With effect from 1 June 2015, health warnings on cigarette packages in Sri Lanka have to cover 80% of the principal sides.
Sri Lanka had previously required an 80% warning size. The tobacco industry took this to court, with the court concluding that a requirement for an 80% size was not authorized by the parent legislation, the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act. The court indicated that a 60% size would be acceptable.
On 29 May, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova adopted a new tobacco control law, after more than one year of parliamentary debate.
On 29 May 2015, the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, Dr. Rui Maria de Araújo opened the National Advocacy Workshop to celebrate World No Tobacco Day 2015. Ministers, Parliamentarians and representatives from UN agencies attended the event which was organized by the Ministry of Health and the Cabinet of the Prime Minister, with support from the World Health Organization.
The WHO Regional Office for Africa and the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer, a WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub on tobacco and trade matters, jointly conducted a capacity building working on promoting coherence between health, trade and investment in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in the East African Region. The workshop, held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 25-28 May, brought together participants from across different sectors of government in Burundi, Kenya and Tanzania, and faculty from Australia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
The Quebec Superior Court awarded $15.5 billion (US$ 1.5 billion) in a landmark class action suit against three big tobacco companies. Following a 17 year lawsuit and 3 years after the beginning of the trial, Quebec Superior Court Justice Brian Riordan's 276 page decision was published on 27 May 2015.
In the context of the 68th World Health Assembly in Geneva, the delegations of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Thailand organized a side event addressing strategies to overcome resistance from the tobacco industry's side against pictorial warning messages on tobacco products. The event, that took place on 25 May 2015, was chaired by Dr D.M.R.B. Dissanayake and moderated by Dr Neelamani Rajappaksa Hewageegana, both representing of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medicine of Sri Lanka.
The Eastern Canadian province of Nova Scotia has passed legislation banning most flavoured tobacco products. The bill, introduced by Health Minister Leo Glavine, passed the third reading in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly on 28 April 2015. It adds to legislation passed in autumn 2014 that banned use of e-cigarettes in public places and restricted display and advertisement. Both measures will come into effect on 31 May 2015.
The Nigerian Senate has passed a National Tobacco Control Bill on 12 May 2015. The bill covers a broad range of issues such as manufacturing, advertising, sale and labelling. It is intended to align the Nigerian legislation with the requirements of the WHO FCTC, which the country ratified in 2005.
In order to come into force, the bill still has to be signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan. A similar was passed by the Senate already in 2011, but was never signed by the President.
The Chinese Ministry of Finance has announced that from 10 May 2015 on, the consumption tax on cigarettes will be 11 percent. This means that the rate, previously at 5 percent, has been more than doubled. Additionally, cigarettes that are sold individually will be taxed an extra 0.005 yuan.
From 6 - 8 May 2015, Botswana was host to a 2.5 day multisectoral workshop on the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products. Delegations from ten countries from the African Region of WHO, namely Botswana, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gambia, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, South Africa, Swaziland and Togo, met in Gaborone in order to exchange experiences with regard to the Protocol.