Cambodia Promotes Tobacco-Free Sports Venues at SEA Games

Mar.20.2023
Cambodia Promotes Tobacco-Free Sports Venues at SEA Games
Cambodia to promote tobacco-free sports venues at SEA Games, banning the use, sponsorship and promotion of cigarettes and e-cigarettes.

Recently, according to a report by the Khmer Times, Cambodia will promote the principle of a smoke-free sports event at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games and the 12th ASEAN Para Games. Officials from the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism announced that the use, sponsorship, distribution and promotion of cigarettes and electronic cigarettes will be prohibited at the upcoming Southeast Asian Games.


Cigarettes and electronic cigarettes are both prohibited from entering event venues.


The upcoming Southeast Asian Games will be hosted by Cambodia from May 5th to 17th. The authorities in Cambodia have implemented several bans, including prohibiting tobacco products and electronic cigarettes in all dining areas within the national sports stadium, sports arenas, and sports delegation premises.


The Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee and the ASEAN Para Games Organizing Committee in Cambodia have stated that they will not accept any sponsorship from tobacco or e-cigarette companies.


The statement reads that smoke-free sports venues are implemented to protect players, coaches, spectators, and volunteers from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.


The ban ensures a high-quality environment for all participants. It also encourages smokers to quit, prevents non-smokers, especially young people, from smoking, and advocates for a widespread culture of no tobacco.


Smoking ban has a 20-year history.


The implementation of the smoke-free policy first began in 2003 at the 22nd Southeast Asian Games hosted by Vietnam.


Since then, the Southeast Asian Games and other major international sporting events have adhered to the same principle of promoting a smoke-free environment.


The statement also indicated that the host country adhered to a smoke-free sports policy.


Cambodia's Smoking Ban Regulations.


According to 2FIRSTS, Cambodia has maintained a crackdown on new tobacco products such as e-cigarettes. The Cambodian authorities issued bans on e-cigarettes in 2014 and 2021.


In February 2014, the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) in Cambodia issued an immediate ban on the import, use, and sale of hookah tobacco, pipes, and e-cigarette products nationwide.


However, the ban did not meet the government's expectations. In March 2022, the Cambodian National Anti-Drug Authority issued another ban, prohibiting the delivery and use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), e-cigarettes, and heated tobacco products (HTP) across the country.


Related Reading:


The smoking rate among Cambodian youth has decreased from 32% to 28%. The authorities have twice issued bans on e-cigarettes.


Cambodian police increase regulation of electronic cigarettes.


Reference:


Cambodia has announced that it will provide tobacco-free sports facilities during the upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. The move is part of the country's efforts to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent tobacco-related diseases among athletes and spectators. The SEA Games will be held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in May 2023, and will feature various sports events contested by athletes from Southeast Asian countries.



Disclaimer

This article is provided solely for professional research, industry discussion, and informational purposes. Any references to brands, companies, products, technologies, or policies are made for factual reporting and analytical purposes only, and do not constitute endorsement, recommendation, promotion, or advertising by 2Firsts.

Nicotine-containing products, including but not limited to cigarettes, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches, carry significant health risks. Readers are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations in their respective jurisdictions, including age restrictions and access limitations.

The information contained in this article should not be regarded as investment, legal, medical, regulatory, or commercial advice. While 2Firsts strives to ensure the accuracy and reliability of its content, it does not assume liability for any direct or indirect loss arising from errors, omissions, inaccuracies, or reliance on the information contained herein.

This article is not intended for individuals below the legal age for accessing tobacco or nicotine-related information in their jurisdiction.

 

Copyright Notice

This article is either original content produced by 2Firsts or content reproduced, translated, summarized, or adapted from third-party sources with attribution where applicable. The intellectual property rights of the original content remain with 2Firsts or the respective original rights holders.

No individual or organization may copy, reproduce, distribute, republish, modify, translate, or otherwise use this content without prior authorization. Any unauthorized use may result in legal action.

For copyright-related inquiries, corrections, or removal requests, please contact: info@2firsts.com.

