News analysis for professionals in the alternative tobacco sector

Continuing strong growth in nicotine pouches keeps Swedish Match on the up

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 25th July 2022

Swedish Match has reported a 17% sales increase in the first half of the year, driven by smoke-free products, with solid growth for its Zyn nicotine pouches in both the US and Scandinavian markets ...

PMI releases promising results for first half of year, boosted by heated tobacco

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 22nd July 2022

Philip Morris International (PMI) has raised its full year outlook after it saw decent numbers over the first half of 2022 ...

Lockdown tobacco ban infringed human rights, says South Africa's Supreme Court

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 21st July 2022

A rule banning tobacco products during the Covid lockdown in South Africa was strongly criticised by the country’s Supreme Court of Appeal, which deemed it to be unconstitutional ...

US FDA chief Califf places ‘stressed’ and 'challenged' CTP under external review

Written by Freddie Dawson | 20th July 2022

US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Robert Califf has authorised an external review of the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), citing a “series of challenges that have...stressed the agency’s operations” ...

EC sets out to assess big response to call for evidence towards new tobacco plan

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 18th July 2022

More than 24,000 responses were received to a European Commission call for evidence on plans for the legal framework that will shape the future revised Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and Tobacco Advertising Directive ...

EU heated tobacco flavour ban possibly delayed to extend scrutiny period

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 15th July 2022

A ban on flavoured heated tobacco products in the EU may be delayed after the Permanent Representatives Committee recommended that the Council of the European Union extend the scrutiny period by two months ...

Health chiefs say Brazil's heated tobacco ban should stay, and be given added teeth

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 12th July 2022

Heated tobacco products and all other electronic smoking alternatives, such as e-cigarettes, will almost certainly remain banned in Brazil following a unanimous vote by the board of Anvisa, the country’s health agency ...

Huge disparities in access to stop-smoking services across England

Written by Freddie Dawson | 8th July 2022

Public health in the north of England continues to be ignored in favour of supporting more affluent and Tory-leaning areas in the south and Midlands, according to a new survey ...

Sting-free shield keeps pouches in the forefront of nicotine innovation

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 7th July 2022

Pouches with integrated “shields” on one side that reduce stinging and gum irritation are the latest example of how the category is leading the way in innovation among alternative nicotine products ...

Collapse of Bulgarian government won't bring any change in heated tobacco tax

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 6th July 2022

Tax rates on heated tobacco products in Bulgaria will not change following the resignation of prime minister Kiril Petkov and his cabinet after they lost a vote of confidence ...

Snus 'better than WHO policy' at cutting smoking deaths, says study author

Written by Freddie Dawson | 4th July 2022

The author of a new study linking snus with smoking cessation has called on the World Health Organization “to move from rejecting tobacco harm reduction to promoting it” ...

European heated tobacco users about to lose taste with latest flavour prohibition

Written by Laura Garay Gómez | 1st July 2022

A flavour ban for heated tobacco products has been confirmed following the EU Commission’s publishing of a delegated directive amending the Tobacco Products Directive 2014/40/EU, commonly known as the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) ...

Are flavours in pouches set to be the next battleground for tobacco alternatives?

Written by Freddie Dawson | 30th June 2022

Flavours in nicotine pouches could become the next contentious issue for tobacco alternatives, following a similar route to e-liquid flavours, experts say ...

US bid to reduce nicotine in combustibles remains very light on dates and details

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 28th June 2022

Details remain sketchy as to how and when the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s plan to impose nicotine restrictions on cigarettes is to be implemented ...

Swedish innovator proposes concrete solution to nicotine pouch drawbacks

Written by Freddie Dawson | 27th June 2022

Innovation in nicotine pouches – better release profile, longer lasting flavour and effect – is coming from an unexpected area... the remarkable world of concrete ...

Iceland awards nicotine pouches the rubber stamp of their own regulations

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 24th June 2022

Nicotine pouches in Iceland are to be subject to their own specific rules for the first time – but they do not include a threatened flavour ban ...

Sweden extends cigarette regulations to cover tobacco-free nicotine products

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 22nd June 2022

Limits similar to those already found on tobacco products such as cigarettes and snus will now also apply to tobacco-free nicotine products after Sweden’s parliament, the Riksdag, voted to modify legislation ...

UK’s Khan report pleases vape advocates, all but ignores other tobacco alternatives

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 16th June 2022

Recognition of the role vaping can play in the future of public health in England has been welcomed – but there is some disappointment that the positive approach does not extend to other alternatives to...

Health Canada proposes going bigger and bolder on tobacco health warnings

Written by Marija Obradovic | 14th June 2022

Health Canada has put forward a plan for new packaging restrictions for tobacco products, including rotating health-related messages, as well as bigger health warnings on heated tobacco ...

Hong Kong 'could miss its goal of cutting smoking' due to new tobacco restrictions

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 13th June 2022

New regulations that came into force at the end of April will make it hard for Hong Kong to achieve its 2025 smoking reduction targets, one concerned harm reduction association claims ...

