Regulatory News – Bring Back Smoking Freedom

Light seen through the tunnel: 80% of tobacco tax to be cut by the Australian opposition, if implemented reducing cigarette prices by AUS $25 and legalising vapes

6 Sep 20267 Sep 2026

Australia along with New Zealand are the two countries in the world where cigarettes are most expensive than anywhere else in the world, with one packet of cigarettes costing the…

Healthcare News…

Ireland defies EU law and “Tobacco 21” settlement by insisiting on a generational tobacco purchase ban

24 Jul 20263 Aug 2026

From 2027, you will have to be at least 21 years old to purchase tobacco in the Republic of Ireland. This is the new legislation that the seperatist independent state…

Reduced Risk Products…

Tobacco and Vapes Act notably does not restrict vaping from future generations of adults not allowed to purchase tobacco

24 May 202627 May 2026

The recently legislated generational tobacco purchase ban with the Tobacco and Vapes Act that gained Royal Assent on the 29th of April does not ban future generations of adults from…

Industry News…

Smokers’ rights advocates will “fight on” after Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 is granted Royal Assent

30 Apr 202615 May 2026

The Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 has been granted Royal Assent after clearing all stages at both Houses of Parliament and has now become law. A law under which only…

Industry News…

Tobacco and Vapes Act, until recently being a Bill, cleared through parliament and awaiting Royal Assent

23 Apr 202624 May 2026

The incremental tobacco purchase ban and consequent gradual phasing out of all tobacco sales in the UK contained in the Tobacco and Vapes Act previously a Bill, has cleared its…

Industry News…

War on smoking has gone far enough, politicians and anti-smoking campaigners should leave people alone, as FOREST chairman says 20th Scottish smoking ban anniversary is “nothing to celebrate”

17 Apr 202624 Apr 2026

The smoking ban as the first and foremost form of an anti-smoking public policy and legislation was introduced in the UK as the Scottish smoking ban of 2006 that only…

Industry News…

Nigel Farage pledges to abolish the incremental tobacco purchase ban if he wins the next general election in 2029

29 Mar 20261 Jun 2026

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage who is a smoker himself has vowed to abolish the generational tobacco purchase ban if he and his party win the next general election in…

Industry News…

The UK generational tobacco sales ban contradicts the Windsor Framework concerning Ireland according to 7 E.U. member states

4 Mar 2026

Greece, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Italy, Portugal and Romania have filed complaints in the form of formal comments or detailed opinion submissions to the UK stating that the provisions…

Industry News…

“Tobacco 21” amendment to the Tobacco and Vapes bill voted down in the House of Lords

26 Feb 202626 Feb 2026

In a move that turns the attention of the state against the immediate interest of its own citizens, the House of Lords has rejected and voted down an amendment to…

Industry News…

Cyprus rotating presidency of the Council of Europe rejects higher tobacco taxes

19 Feb 202627 Feb 2026

Cyprus, which holds the six-month presidency of the Council of Europe from January to June this year 2026, has been consulted on the Commission’s proposed tax increase on tobacco and…

Industry News…

People quit smoking voluntarily despite anti-smoking restrictions, argues chairman of FOREST against the tobacco and vapes bill

29 Jan 2026

Smoking rates have been falling for decades, largely because people have been educated about the health risks. More recently, products such as vapes and nicotine pouches have provided reduced risk…

Healthcare News…

Smokers’ rights group FOREST criticises beach and park smoking ban enacted in France

3 Jul 20251 Aug 2025

There is no justification for banning smoking in outdoor public places because there is no evidence that smoking in the open air represents a risk to anyone else’s health, including…

Industry News…

Australia follows Canada mandating individual cigarette stick health warnings

18 Jun 202518 Jun 2025

Since last summer for certain types of cigarettes and from this summer for the rest, Canada is requiring that health warnings are printed on each individual cigarette stick drawn out…

Industry News…

Tobacco display ban enacted in Belgium, as supermarkets are banned from selling tobacco

3 Apr 202512 May 2025

The current Belgian government is attacking the tobacco trade and smokers with consecutive prohibitions applied to different practicalities emerging in stages over time inspired by the EU which is based…

Healthcare News…

“Tobacco 21” legislation approved by Irish parliament and passed as law

14 Nov 202414 Nov 2024

Ireland has become the first EU country to set and raise the minimum age required to buy tobacco to the age of self-guardianship of 21 from the age of legal…

Industry News…

False statements made and allegations claimed by smoke-free legislation

14 Nov 202415 Dec 2024

For something to be an offence or crime, it must return a victim. A common characteristic of most or all offences or crimes is that the person committing it has…

Healthcare News…

‘Tobacco and Vapes’ bill introduced in parliament on Guy Fawkes Day 2024

5 Nov 20245 May 2025

The revised version of the previously defunct tobacco and vapes bill by the Labour government will be introduced in parliament today Tuesday the 5th of November ironically coinciding with Guy…

Healthcare News…

Tobacco and Vapes Bill to be passed from parliament before Christmas

31 Oct 20243 Nov 2024

After intense protest and intense negative reactions on behalf of the hospitality sector also consisting of venue and bar/pub and club and restaurant owners, the outdoor smoking bans intended by…

Regulatory News

Price of tobacco in Ireland to rise by €1

9 Oct 20242 Nov 2024

In this year's budget the Irish government decided to increase the price of a pack of 20 cigarettes by 1 whole euro, contrary to its plan years ago to increase…

Healthcare News…

European Commission imitating Labour government’s proposed outdoor smoking bans

21 Sep 202421 Sep 2024

The European Commission has announced plans to implement outdoor smoking bans across countries of the European Union that will also include bans on the use of electronic devices like Heat-Not-Burn…

Healthcare News…

Minimum age to buy tobacco becomes 21 in Indonesia where children were allowed to smoke!

