‘Level playing-field’ for tobacco taxation on EU Council agenda

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 13th July 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

EU

Europe

Politics & policy

Regulatory briefing

The upcoming presidencies of the Council of the European Union have agreed to include the revision of the Directive 2011/64 on the structure and rates of excise duties applied to manufactured tobacco in their strategic agenda ...

US FDA grants modified risk orders to PMI’s IQOS and Marlboro HeatSticks

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 7th July 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Heated tobacco

IQOS

Regulatory briefing

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Philip Morris International (PMI) modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) status for IQOS and its associated HeatSticks ...

Japan hits Philip Morris with record $5.1m fine for misleading IQOS ads

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 7th July 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Asia

Japan

Companies

Heated tobacco

IQOS

Regulatory briefing

The Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency has imposed a fine of JPY552m ($5.1m) on Philip Morris Japan (PMJ) for misleading advertising of IQOS when discounts were extended beyond the allotted date ...

South African high court dismisses application to reverse cigarette ban

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 3rd July 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Africa

South Africa

Politics & policy

Vapour

Regulatory briefing

The Pretoria High Court has dismissed the application by the Fair-Trade Independent Tobacco Association (FITA) to reverse the government ban on the sale of tobacco, including vapour products, following the outbreak of COVID-19 ...

Germany votes on outdoor ad ban that will cost estimated €2.27m a year

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 2nd July 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

Germany

Heated tobacco

Politics & policy

Regulatory briefing

Germany’s anticipated decision to ban outdoor advertising of tobacco, including heat-not-burn (HnB) and vapour products, could cost the public finances an estimated €2.27m a year ...

South Korea prepares to crack down on tobacco alternatives advertising

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 2nd July 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Asia

South Korea

Heated tobacco

Politics & policy

Vapour

Regulatory briefing

South Korea’s health minister Park Neung-hoo has announced a fresh plan to ban advertising and promotional activities for tobacco-alternative products ...

Colorado voters to decide in November ballot whether to increase tobacco tax

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 1st July 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Colorado

North America

United States

Heated tobacco

Nicotine

Politics & policy

Snus and oral

Vapour

Regulatory briefing

Voters in the US state of Colorado will decide in November whether to support a bill to increase taxes on tobacco after lawmakers put forward a plan for rises to be phased in over the next seven years...

Hong Kong will consider tobacco alternatives ban after September

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 29th June 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Asia

Hong Kong

Heated tobacco

Nicotine

Politics & policy

Regulatory briefing

Hong Kong will reintroduce a bill to ban tobacco-alternative products after local elections in September. The Legislative Council ended discussions on the existing bill due to lack of time before its term ends in July ...

Netherlands aims to bring heated tobacco under smoking regulations

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 25th June 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

Netherlands

Heated tobacco

Politics & policy

Regulatory briefing

The Dutch government intends to regulate heated tobacco further by expanding the current tobacco restrictions to heat-not-burn (HnB) products ...

Italian lawmakers propose HnB tax increase to help out health service

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 22nd June 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

Italy

Heated tobacco

Politics & policy

Regulatory briefing

Representatives from different political parties in Italy have put forward various proposals to increase tax on tobacco-alternative products as the government seeks urgent financial responses to the COVID-19 crisis ...

Philippines FDA lookening to tighten the screw on alternative products

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 18th June 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Asia

Philippines

Heated tobacco

Politics & policy

Regulatory briefing

The Philippines Food and Drug Administration (FDA) appears to be tightening its grip on tobacco alternatives with a detailed proposal to regulate heat-not-burn (HnB) and vapour products ...

State of North Carolina considers rule change on tax advantage for MRTPs

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 16th June 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

North Carolina

United States

Heated tobacco

Regulatory briefing

Lawmakers in the US state of North Carolina are considering amending the rules on tax breaks for approved tobacco alternatives ...

Australia looks like keeping the door shut on ‘poisonous’ heated tobacco

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 11th June 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Australasia

Australia

Heated tobacco

Regulatory briefing

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has issued an interim decision against amending the country’s Poisons Standard on nicotine – leaving heated tobacco banned as dangerous poison ...

Italian health ministry says IQOS ‘reduced-risk’ claim is unproven

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 9th June 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

Italy

Heated tobacco

IQOS

Regulatory briefing

The reduced-risk potential of IQOS compared with combustible cigarettes cannot be ascertained, according to Italy’s Ministry of Health ...

Proposed regulation in Taiwan leaves room for interpretation over HnB

Written by Marija Obradovic || 8th June 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Asia

Taiwan

Heated tobacco

Regulatory briefing

The Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare has released a draft proposal amending the country’s Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act which leaves the regulation of heated tobacco still in a state of uncertainty ...

Council of Europe stamps tobacco product tax harmonisation ‘Urgent’

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 3rd June 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

EU

Europe

Heated tobacco

Regulatory briefing

The Council of the European Union considers it “urgent and necessary” to harmonise the definitions and tax treatment of novel tobacco products such as heated tobacco and vaping products ...

