Contribution from Nancy Loucas The inaugural Asia Forum on Nicotine (AFN25), hosted by the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) on 27 August, was a resounding success. The event drew together global experts, advocates, and consumers to champion evidence-based harm reduction strategies tailored to the Asia-Pacific region’s staggering 781 million tobacco users,…
Asia, the world’s largest consumer of combustible tobacco, is becoming a critical region in shaping the regulatory future of nicotine pouches and other smoke-free products. As governments across the continent respond to rising demand for safer nicotine alternatives, the picture that emerges is far from uniform. Regulations range from strict prohibitions and pharmaceutical-style oversight to…
Around the world, governments are rethinking how best to regulate tobacco and nicotine products in light of new science and innovation. Traditional tobacco control has long focused on restrictions and prohibitions, but the emergence of smoke-free alternatives, such as heated tobacco, e-cigarettes, and oral nicotine pouches, demands a more nuanced, evidence-based approach. The Need for…
Argentina is at a crossroads in its approach to tobacco control. Despite the country’s strong public health traditions and high burden of smoking-related disease, harm reduction strategies that could save lives remain absent from official policy. While other nations in Latin America and beyond are cautiously exploring safer nicotine alternatives, Argentina continues to rely on…
Australia now has one of the most restrictive nicotine control regimes in the developed world. Cigarettes face some of the highest taxes globally, while consumer nicotine vaping products are virtually banned. Intended to curb smoking, these policies have instead fuelled a thriving black market for tobacco and vapes, bringing with it organised crime, violence, and…
Norway’s continued ban on nicotine pouches, in force since 2017, is one of the strictest policies in Europe. Despite mounting evidence that these products are significantly less harmful than cigarettes, they remain prohibited for sale and even private import. The intent, officials say, is to protect youth from nicotine initiation. Yet, many experts argue this…
From the betel-stained smiles of Southeast Asia to Scandinavia’s sleek pouch packaging, the rise of oral nicotine is not a one-size-fits-all story. Regional traditions, risk perceptions, and regulatory choices are shaping the path of harm reduction around the world, highlighting both promise and pitfalls. Southeast Asia: Tradition Meets Resistance Southeast Asia is home to more…
By Joseph Magero Kenya is on the brink of a pivotal decision in its tobacco control journey. The Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill 2024, now under review by the Senate, is poised to introduce long-overdue regulation of new nicotine products, specifically nicotine pouches, e-cigarettes, and other smokeless alternatives that have until now existed in legal limbo.…
India’s tobacco landscape is uniquely complex and deeply rooted in social, regional, and cultural practices. This narrative review examines how tradition, yes, but also inequality and economic factors, shape tobacco use, and what that means for policy. Deep Roots: Tobacco as Tradition and Livelihood Tobacco in India isn’t new, it’s woven into rituals, social ceremonies,…
As the European Commission pushes forward on its most ambitious tobacco tax reform in over a decade, Portugal has stepped up as a strong opponent to key elements of the proposal. The sweeping reform, designed to align with the EU’s Beating Cancer Plan and introduce minimum tax levels on novel nicotine products like vapes and…