Tobacco Asia

tobaccoasia 69 CLOSING NEWS 卷尾新闻 economic impact of illicit trade would be reflected in national accounts. The estimates relied in part on nicotine metabolite levels detected in wastewater samples and remain experimental, with the agency noting that both the approach and data sources could change over time. The ABS report also noted that revenue from tobacco excise reached its lowest level in 14 years last year, creating an AU$6.9 billion gap in the federal budget as the illegal market expanded. Policy debate continues over how to respond, with some public health and criminology experts divided on whether lowering excise or increasing enforcement would better address the issue. NSW premier Chris Minns has called for an overhaul of tobacco excise policy, saying it no longer functions effectively "as a matter of tax or health policy". Japan Urged to Adopt Graphic Warnings Japan may be moving closer to introducing pictorial health warnings on cigarette packaging, as public health experts and recent policy discussions push for stronger tobacco control measures, according to reporting by The Japan Times. Health advocates have called for the government to require graphic images on tobacco packs that illustrate the risks of smoking, arguing that visual warnings are more effective than text-only messages in discouraging tobacco use. The push comes as Japan continues to rely primarily on written health warnings rather than pictorial labels commonly used in many other countries. According to a report released by the Cana- dian Cancer Society in October last year, 140 countries and regions now require tobacco packaging to carry pictorial health warnings. In Canada and Australia, regulations go further, requiring such warnings to be placed on each cigarette. Japan's health ministry conducted an online survey among 2,372 smokers ranging in age from their teens to their 70s. Participants evaluated two types of text-only warning labels with different display sizes, along with three pictorial warning formats that included images such as a diseased lung and an infant affected by secondhand smoke, in addition to written warnings. Only about 4% of respondents described the text-only warnings as "very effective" or "considerably effective" in discouraging smoking. In contrast, the share of respondents who rated the image-based warnings as "very effective" or "considerably effective" ranged from 13.7% to 20.1%, depending on the type of pictorial warning shown. Japan expanded the required display area for written health warnings on tobacco packaging to at least 50%, up from 30%, in April 2020. However, the country did not go as far as mandating pictorial warnings. At a 2018 finance ministry council meeting, members noted that images could have a stronger visual impact, but they also stressed the need to avoid creating an excessive sense of discomfort. The group agreed that the introduction of pictorial warning labels on tobacco packages required further discussion. Tobacco's Nicotine Code Cracked Researchers have solved a nearly 200-year-old scientific mystery: how tobacco plants produce nicotine. A study published in Nature Communications identifies the missing genetic and biochemical steps behind nicotine formation in Nicotiana tabacum. Scientists had long understood parts of the process, but they could not fully explain how the plant assembled the molecule. The new research pinpoints previously unknown genes and key enzymes that drive nicotine production. The team also recreated the pathway in laboratory conditions and living plants to confirm how it operates. Researchers found that nicotine forms through a previously overlooked step in which the compound temporarily binds to a glucose molecule. That binding activates chemical building blocks, allowing them to combine. The glucose then detaches at the final stage, leaving the finished nicotine molecule. The study also identifies two key plant enzymes, NaGR and NicGS, that help assemble nicotine from separate metabolic pathways—one linked to a vitamin-like compound and the other to an amino acid involved in protein formation. Dr Benjamin Lichman from the University of York said the discovery resolves a question first raised in the 1820s, when scientists extracted nicotine from tobacco plants. Researchers say the findings could support advances in plant biotechnology. Tobacco plants already serve as platforms for producing pharmaceuticals, but naturally occurring nicotine can complicate manufacturing because it must be removed. The team said a clearer understanding of nicotine biosynthesis could help scientists modify or repurpose these pathways for "molecular farming," where plants produce medicines and other high-value compounds more efficiently. New York Proposes Generational Tobacco Ban New York lawmakers have introduced a proposal to phase out tobacco and nicotine sales to future generations by banning purchases for anyone born after December 31, 2007 according to multiple reports. If both chambers of the New York State Legislature approve the bill, the measure would take effect on January 1, 2028. The bill would raise the legal purchasing age for cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, vaping products, other nicotine items, and even smoking paraphernalia and rolling papers. to 21 for current eligible buyers, while creating a so-called "generational" restriction that would prevent younger cohorts from ever legally buying tobacco products once they reach adulthood. New York is not the first US state to consider a generational tobacco ban. Lawmakers in Indiana introduced a similar proposal in early 2025, but it never received a committee hearing. In Hawaii, legislators also filed a comparable bill in early 2025, which likewise stalled in committee without advancing. More recently, Massachusetts lawmakers introduced bills that would establish a generational ban, although both the Senate and House versions have remained pending for months without action. At the state level, Massachusetts has not enacted such a measure, but some local governments have moved ahead independently. In March 2024, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld Brookline's generational tobacco ban. Other municipalities, including Newton, Hopkinton, and South Hadley, have also passed similar local restrictions. New York has already tightened tobacco control rules in recent years, including restrictions on flavored vaping products and increased enforcement actions against illegal sales. State of- ficials have also conducted operations targeting unauthorized distribution networks for e-cigarettes and other nicotine products. The proposed legislation adds to a wider trend in parts of the US where policymakers continue to explore stronger restrictions on nicotine products, including limits on flavors, retail availability and marketing practices.

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