Bundestag debate brings Germany’s outdoor tobacco ads ban closer

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 2nd June 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

Germany

Heated tobacco

Regulatory briefing

Germany has moved a step closer to a comprehensive ban on outdoor advertising of tobacco products, with a first debate in the Bundestag of a proposal put forward by the ruling coalition parties ...

World No Tobacco Day 2020: opposing views on tobacco alternatives

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 31st May 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

EU

Europe

Heated tobacco

Politics & policy

Regulatory briefing

World No Tobacco Day provides a good opportunity to consider the approach that public health authorities, policymakers, and advocates around the world have towards the role of tobacco-alternative products ...

Nations urge European Commission to include HnB in revised EU tax directive

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 28th May 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

EU

Europe

Heated tobacco

Regulatory briefing

EU nations are to recommend to the European Commission that heat-not-burn products should be included in the forthcoming revised structure and rates of tax applied to manufactured tobacco products ...

Indian state of Uttar Pradesh partially lifts ban on nicotine-free pan masala

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 26th May 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Asia

India

Snus and oral

Regulatory briefing

India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, has partially lifted its ban on the oral product pan masala following industry pressure and due to the state government’s need for cash ...

California quitline offers free nicotine patches during coronavirus crisis

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 20th May 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

California

North America

United States

Nicotine

Regulatory briefing

Smokers in the US state of California can get free nicotine patches by mail to help them quit, as part of a research project on public health during the COVID-19 crisis ...

Estonia establishes new packaging warnings and excise stamps for HnB

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 14th May 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Estonia

Europe

Heated tobacco

Regulatory briefing

The Estonian Parliament has approved a bill that relaxes one of the toughest regulatory regimes for tobacco-alternative products such as e-cigarettes, and imposes a new health warning for heated tobacco packaging ...

US FDA requests four-month delay on graphic cigarette health warnings

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 11th May 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Combustibles

Heated tobacco

Regulatory briefing

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked a judge to postpone the effective date of its new rule imposing graphic health warnings on cigarette packaging ...

Users in Finland strive to change law that stops them accessing snus

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 6th May 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

EU

Europe

Finland

Sweden

Snus and oral

Regulatory briefing

Finnish snus users have expressed concern that restrictions related to the current COVID-19 pandemic are limiting their access to snus, mainly because of the closure of borders between Finland and Sweden ...

Bid to raise funds for Italian health system by reducing HnB tax discount

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 4th May 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

Italy

Heated tobacco

Regulatory briefing

A number of patients’ and doctors’ associations, as well as political parties, are proposing an increase in tax on heated tobacco products to help finance Italy’s hard-pressed public health system ...

France limits sale of nicotine patches as study hints at COVID-19 treatment

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 28th April 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

France

Nicotine

Politics & policy

Regulatory briefing

The French government is temporarily restricting sales of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products following research suggesting nicotine patches could be used in treatment for COVID-19 ...

Indonesian president urged to clamp down on tobacco to fight coronavirus

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 27th April 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Asia

Indonesia

Heated tobacco

Politics & policy

Regulatory briefing

A group of non-profit and health organisations has called on Indonesian president Joko Widodo to take a stricter stance against tobacco products in the battle against COVID-19 ...

Kentucky senators reject proposed tax increase for snus and snuff

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 15th April 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Kentucky

North America

United States

Politics & policy

Snus and oral

Regulatory briefing

Lawmakers in Kentucky have passed a new bill setting out taxes for tobacco products – but a proposal to increase tax on smokeless products was left out of the final wording ...

Tobacco giants go to law in bid to stop US FDA imposing graphic warnings

Written by Barnaby Page || 10th April 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Companies

Heated tobacco

Politics & policy

Regulatory briefing

The US tobacco industry is resisting another attempt by the FDA to impose graphic health warnings, claiming in a lawsuit that mandatory warnings would violate their rights under the First Amendment ...

PMTA deadline put back as US judge grants FDA the extra time it asked for

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 7th April 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Regulatory briefing

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been granted a 120-day extension to the deadline for premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) ...

Pandemic causes US state legislatures to shut down or shut the doors

Written by Freddie Dawson || 1st April 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Politics & policy

Regulatory briefing

Legislative measures are on hold in half the states of the US due to the COVID-19 emergency, with most suspending activity until at least mid-April ...

US FDA prepares to extend PMTA deadline – if court agrees to it

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 31st March 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Heated tobacco

Politics & policy

Regulatory briefing

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has requested a 120-day extension to the deadline for premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) due to the challenges that the coronavirus outbreak is posing to companies ...

India’s most populous state bans oral tobacco mix amid coronavirus fear

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 26th March 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Asia

India

Politics & policy

Regulatory briefing

The Food Safety and Drug Administration in Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state by population, has temporarily banned pan masala, a traditional oral product popular throughout India, to try to stem the spread of COVID-19 ...

