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

According to Swiss media outlet Blick, local authorities are strengthening compliance checks on vape products, nicotine pouches and other tobacco-related products following the implementation of Switzerland’s revised Tobacco Products Act. A Basel laboratory tested 32 disposable vapes and e-liquids, with only three meeting regulatory requirements and 21 products banned from sale. Swiss authorities are also expanding retail inspections, laboratory testing and youth purchase checks to enforce the new tobacco and nicotine product rules.

Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) CEO Takehiko Tsutsui said the company plans to invest about ¥800 billion (approximately US$5.4 billion) in heated tobacco products over three years through 2028, aiming to establish Ploom as a second growth engine after combustible cigarettes. Tsutsui said Ploom AURA helped JT increase its share of Japan’s heated tobacco market to 15.8% in the first quarter of 2026. Ploom products are now available in 29 markets, with Ploom AURA sold in 25 markets including Japan. JT also plans to continue its cigarette business while positioning its food operations, particularly frozen noodle products in North America, as another growth opportunity.

British American Tobacco (BAT) Global Travel Retail has expanded the VELO Travellers’ Collection with three new Summer Editions: Mexico, Spain and Sweden. Inspired by destination themes, the new nicotine pouch variants are designed for global travel-retail channels. The launch further strengthens VELO’s positioning as a travel-retail exclusive product collection.

According to Free Malaysia Today on August 26, 2026, Malaysia’s Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the Health Ministry would explain the government’s decision to withdraw its appeal against a High Court ruling involving the exemption of liquid nicotine used in vape products from the Poisons List. The High Court previously ruled that the exemption decision was irrational. Dzulkefly said withdrawing the appeal did not mean the government would stop regulating vaping, and that future regulatory approaches would continue under existing legal frameworks.

Philippine lawmakers are considering an overhaul of the country's vape excise-tax regime to eliminate the wide gap between taxes on nicotine salt and freebase nicotine liquids and reduce incentives for misdeclaration. House Bill 5364, filed by Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr., would impose a unified ₱10-per-milliliter tax on vapor products, with 5% annual increases beginning in 2027. Rodriguez says the proposal could generate an average ₱6 billion in annual collections from 2027 through 2030. The debate comes as the Philippine government considers tobacco, vape and other health-tax reforms to help offset around ₱66 billion in revenue expected to be forgone under a proposed tax-relief package.

China’s vape exports showed resilience in the first half of 2026 after a short-term shock from China’s export rebate adjustment. But customs data points to more than a simple recovery: the structure of growth is changing. Vaping devices and atomization hardware emerged as the strongest growth driver, while nicotine-containing vaping products remained broadly stable. Meanwhile, nicotine substitute-related products represented by 6-methyl nicotine expanded rapidly, becoming a new category to watch for both industry and regulators. After the U.S. market went through a cycle of shortages, replenishment and inventory rebuilding in 2025, China’s vape supply chain is entering a new phase of reallocation.