1. The Dutch taste ban will come into effect on October 1 next year

The Netherlands will officially ban all e-cigarette(HNB tabak) flavors except tobacco from October 1, 2023. The ban would also include a ban on packaging depicting anything other than tobacco and restrictions on product naming rules.

In addition, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and the Ministry of Health have created a list of only 16 additive ingredients that can only be used in all legal tobacco-flavored e-liquids, whether they contain nicotine or not.

2. The UK E-cigarette industry is worth £2.8bn in 2021

The UK E-cigarette(heat not burn heatsticks manufacturer) industry was worth 2.8 billion pounds ($3.36 billion) in 2021, supporting nearly 18,000 jobs in retail, manufacturing and supply chain, according to a new report prepared by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) on behalf of the UK e-cigarette Industry Association (UKVIA).

The report also showed that smokers ditching cigarettes for e-cigarettes saved the National Health Service more than £300m in 2019 alone.

3. A new European Commission proposal would introduce an EU-wide tax on e-cigarettes

The European Union is to propose an EU-wide tax policy on e-cigarettes. According to the draft, products with high nicotine content will be subject to an excise tax of at least 40 per cent, while e-cigarettes with lower content will face a 20 per cent tax. Heated tobacco products will also be taxed at 55 percent.

4. Empire Brands launches Blu Bar, a new disposable e-cigarette product

International tobacco giant Empire Brands has launched a new range of disposable e-cigarettes called BluBar, which comes with an led indicator for £5.99 and comes in six flavors including kiwi passion fruit, mango, banana, peach, watermelon and strawberry.

5. Australia further tightens regulations on e-cigarettes

The Australian government has said it will consider major reforms, including tightening e-cigarette import rules and tightening e-cigarette labeling laws, to prevent teenagers from using e-cigarettes. The Australian Medical Supplies Authority (TGA) will launch a public consultation on e-cigarette reform.

The public consultation will run until 16 January 2023, and Australian Health Minister Peter Butler will meet with state and territory health ministers in the same month to discuss a coordinated national response to e-cigarettes.

6. Macau’s new ban on e-cigarettes will take effect on December 5

On December 1, the Macao Health Bureau issued a press release reminding that the Legislative Council passed the amendment of Law No. 5/2011 “Smoking Prevention and Control System” in August this year, which prohibits the manufacture, distribution, sale, import and export of e-cigarettes and tobacco products for oral or nasal consumption, including the importation and importation of such products out of and into the Macao Special Administrative Region.

The health authority stressed that the new rules, which will take effect on December 5, will impose fines of up to 4,000 MOP, or between 20,000 and 200,000 MOP for private entities or the tobacco industry.