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Global: Smokefree Workplace Laws

Tai Po blaze: Hong Kong to ban smoking at construction sites from July 17

May 20, 2026

It has been less than six months since the tragic Tai Po fire killed 168 people and displaced thousands more. No official cause has been announced, but investigations and court hearings point towards a lit cigarette butt as being the cause. Given the concern, starting July 17, 2026, smoking will be banned at all construction sites in Hong Kong, with hefty fines for offenders who are caught smoking. Read about the legislative amendments here.
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National

National: Smokefree Outdoor Public Places

Smoking ban passed for public beaches in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

May 5, 2026

On May 4, 2026, the North Myrtle Beach City Council passed the second and final reading of a ban on smoking and the use of e-cigarettes on public beaches. This includes all paths, sidewalks, streets, and parking lots along the beach.

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Local

Local: Tobacco Retail Licensing

Passed late 2025, National City is actively enforcing its tobacco retail licensing law

April 27, 2025

A new tobacco retail licensing ordinance in National City, California, took effect on November 5, 2025. The ordinance requires retailers to obtain a license to sell vape and tobacco products. Several locations have been denied licenses and are now prohibited from selling these products. The National City for Better Health Coalition demonstrated outstanding grassroots leadership and effective community advocacy, leading to the adoption of this comprehensive tobacco retail licensing policy in National City.

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Global

Global: Tobacco Product Ban

The United Kingdom Passes a Lifetime Smoking Ban

April 22, 2026

Last month, the U.K. Parliament passed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, a landmark piece of legislation that will permanently ban the sale of tobacco products to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009. The bill, which goes into effect January 1, 2027, does not ban smoking itself, nor does it criminalize possession. The intervention is at the point of sale: retailers must verify birth dates.

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National

National: Smokefree Outdoor Public Places

A new ordinance bans smoking and vaping in parks in Seminole County FL

April 16, 2026

On April 14, 2026, Florida’s Seminole County Commission unanimously approved a ban on smoking and vaping in county parks except for unfiltered cigars. Seminole joins 22 other Florida counties that have imposed the ban in their parks.

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Global

Global: Tobacco Product Waste

Scotland’s Smoking Ban Turns 20: It Cut Secondhand Smoke Exposure by 96%, but the Job Isn’t Finished Yet

March 27, 2026

Over 20 years ago, Scotland became the first UK nation to ban smoking in enclosed public spaces. Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke has fallen by 96% since the legislation was implemented on March 26, 2006. A new study, published in the journal Tobacco-Induced Diseases, reveals that nearly one in four people are still being exposed to tobacco smoke in settings the law does not fully cover. This raises the question of what it will take to finish what the ban started.

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