IQOS Smoking Room at Manila International Airport

State Tobacco Monopoly Administration director Zhang Jianmin met with Korean Tobacco Company president Fang Jingwan in Beijing on October 31.

2Firsts observed that Philip Morris International’s (PMI) nicotine pouch brand ZYN has launched digital screen advertisements and product displays at the Dubai International Airport Duty Free area, featuring flavors such as Spearmint, Black Cherry, and Cool Mint, while promoting itself with the slogan “World’s No.1 Nicotine Pouch Brand.”

According to The Straits Times, after Singapore strengthened anti-vaping enforcement from September 2025, Relx International-linked entity Hellow SG voluntarily applied for deregistration and was officially struck off by ACRA on September 30, closing its local office. The company reportedly undertook regional business support and operated quietly.

The WHO's first global estimate on October 6 showed over 100 million people use e-cigarettes, including at least 15 million adolescents (aged 13–15). The report warned that in reporting countries, children are nine times more likely to vape than adults.

SKE has launched the V-BOT disposable e-cigarette. The company’s website highlights that the device is “Made in the USA,” with blending and filling also completed domestically. The V-BOT features dual power modes (Eco/Boost), an 800 mAh rechargeable battery, and is advertised as delivering up to 40,000 puffs.

The European Union will abstain from voting at the upcoming 11th session of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP11) in Geneva, following months of internal disagreement over how to regulate tobacco and nicotine products. The decision marks a rare and public fracture in EU health policy, reportedly driven by the European Commission’s hardline anti-tobacco stance.