Governments Tightens Their Grip
Across Europe and Asia, governments are taking increasingly firm stances on nicotine products. France recently announced that from March 2026 it will prohibit the manufacture, sale, import, and use of non-medicinal oral nicotine products such as pouches, gums, lozenges, and strips. In Malaysia, e-cigarette sales are already tightly controlled under the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024, with a full national ban still under consideration.
A Question of Public Health
The reasoning is straightforward. Policymakers in both countries cite alarming trends in youth uptake and accidental poisonings, framing their actions as a matter of protecting public health. In France, poison control data has shown a sharp increase in cases involving teenagers. In Malaysia, the growing prevalence of vaping among youths has driven officials to argue for stronger measures.
Ban or Regulate?
The Unending Debate
Yet, this raises a broader question: which approach delivers better results—a blanket ban or strict regulation? But what would it all mean if policies are not properly enforced.
Lessons from Blanket Bans
Evidence from different countries provides various insight. Blanket bans, such as those implemented in India and Thailand, have been effective at reducing visibility and legal availability, thereby limiting casual experimentation among teenagers. But these prohibitions often come with unintended consequences. In both cases, illicit markets e-cigarettes quickly stepped in to fill the gap, leaving adult smokers without legal alternatives and pushing some towards unregulated products that may be riskier than those on the legal market.