13 Aug 202420 Oct 2024

President Joko Widodo of Indonesia signed new legislation setting the minimum age for buying tobacco to 21 years from 18 years as was set in 2020, a year before which the…

Industry News…

Gradual smoking ban included in Labour manifesto

21 Jun 202422 Jun 2024

The Labour Party, most likely to win the elections held on the 4th of July, is sticking to its programme in its well-known view that it should ban the purchase…

Healthcare News…

Irish parliament will decide if tobacco is for over 21’s

16 May 202421 Jun 2024

Ireland is close to becoming the first European Union country to raise the minimum age required to buy tobacco above 18 years of legal responsibility for its citizens. According to…

Healthcare News…

Travelling maximum limit of 1 cigarette carton lifted within the EU

11 Apr 2024

The permitted limit for carrying tobacco products of maximum 1 carton of 200 cigarettes for personal use by travellers across borders within the EU was lifted on the 29th of…

Industry News…

Second reading of Tobacco and Vapes Bill set as 16th of April – FOREST’s reaction to developments

24 Mar 202425 Mar 2024

During a period and time that marks the 20th and sad anniversary of the world's first smoking ban in Ireland in 2004, which corresponds to workplaces which are almost all…

Healthcare News…

Conservative candidate for Epson condemns the proposed adult smoking prohibition in Pop-Con event

8 Feb 202423 Mar 2024

Now ladies and gentlemen it gives me great pleasure we're going to hear from a range of voices from the Conservative party present, but here's a voice from the Conservative…

Industry News…

Liz Truss sets the minority government of Rishi Sunak straight on adult smoking prohibition

30 Jan 20243 Feb 2024

The Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco, FOREST, has conducted another poll with Yonder Consulting with the same question of what the people think of adult smoking…

Industry News…

Majority of poll opposes Rishi Sunak’s adult smoking prohibition

6 Dec 202311 Feb 2024

58% of Britons said by a majority in a Yonder poll they opposed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's proposed smoking phase-out that would ban tobacco supplies for adults born after 2008.…

Industry News…

FOREST react to the King’s Speech announcement days before same policy is scrapped in New Zealand

28 Nov 202311 Feb 2024

The Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco (FOREST) held a meeting and panel discussion accepting questions and answers from the audience against the proposed generational ban on…

Industry News…

New coalition government of New Zealand to scrap the generational smoking ban

24 Nov 202327 Nov 2023

The new coalition government of New Zealand is planning and determined to scrap the generational smoking ban that would ban tobacco sales to those born after 01/01/2008 that was voted…

Industry News…

Generational smoking ban ruled unconstitutional in Malaysia

18 Nov 202318 Nov 2023

While the Indian prime minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak has announced a generational ban on smoking as his own inspiration that is supported by the main opposition party…

Healthcare News…

Rishi Sunak professionally engaged with the Israeli Hamas war for planning generational endgame for smoking

10 Oct 202311 Oct 2023

British prime minister Rishi Sunak is professionally and fully engaged with the war that broke out in Israel between the Israelis and Palestinian Hamas militants, more than it would take…

Healthcare News…

Antismoking proponents convince Rishi Sunak to adopt generational endgame for tobacco

4 Oct 20235 Oct 2023

At the annual conference of the Conservative Party in the city of Manchester this year, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speculated that most people who smoke take it up at…

Industry News…

Antismoking proponents approaching Rishi Sunak for generational endgame of tobacco to come to the UK

23 Sep 202324 Sep 2023

Anti-smokers are approaching British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak near the end of the current five-year term in a bid to persuade him to ban smoking from the next generation of…

Healthcare News…

Indoor smoking ban spoiling student life of indoor university campus in Northern Greece

18 Sep 202318 Nov 2024

The University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia, Northern Greece, a business administration, marketing and computer science school, was founded in 1930 as an industrial school and was converted and…

Industry News…

Mexican most stringent smoking ban toppled by court injunction

12 Aug 202312 Aug 2023

The national restaurant association of Mexico, Canirac, has obtained a definitive suspension against the federal anti-smoking law that went into effect on Jan. 15, and banned lighting up in public and open…

Healthcare News…

Biden will veto law preventing the FDA from banning menthol cigarettes

11 Aug 202311 Aug 2023

The Biden administration has opposed a bill that would prevent the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from banning menthol in cigarettes. In its draft of the Fiscal Year 2024…

Industry News…

Individual cigarette stick health warnings come into effect in Canada

2 Aug 202319 Aug 2023

The Canadian law came into force this week on Monday, August 1, requiring individual health warnings to be printed on each cigarette separately and in addition to the illustrated warnings printed…

Reduced Risk Products…

One million Malaysians sign petition against generational endgame for tobacco

27 Jul 2023

More than 1 million Malaysians have signed up against the generational end game on smoking, a gradual and annual increase in the age limit for tobacco purchase by one year…