Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1537288
24 tobaccoasia Issue 4, 2025 July / August By Timothy S. Donahue Southeast Asia is undergoing a wave of regulatory reform in the vaping and heated tobacco products (HTP) sector, with governments across the region tak- ing sharply different approaches to the growing market. Driven by a combination of public health concerns, efforts to curb youth nicotine use, and broader economic and enforcement priorities, the result is a fragmented and rapidly evolving legal landscape that poses significant challenges for the industry. Many countries across Southeast Asia are cracking down especially hard on vaping, with several nations imposing sweeping bans and pursing aggressive en- forcement methods. Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, and Laos have already out- lawed all e-cigarettes and vaping products, signaling a zero-tolerance policy for the products. In Thailand, authorities have re- cently intensified raids, seizing millions of dollars' worth of illegal imports—part of a broader campaign to stamp out vaping in what government officials say is an attempt to reverse rising nicotine use in a new generation of youth. Indonesia In Indonesia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN) largest tobacco market, new national rules took effect in 2024 that treat vap- ing products nearly like combustible cigarettes. Health Law No. 17/2023 and Government Regulation No. 28/2024 categorize all e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products the same as traditional tobacco products. That makes selling the products in the coun- try complicated. Manufacturers and importers must register products and comply with nicotine limits. Packaging and marketing must carry ciga- rette style warnings and vapor products must have plain packaging. Vaping devices cannot be sold online or within 500 meters of schools or play- grounds, and single-stick sales of both traditional cigarettes and vapes (although, not sure it applies to a vape if someone buys a single disposable device) Vaping Rules Vary Across Southeast Asia Several Southeast Asian countries are cracking down hard on vaping. Credit: Mike Mozart, CC2.0. Governments repeatedly cite youth protection …as reasons for restriction [on NGP, even though], several studies [show] the health effects of vaping are much less than the impacts of combustible tobacco smoke.