IQOS Smoking Room at Manila International Airport

South Korea will introduce a postal-based collection system for electronic cigarette devices, allowing consumers to dispose of used devices through nationwide mailboxes or post office counters. Relevant government bodies and private partners have signed a cooperation agreement to address the lack of clear disposal standards for e-cigarette devices.

In this in-depth commentary for 2Firsts, Alan Zhao examines what Altria’s on! PLUS authorization really signals about FDA PMTA enforcement. Beyond the headline approval, FDA’s language, process design and product choices offer rare insight into how nicotine pouch regulation is taking shape—and what it means for industry compliance, in one of the earliest expert reads of the decision.

China is tightening controls over e-cigarette production capacity and investment as regulators move to curb disorderly competition and address oversupply risks, a new policy framework released on December 25 shows, signaling stronger oversight and a faster shakeout across the country’s e-cigarette supply chain, according to first-hand reporting by 2Firsts.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and Tax Commissioner James J. Alex have asked a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the state’s ban on flavored e-cigarettes. They argue plaintiffs lack standing because the products are already illegal under federal law. The state denies claims of federal preemption and asserts sovereign immunity, maintaining that its ban aligns with its authority to protect public health.

According to Law360, VPR Brands and iMiracle have filed a joint notice in federal court in Florida stating that they have signed a settlement term sheet and plan to finalize a global settlement within 30 days that would resolve multiple lawsuits. The dispute, which began in 2022 and centers on the “Elf” trademark, has involved injunctions, counterclaims and a key ruling by the Federal Circuit overturning a lower court’s order.

Vietnam’s Government Decree 371, effective December 31, 2025, stipulates that users of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products will be fined VND 3–5 million (about $114–$190) and required to destroy the products. The decree also provides that individuals who allow use at premises they own or manage will be fined VND 5–10 million (about $190–$380), with fines doubled for organizations.