Spain plans new measures to tighten regulations on innovative products

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 24th March 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

Spain

Heated tobacco

Politics & policy

Regulatory briefing

The Spanish government has announced plans to strengthen enforcement of existing tobacco regulations and to impose taxes on new products such as heated tobacco ...

Dutch health secretary calls for a ban on public use of heated tobacco

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 16th March 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

Netherlands

Heated tobacco

Politics & policy

Regulatory briefing

Dutch health secretary Paul Blokhuis has called for heated tobacco and any future new tobacco product to be banned from public use in order to help achieve the target of a “smoke-free generation” ...

Duterte hands down new regulations on heated tobacco in the Philippines

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 13th March 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Asia

Philippines

Heated tobacco

Vapour

Regulatory briefing

Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has issued an executive order placing a range of restrictions on heated tobacco and “other novel tobacco products” ...

US state of Georgia could tax snus at half the rate of traditional tobacco

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 12th March 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Alternative tobacco and nicotine products in Georgia

North America

United States

Snus and oral

Regulatory briefing

Republican lawmakers in the US state of Georgia are proposing that modified risk tobacco products could be taxed at a half portion of the rate traditional tobacco is charged ...

South African budget introduces new tax on heated tobacco products

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 11th March 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Africa

South Africa

Heated tobacco

Vapour

Regulatory briefing

The South African government has introduced a new tax on heated tobacco products with immediate effect ...

Studies find reduced nicotine strength doesn’t lead to increased smoking

Written by Barnaby Page || 9th March 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Combustibles

Nicotine

Regulatory briefing

Further evidence that reducing the amount of nicotine in combustibles does not lead to heavier smoking may provide encouragement for those who want to see reductions legally mandated ...

New Zealand puts forward new regulations for smokeless products

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 4th March 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Australasia

New Zealand

Heated tobacco

Vapour

Regulatory briefing

A new amendment put before the New Zealand Parliament aims to tighten current regulations on heated tobacco and other smokeless tobacco products – but the country’s attorney general has distanced himself from the proposals ...

PMI ‘never approached PHE’ with its £1bn plan to promote switching

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 26th February 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

UK

Heated tobacco

Politics & policy

Regulatory briefing

Public Health England (PHE) has told TobaccoIntelligence it was never directly approached by Philip Morris International (PMI) over plans for a campaign to promote heat-not-burn and vaping products ...

US FDA opens up nicotine toothpick question with health claim warning

Written by Barnaby Page || 21st February 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Regulatory briefing

Recent action by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) against a maker of nicotine-infused toothpicks highlights an obscure corner of the tobacco-alternatives business – consisting of products which are not vapour, heated tobacco or snus ...

Is Australia ready to rethink its approach to reduced-risk products?

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 19th February 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Australasia

Australia

Combustibles

Heated tobacco

Politics & policy

Regulatory briefing

For several decades, Australia’s political and medical establishments have taken a hard line against smoking; but do developments like heated tobacco call for a different approach? ... ...

PMI is cleared of misleading investors over Japanese prospects for IQOS

Written by Barnaby Page || 17th February 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Asia

Japan

North America

United States

Heated tobacco

IQOS

Regulatory briefing

Philip Morris International (PMI) did not deliberately mislead investors about clinical trials for its IQOS heated tobacco system or about the product’s prospects in Japan, a US federal court has ruled ...

Trump administration plans to take tobacco regulation out of FDA hands

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 13th February 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Politics & policy

Regulatory briefing

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to lose its power to regulate tobacco products if Congress passes president Donald Trump’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2021 ...

EU states give a big thumbs up to tax harmony on heated tobacco and e-cigs

Written by Barnaby Page || 12th February 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Heated tobacco

Vapour

Regulatory briefing

The European Union’s member states overwhelmingly want harmonised tax policies across the EU for both heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes ...

South Korea plans further restrictions on promotion of tobacco alternatives

Written by TobaccoIntelligence || 4th February 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Asia

South Korea

Heated tobacco

Vapour

Regulatory briefing

The South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare wants to ban practices such as the offering of discounts for heated tobacco products and to make events with free giveaways of such products illegal ...

So this is Brexit – but what does it mean for tobacco law, now or later?

Written by Barnaby Page || 3rd February 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

England

Europe

UK

Heated tobacco

Regulatory briefing

As the UK exits Europe and enters its 11-month period of transition, what does Brexit actually mean for cross-Channel relationships, and for tobacco harm reduction? ...

WHO’s stance on harm reduction report needs updating, says report

Written by Barnaby Page || 24th January 2020 || Regulatory briefing |

Europe

UK

UK

Heated tobacco

Regulatory briefing

A change of mind by the World Health Organization (WHO) is essential if the potential of tobacco harm reduction is to be fully achieved, according to a new report from British advocacy group Knowledge•Action•Change ...

US Senate raises legal purchasing age for tobacco products from 18 to 21

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 20th December 2019 || Regulatory briefing |

North America

United States

Combustibles

Heated tobacco

Vapour

Regulatory briefing

The US Senate has passed an act which raises the minimum sale or purchase age for tobacco products from 18 to 21 nationwide ...