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2Firsts spoke with the leadership team at ARAC to analyze the regulatory context and industry implications of the FDA’s approval of five Juul products. ARAC noted that the decision highlights FDA’s increasing emphasis on real-world switching behavior as a key criterion for authorization. While more MGOs may follow, companies must meet rigorous standards in toxicology, manufacturing, and population-level risk assessments.

Police and trading standards officers in Devon have shut down four shops for three months after they were found repeatedly selling illegal vapes and counterfeit tobacco. Sniffer dogs helped seize large quantities of illicit products. Over the past year, 28 closure orders have been issued across the region.

The Philippine Bureau of Internal Revenue is developing a digital tracking system for e-cigarettes using QR codes, allowing consumers to verify product authenticity via smartphones. This initiative aims to curb smuggling and tax evasion, with the agency's chief noting that illegal e-cigarettes have resulted in tax losses of billions of pesos ($17 million).

The U.S. FDA approved five Juul e-cigarette products, triggering controversy. Industry groups welcomed the move as a long-overdue step to support adult smokers switching from cigarettes, while tobacco control advocates condemned it as a setback for youth protection. Juul remains one of the most popular brands among teens.

Philip Morris International has recently launched its next-generation heated tobacco product, the IQOS ILUMA series, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Sarawak is considering a ban on e-cigarette sales amid concerns over drug use in vape products. Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah called it a national issue, with the proposal gaining support at a July 16 anti-drug council meeting. Federal law is needed to enforce a ban.