FLER at APE

As nicotine pouches gain global traction as a lower-risk alternative to smoking, questions are emerging about their potential oral health effects. In a 2Firsts interview, Stingfree AB founder Bengt Wiberg discusses why gum irritation and oral lesions warrant closer scrutiny within the broader framework of tobacco harm reduction.

Türkiye’s Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said that over the past five years, authorities carried out 4,589 operations seizing 28,683,985 e-cigarette devices and parts and 1,070,586 grams/ml of e-liquid, valued at TL 1,762,796,000 (about USD 40,544,308).

Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is inviting stakeholder feedback on a draft Department Administrative Order (DAO) that would impose a blanket ban on open vape pods and e-liquids—covering use, manufacturing, importation, and distribution.

A vape-related case reported by The Straits Times illustrates the typical operating methods of Singapore’s underground vape trade, including Telegram-based “online shops,” centrally coordinated scheduling, and small-volume, fragmented deliveries. The case highlights the segmented and concealed nature of the country’s black-market vape network. Drawing on the report, 2Firsts uses this case as a sample to map out the structure and operational patterns of Singapore’s underground vape chain.

Bernama reported that comedian Shahmira Muhamad, better known as Shuib Sepahtu, was fined RM10,000 (about US$2,460.93) after pleading guilty to promoting an electronic cigarette product on a YouTube podcast in 2024. The magistrate ordered one month’s jail in default of payment, and he paid the fine. He was charged over a promotion at 4.26pm on Oct 22, 2024, under Section 9(1) of the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852).

Serbian logistics company Nelt Group said it has become a distributor for Japan Tobacco International products in Albania. According to the company, the partnership has created 50 new jobs in the local market. Nelt described the move as part of a broader change to its business model in Albania. The group already cooperates with JTI in Bosnia and Herzegovina and expects its revenue to grow by 9% in 2025.