HEADLINE

Indonesia's Ulema Council (MUI) published Fatwa No. 131/2026 on November 9, declaring electronic cigarette use, production and trade haram under Islamic religious rules. The council urged the Industry Ministry to prohibit the issuance of vape industry permits and review licensing policies, while calling on the president and parliament to enact a comprehensive ban. On November 10, the Constitutional Court heard a challenge to provisions of the 2023 Health Law seeking a prohibition on vape production, importation, distribution and use. The Health Ministry said on November 11 it was studying stronger restrictions, including a possible ban on circulation, while industry association APVI called for tighter oversight rather than a total ban. Indonesia's Industry Ministry previously estimated the sector comprises about 200 companies, Rp31 trillion ($1.7 billion) in cumulative investment and approximately 100,000 supply-chain jobs. No nationwide statutory ban has been enacted.

Complete abstinence is not always the goal of addiction treatment under a harm-reduction approach, Japanese psychiatrist Tomohiro Shirasaka told 2Firsts in Manila. In the interview, he discussed patients' quality of life, Japan's shift towards heated tobacco products, and the challenges of quitting smoking for people with mental illness. Drawing on addiction treatment work in the Philippines, he advocated support rather than punishment and questioned whether fear-based health warnings effectively address the reasons people continue smoking.

Italy's Guardia di Finanza announced on October 28 that officers in Latina province had seized approximately 4.3 million e-cigarettes and smoking accessories at an unauthorized warehouse in an operation involving restrictions on the possession and sale of tobacco-related products. Another 300,000 suspected counterfeit or unsafe items were confiscated during separate inspections, bringing total seizures across the operations to more than 4.6 million products. Twenty-eight people were reported to judicial authorities over suspected smuggling and counterfeiting offenses. Officials did not disclose separate vape quantities, the value of the merchandise or alleged violations associated with individual brands.

Ahead of the 2026 NACS Show, 2Firsts interviewed Chris Rapanick, NACS managing director of research, on changes reshaping the U.S. convenience-store tobacco and nicotine market. NACS data show cigarette sales declining while smokeless alternatives, including nicotine pouches, continue to grow. The interview also examines higher OTP margins, shifting backbar space, weaker store traffic, regulatory uncertainty and NACS’ outlook for 2027, offering a retailer-side view of one of the world’s largest nicotine markets.

Swedish nicotine pouch brand Kelly White is building its strategy around adult female consumers. Founder and CEO Sophia Wilsby told 2Firsts that women accounted for around 70% of the brand’s repeat customers on HAYPP in Sweden in 2025. The interview explores female consumer segmentation, product and design differentiation, gender stereotypes, packaging regulation, and how independent brands can compete with global players such as ZYN and VELO while considering funding, partnerships and future ownership options.