 

AI-Assisted Translation and Editing Notice

Portions of this article may have been translated, edited, or reviewed with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools to improve efficiency and readability. Due to the limitations of AI-assisted translation and editing, discrepancies, omissions, or inaccuracies may exist when compared with the original source.

Where applicable, readers are advised to refer to the original source for the most complete and accurate information. If you identify any errors or believe that any content infringes upon your rights, please contact us at info@2firsts.com, and we will review and address the matter promptly.

Kelly White Bets on Female Consumers as Nicotine Pouch Competition Intensifies | 2Firsts Interview
Kelly White Bets on Female Consumers as Nicotine Pouch Competition Intensifies | 2Firsts Interview
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.
Business
Sep.24
UK Extends Age-18 Rules to Zero-Nicotine Vapes and Nicotine Pouches From Oct. 29, Bans Vending Machines and Promotional Giveaways
UK Extends Age-18 Rules to Zero-Nicotine Vapes and Nicotine Pouches From Oct. 29, Bans Vending Machines and Promotional Giveaways
Key provisions of the UK's Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 will take effect on Oct. 29, extending an age-18 sales restriction to all vaping and non-medicinal nicotine products. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the change brings zero-nicotine vapes within statutory age-of-sale rules and also covers products including nicotine pouches, strips and pearls. The law will also prohibit proxy purchasing for under-18s, consumer-facing vending machines, promotional giveaways and substantial discounts intended to promote vaping and nicotine products.
Regulations
Oct.10
Product | JT Refreshes Ploom CUBE Design and Expands Japan Retail Distribution, Targeting Younger Men and Female Users
Product | JT Refreshes Ploom CUBE Design and Expands Japan Retail Distribution, Targeting Younger Men and Female Users
Japan Tobacco (JT) launched a refreshed Ploom CUBE design in Japan on September 8, 2026, with broader convenience-store and tobacco-retail distribution planned from October 13. The updated device retains the existing Rounded Cube form and heating platform while replacing four previous body colors with Pebble White and Cobalt Black. JT is also introducing new Front Panels and Fabric Back Covers, although the new accessories are not compatible with the previous Ploom CUBE design. The company says the update is intended to broaden appeal among younger male and female users.
Sep.09
Global Nicotine-Pouch E-Commerce Group Haypp Shuts Sweden’s Snusnetto Over Age Verification as Identity Checks Become Industry Infrastructure for New Nicotine Products
Global Nicotine-Pouch E-Commerce Group Haypp Shuts Sweden’s Snusnetto Over Age Verification as Identity Checks Become Industry Infrastructure for New Nicotine Products
Sweden's Supreme Administrative Court has declined to hear an appeal over age verification for tobacco and nicotine products collected from parcel lockers, leaving in place a lower-court ruling that geo-located BankID verification is insufficient to securely verify the actual recipient. Haypp Group has stopped tobacco and nicotine sales through Snusnetto and is deploying a new system across its other Swedish e-commerce sites to verify the age of the person who actually opens the locker and receives the shipment. The change comes as age verification across next-generation nicotine products expands from purchase checks into retail, delivery and, for some e-cigarettes, device access itself.
Regulations
Oct.20
Italian Financial Police Seize 4.3 Million E-Cigarettes and Smoking Accessories; 28 Reported to Judicial Authorities Across Operations
Italian Financial Police Seize 4.3 Million E-Cigarettes and Smoking Accessories; 28 Reported to Judicial Authorities Across Operations
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.
Enforcement
Oct.29
JTI Proposes 25-Cent Irish Cigarette Tax Increase, Says It Could Raise €45 Million
JTI Proposes 25-Cent Irish Cigarette Tax Increase, Says It Could Raise €45 Million
Japan Tobacco International's Irish business has proposed a €0.25 tax increase on a pack of 20 cigarettes in its pre-Budget 2027 submission, below the €0.50-or-more increases typically imposed in recent Irish budgets. JTI says the proposal could generate around €45 million in additional Exchequer revenue while limiting further movement toward illicit and non-Irish-tax-paid tobacco. Revenue's existing estimate for a comparable €0.25 increase, including pro-rata rises on other tobacco products, is about €18 million for a full year.
JTI
Sep.18 by 2Firsts Perspectives