FLER at APE

Syria Damascus health authorities announced a comprehensive ban on e-cigarettes, prohibiting their production, circulation, sale and use, citing health risks and the need to protect public health, particularly among children and young people.

According to Euronews, the World Health Organization (WHO) says its European Region—53 countries across Europe and Central Asia—is projected to remain the world’s largest tobacco consumer by 2030. While overall tobacco use is declining, e-cigarettes and flavoured nicotine products are capturing a new generation.

PMI U.S. plans to host a job fair to recruit employees for its ZYN nicotine pouch manufacturing facility currently under construction in Aurora, Colorado. The main position being recruited is Process Technician, responsible for equipment operation and maintenance, quality and safety monitoring, and supporting continuous production improvements.

China’s 2026 “Two Sessions” reviewed the draft Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan, which proposes implementing a health-first development strategy and strengthening the effectiveness of the Patriotic Health Campaign. Although the document does not address specific industries, this public-health governance framework provides a new policy context for observing the future regulation, product strategies, and market development of China’s tobacco and next-generation nicotine sectors.

India has reaffirmed its 2019 ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco devices, effectively blocking Philip Morris International (PMI) from launching IQOS in the country despite years of lobbying. Together with Taiwan, China’s conditional opening of heated tobacco products, and Japan’s planned 2026 excise tax hikes, these moves highlight increasingly divergent national regulatory pathways—an external uncertainty shaping PMI’s smoke-free growth trajectory.

After France’s ANSES report on nicotine products and harm reduction, Dr. Xin-an Liu wrote to 2Firsts reassessing the field’s foundations. She argues the debate reveals gaps in evidence on long-term behavioral substitution, addiction pathways and neurobiological impacts, and calls for longitudinal research, integrated behavioral science and neuroimaging, clearer risk assessment and stronger transparency to ensure policy and next-generation product development rest on solid evidence.