FLER at APE

Since Kazakhstan banned e-cigarette sales in June 2024, transactions have gone underground, shifting to Telegram and some e-commerce platforms and making enforcement harder; related research indicates the ban has not significantly reduced demand.

British American Tobacco (BAT) acquires state-owned shares of UZBAT, a joint venture in Uzbekistan, for $22.3 million.

Guam’s legislature is considering Bill 3-38, which proposes a 20% retail excise tax on e-cigarette products. The measure would earmark the new revenue for public health and youth tobacco education and prevention programs, tax enforcement, and operations and maintenance at Guam Memorial Hospital (GMH).

Several brands launch 2 mL replaceable-pod vapes—Lost Mary Glayce, ELFBAR ELFA “Stein,” VOZOL SLEEK—highlighting rechargeability, pod swaps, and a compliance- and sustainability-led trend.

Although Tunisia has joined the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and implemented policies such as smoking bans and advertising restrictions, insufficient enforcement means nearly half of all men still smoke, with youth being particularly vulnerable. Public health experts recommend that Tunisia learn from the experiences of Sweden and the United Kingdom, introduce less harmful alternatives, and establish a customized regulatory system.

Bremen’s state government warns of increasingly active illicit trade in e-cigarettes, snus, and nicotine pouches. Enforcement reports “violations in nearly every inspection,” with some disposable vapes exceeding Germany’s 2 ml e-liquid cap. Since 2024, authorities have recorded 54 violations in 255 checks, concentrated around the central station district and city center.