FLER at APE

US state lawmakers and recycling groups are pursuing 2026 measures to address safety issues linked to vape waste through legislation, take-back programs and educational outreach. California’s State Assembly passed a bill to ban disposable vape pens, while New Jersey reintroduced an extended producer responsibility bill for e-cigarettes.

KT&G said it will launch the heated tobacco device Lil Aible 3.0 at four stores in South Korea on February 28. The device shortens charging and preheating time while keeping features such as pausing during use, mode switching, and three consecutive uses. It adopts a metal body and an AMOLED display, comes in four colors, and will expand to Seoul-area convenience stores and the online mall in April, and nationwide convenience stores in May.

2Firsts reporting shows that, as the European Union moves toward a future evaluation of its tobacco legislation, the Tobacco Policy Expert Group—long a key platform for coordination among Member States—formally concluded its mandate at the end of 2025. At the same time, the European Commission is exploring new cooperation structures to address the resulting institutional gap.

Spain’s Nicotine Pouch Association said nicotine pouch sales in Spain reached 5 million cans of 20 units in 2025 and are expected to rise 60% to 8 million in 2026. The group said there are currently 20 to 30 brands on the Spanish market and called for regulation proportionate to product risk. It also opposed a proposal to reduce nicotine content to 0.99 mg per pouch, saying it would amount to a de facto ban on the category.

2Firsts has noted that a nicotine toothpick product named Pixx has appeared on a UK retailer website. The product page describes it as a smoke-free nicotine product, and the packaging image shows “UK MADE.” A nicotine-industry professional wrote on LinkedIn that the UK is set to introduce vape tax changes that may increase pressure on the retail side, and said Pixx is expected not to be included in the upcoming vape tax.

The Bangladesh Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Traders Association (BENDSTA) has urged the prime minister to initiate a comprehensive parliamentary review of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Use (Control) Ordinance, 2025.