Oral health: Vaping inflicts damage and can lead to ‘irreversible’ problems

According to The Maritime Executive on August 19, 2026, the Australian Border Force (ABF) and China’s Anti-Smuggling Bureau of General Administration of China Customs worked together to dismantle an international illicit tobacco smuggling network targeting Australia. According to information released by ABF on August 20, sustained information sharing and cooperation led to investigations into 112 shipping containers, with 91 found to contain illicit tobacco. Authorities seized more than 60 million cigarettes and 60 kilograms of loose-leaf tobacco, representing more than A$92 million in unpaid duties. More than 60 people suspected of involvement in the network were arrested in China.

On July 23, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes Section 707 provisions requiring the Department of Defense to evaluate tobacco use and nicotine alternatives among military personnel. The pilot program would examine products including vapes, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products, primarily among active-duty service members who continue using combustible tobacco. The provision is a policy evaluation effort, not an authorization for military vaping promotion or a ban on vape products.

Australian One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce has criticised continued tobacco excise increases, arguing that higher taxes are driving consumers toward illicit tobacco markets and benefiting organised crime groups.

South Korea’s KOSDAQ-listed electronics-component maker ITM Semiconductor said its Indonesia subsidiary has begun full-scale mass production of e-cigarette devices, with first-quarter revenue from the business rising 55.4% year on year to 42.1 billion won, Maeil Business Newspaper reported.

FDA’s proposed rule requiring foreign tobacco manufacturers to register establishments and list products is more than routine paperwork, Keller and Heckman LLP partner Azim Chowdhury told 2Firsts. He said it could strengthen FDA’s import enforcement, inspections and market surveillance. Chinese e-cigarette OEM/ODM manufacturers, specification developers, brand owners and component suppliers may need to review their roles, product data and U.S. market authorization status.

Germany has expanded take-back obligations for disposable vapes from July 1, 2026, requiring consumers to be able to return used devices at stores that sell such products, including kiosks, petrol stations and vape shops, as e-cigarette regulation extends from sales to waste management and lithium-battery safety.