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Vape shop owners in Tennessee are voicing confusion and concern over the phased implementation of a new state law regulating vapor products. The new regulations are being implemented in three (...)

A coalition of vape associations has strongly opposed the government’s move to ban vape sales, warning that such a move would harm adult consumers and drive them toward the unregulated black market.

The Lives Saved Sri Lanka Report presents an urgent call to action for integrating Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) into Sri Lanka’s tobacco control strategy and evaluates the potential long-term impact of supplementing the WHO MPOWER framework with innovative harm reduction products and improved lung cancer treatment access.

Smoking rates in Australia have reached historic lows, with fewer than 10% of people smoking nationally in 2022–23. However, in Western Australia's remote Kimberley region, about one in three people still smoke regularly. Broome resident Spencer Lim Joon, who quit last year after 40 years of smoking, shared how family health struggles and witnessing the fatal effects of smoking motivated him to stop.

Alarming Roy Morgan data reveals rising smoking and vaping rates in Australia post-2024 vaping crackdown. Excessive regulations and high taxes on tobacco have backfired, fueling a dangerous black market. Illicit tobacco and vapes are widely available, leading to criminal activities and endangering communities. Australia's punitive measures have failed to curb illegal trade, contrasting with successful harm reduction policies in countries like New Zealand. Urgent reform is needed to establish a regulated market for safer nicotine products, reduce tobacco excise, and involve consumers in policymaking. Embracing harm reduction can accelerate the decline in smoking rates and combat the growing black market, safeguarding public health and reducing crime.

Teenagers who vape are smoking cigarettes at 1970s levels, raising concerns about a tobacco addiction gateway. Among vapers, one third also smoke, a ratio seen in 1974. E-cigarette use hampers the decline in nicotine use, and research suggests vaping leads to smoking. Despite bans, 1 in 3 teens have tried vaping by age 15, and e-cigarette use among 11- to 15-year-olds has doubled. Disposable vapes were banned to prevent youth nicotine addiction. Vapers can get hooked quickly, affecting concentration and causing fatigue, stress, and anxiety. Those who vape are more likely to smoke cigarettes, emphasizing the need to address this trend.

The Department of Health in Western Visayas is escalating efforts to combat the growing use of e-cigarettes among youths, collaborating with schools and local governments to enforce anti-smoking and anti-vaping measures. They are alarmed by the appeal of flavored e-cigarettes and aggressive marketing targeting young people. Both smoking and vaping pose health risks, including chronic lung problems and addiction. Efforts involve strict enforcement of national laws and initiatives like the MPOWER strategy. DOH-6 also leads the Tobacco Control Leadership program to empower local leaders. Recognizing municipalities with smoke-free environments, they emphasize the importance of collective action from schools, communities, and government for effective tobacco control.

According to Haypp, 23% of UK vape retailers are illegally selling disposable vapes following the ban. Mystery shoppers found violations in various UK cities, with London and Glasgow having the most offenders. Retailers used tactics like selling by the box or accepting cash only to make illegal sales. Concerningly, even high-street stores with online profiles were involved. The company suspects the actual number of violators to be higher. This mirrors the situation in Australia, where a similar ban led to a thriving black market. Haypp suggests stricter inspections and consumer education to ensure compliance with the ban and promote safer alternatives.

Tobacco control is all virtue, no restraint. And when it deploys power, it does so as if it holds absolute moral authority: unquestionable, unforgiving, and unshakably certain of its final destination. It doesn’t ask “Does this reduce harm?” In this RegWatch public statement, we expose the divide between tobacco harm reduction and the ideology driving tobacco control. Moral absolutism rooted in resentment, not science, has shaped a global war on safer nicotine products that smears vaping, discredits researchers, and marginalizes anyone who refuses to walk the path of abstinence.