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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 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. Content was selected from the full article and edited for clarity and length. Click “read more” below to access the article.

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Global

Global: Tobacco Product Waste

More Than 6 Million Vapes and Pods Discarded Weekly in UK Despite Single-Use Ban, Study Finds

March 27, 2026

More than 6 million vapes and vape pods are still being discarded every week in the UK, despite the ban on disposable e-cigarettes almost a year ago. Since 2025, there has been a 23% reduction in the number of vapes improperly discarded. However, waste management and spontaneous fires from lithium batteries remain a problem despite the ban on sales. Fires have caused localized spikes in air pollution, posing health risks to nearby communities.
Content was selected from the full article and edited for clarity and length. Click “read more” below to access the article.
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State

State: Youth Advocacy

Marin County Students Urge Novato to Tighten Tobacco Rules, Citing Rising Teen Use

March 18, 2026

High school students from Marin County’s Youth Advocacy Committee urged the Novato City Council to toughen local tobacco regulations after presenting data showing youth nicotine use in Novato outpacing statewide averages. They asked the council to update Novato’s tobacco retail license to increase minimum prices, require larger pack sizes, prohibit discounts and coupons, and end sales of e-cigarettes, vapes, and nicotine pouches.

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Global

Global: Smokefree Outdoor Public Places

Smokefree Zones Expand Across the European Union

February 5, 2026

Several European countries and cities have adopted strict smoking bans in public areas, while others are considering such policies. One of the most strict policies is in Finland, which allows municipal bans on smoking inside apartments and on private balconies. Since January 2025, the city of Milan has banned smoking in all public spaces including streets. A similar ban is being considered in Spain that would ban smoking cigarettes and e-cigarettes in outdoor public spaces, children’s play areas, and educational facilities.
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Global

Global: Commercial Tobacco Product Ban

Innovative Policies in Effect across Europe and the UK: Impact on Tobacco Product Waste

February 5, 2026

The UK started banning any single-use vapes in 2025, but before the ban, it was estimated that as many as 5 million disposable vapes were thrown in bins or littered across the UK every week, instead of being recycled. In Latvia and the Netherlands, all e-cigarette flavors are banned except the tobacco flavor. Europe and the UK helped us take an immense step closer to a smoke-free world.

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