Wopke Hoekstra, the European Commissioner responsible for tax policy, has told a closed door meeting of Members of the European Parliament that the Commission is aiming to propose higher taxes on safer nicotine products by the summer, according to sources who discussed…
Dozens of public health NGOs - including some lobbying hard against safer nicotine products - have been told they can no longer use EU funds to lobby Europe’s institutions. Clearing the Air understands that the European Network for Smoking Prevention (ENSP) -…
Shadow Health minister Earl Howe has warned the Tobacco and Vapes Bill could have unintended “perverse consequences.” The controversial bill - which includes a generational ban on smoking and strict new controls on vapes - is currently being considered by the House…
The UK island of Guernsey has passed new legislation banning disposable vapes and the sale and marketing of vapes to under 18s. The new regulations were passed unanimously, by 40 votes to zero, by the assembly last week. Deputy Al Brouard, president…
Anyone caught vaping in public in Hong Kong could soon face an on-the-spot fine of HK$3,000 (€341), it has emerged. Possessing or using a vape in public will be considered an offence in Hong Kong from April 30, 2026. According to an…
The Swedish government has announced that it will mount a legal challenge to Spain’s proposed ban on nicotine pouches at the EU level. Swedish Minister for Foreign Trade, Benjamin Dousa, announced that his government planned to submit what’s known as a Detailed…
The Nordic Nicotine Pouches Alliance (NNPA) has blasted the French government’s proposed blanket ban on nicotine pouches, warning that such a move would undermine harm reduction efforts, violate EU principles, and deliver a significant setback to public health. In its formal response…
Nicotine pouch users in France could face jail time and six figure fines under a new law currently being reviewed by the European Commission. Under the new law, which would apply later this year, personal possession and use of nicotine pouches would…
A vaping ban on Barcelona’s beaches has been overturned after a successful appeal from anti-smoking campaigners. The Former Smokers Association appealed against the local legislation that has been in force since July 2022. Being caught vaping or smoking on the seafront of…
