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) to permanently ban the tobacco industry from

Bangkok, 26 April 2017: British American Tobacco (BAT) is making big money out of the poorest countries in ASEAN. Tobacco use is declining in developed countries so tobacco

Bangkok, 22 March 2017: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) commends the Philippines on the results of its second Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) which reported that from 2009

Bangkok, 10 March 2017: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) calls upon the International Labour Organization to end its ties with the tobacco industry.   On 16 March

MANILA, 16 September 2016 – Tobacco use kills approximately six million people every year worldwide. The Western Pacific Region has one third of the world’s

Bangkok, 7 September 2016: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) lauds Myanmar’s government, especially the Ministry of Health and Sport (MOHS), for standing firm

Bangkok, Thailand – 30 August 2016: It is possible to end poverty within the next 14 years. Today, government officials from nine countries in the

Hats off to Uruguay, countries in ASEAN must not be daunted by Big Tobacco   Bangkok, Thailand – 12 July 2016: The Southeast Asia Tobacco

1 July 2016, Manila – The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) today welcomed the Philippine Department of Education’s (DepEd) directive, released 28 June, protecting

Bangkok, 4 March 2016: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance lauds Myanmar’s Ministry of Health’s (MOH) new regulation to implement 75% pictorial or graphic health

Jakarta, 23 February 2016: Reducing tobacco use through effective tobacco taxation is critical to reducing poverty and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Tobacco use obstructs development

Bangkok, 12 February 2016: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) applauds Thailand on increasing excise tax on tobacco products, making domestic packs of 20

12 February 2016: Bangkok, 12 February 2016: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) congratulates the Philippines for becoming the seventh ASEAN country to implement

  Malacca, Malaysia – 4 December 2015: Twelve Heritage Sites and cities joined hands to step up their initiatives to become smoke free to protect

Bangkok, 27 October 2015: ASEAN governments should be wary of the recommendations in the ASEAN Excise Tax Reform: A Resource Manual released by the International Trade and Investment

Bangkok, 6 October 2015: For the first time in the history of multilateral trade and investment negotiations, tobacco has been singled out in a free trade

Bangkok, 2 October 2015: Malaysia must stand firm in their position on a total carve-out of tobacco control measures in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.

  Yangon, 18 September 2015: Countries in Southeast Asia remain lacking in effective tax policies on tobacco. This is the main finding of the report

Press Release Contact: Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo, SEATCA FCTC Program Director, email: ulysses@seatca.org, mobile: +63(917)8862020 Tobacco Industry Meddles and Thwarts Tobacco Control in the ASEAN Region

Manila, 17 July 2015 Governments worldwide should consider using tobacco taxation as a tool to finance sustainable development and save lives, says the declaration of

Manila, 16 July 2015: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, having close ties to the tobacco industry, has been actively derailing tobacco control regulations and undermining

8 July 2015, Manila: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) applauds the latest WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic (2015)”. Launched in Manila,

5 June 2015, Bangkok: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) welcomes the Ukrainian governments decision to suspend its case before the WTO against Australias

  Manila, 30 May 2015: The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) has stamped Failed on a tobacco industry funded research on illicit trade of