Netherlands wants to control and limit popularity of novel tobacco products

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 10th June 2022

Dutch authorities want to bring in a range of regulations intended to limit the popularity of novel tobacco products such as nicotine pouches ...

22nd Century reports Q1 2022 results, looks to expand with VLN cigarettes

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 9th June 2022

22nd Century Group has confirmed the first international shipments of very low nicotine (VLN) cigarettes to South Korea and is expecting to see significant benefits from the sales of its menthol line of VLN cigarettes...

Released Khan report advises strict measures in UK for 2030 smoke-free goal

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 9th June 2022

The UK government must take further action to promote vaping products and accelerate the path to prescribed e-cigarettes if it wants to achieve its 2030 smoke-free ambition for England, according to an independent tobacco review ...

Czechia embraces harm reduction and plans to regulate nicotine pouches

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 6th June 2022

The Czech Republic is set to become the main EU proponent of tobacco harm-reduction policy following a change in philosophy among leaders, and is planning to implement a new decree for nicotine pouches in the...

Nicotine pouches don't escape WHO's World No Tobacco Day campaign debate

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 3rd June 2022

On international World No Tobacco Day tobacco alternatives such as pouches were not excluded from the criticisms ...

Health, environment damage: alternative tobacco products 'are not the solution'

Written by Freddie Dawson | 3rd June 2022

Next-generation tobacco products are not the solution to damage caused by the tobacco industry to both public health and the environment, according to speakers at a World Health Organization (WHO) conference ...

New CTP chief King expected to 'hit the ground running' on tobacco control

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 24th May 2022

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has appointed epidemiologist Brian King as head of the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) – an appointment that has not gone down well among advocates of tobacco alternatives...

Planned rewrite of EU battery rules could have a major impact on HnB devices

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 23rd May 2022

Heat-not-burn (HnB) hardware could be in for a big shake-up in the EU over the next few years, with the environmental impact of batteries squarely in the firing line ...

Call for UK to promote snus and nicotine pouches to reach smoke-free 2030 goal

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 20th May 2022

The UK government is likely to miss its 2030 smoke-free ambition for England because the government is not supporting the full range of reduced-risk products, namely snus and nicotine pouches, according to an advocate for snus...

Tobacco companies face €36m fine for restricting competition in Belgium

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 18th May 2022

On 13th April 2022 the Belgian Competition Authority’s decision-making body, the Competition College, imposed fines totalling €36m on four major cigarette manufacturers for practices that restricted competition ...

Swedish Match releases Q1 2022 results following $16bn takeover bid from PMI

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 12th May 2022

Swedish Match saw its smoke-free portfolio continuing to drive sales as well as increase operating profits in the first quarter of 2022, compared with the same period in 2021, and attributed this positive performance to...

Swedish Match shareholders asked to accept PMI’s $16bn takeover bid

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 11th May 2022

The board of Swedish Match has asked shareholders of the Scandinavian nicotine pouch maker to accept a $16bn takeover offer from tobacco giant Philip Morris International (PMI) ...

PMI in negotiations to acquire rival Swedish Match for a reported $15bn

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 10th May 2022

Philip Morris International (PMI) is in talks to buy European rival Swedish Match in an estimated $15bn deal that could affect both the oral and smoking tobacco markets ...

EU ban on flavours in heated tobacco seen as likely to be adopted 'soon'

Written by Freddie Dawson | 9th May 2022

The EU Commission told TobaccoIntelligence that progress on the process to institute the prohibition on flavours was underway and that the latest step is expected to be finalised “soon” ...

US FDA proposes banning menthol cigarettes and flavoured cigars

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 6th May 2022

The FDA is looking to ban menthol-flavoured cigarettes and all characterising flavours other than tobacco in cigars – a move that would also likely eliminate the possibility of flavours in products such as heated tobacco...

BAT leads legal challenge to Denmark's latest tobacco control initiative

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 4th May 2022

A group of tobacco companies, including British American Tobacco (BAT) and its subsidiaries Nicoventures and House of Prince, have sued the Danish government over legislation which came into force in 2021 ...

Despite revenue decrease in Q1, Altria believes business is on track for the year

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 2nd May 2022

Altria saw $5.9bn in revenue in Q1 2022 – a decrease from both Q4 2021 ($6.25bn) and by 2.4% compared to Q1 2021 ...

JTI reports strong Q1 performance despite uncertainties over Ukraine war

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 29th April 2022

Japan Tobacco International (JTI) saw its revenues increase by 6.2% to JPY581.5bn ($4.5bn) in the first quarter of 2022, despite uncertainties over its business in Russia, compared with 5.3% growth to JPY547.3bn ($4.2bn) in the...

PMI reveals 'solid performance', with significant growth in its HnB portfolio

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 22nd April 2022

Philip Morris International (PMI) saw positive numbers for the first quarter of 2022, with Iqos Iluma performing well in Japan, Switzerland and Spain ...

Reynolds awaits reply on appeal of Los Angeles County flavour ban decision

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 22nd April 2022

A reply from Los Angeles County lawyers is expected soon, after RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company and two other tobacco companies asked a federal appellate court to review its earlier affirmation of the county’s ban on...

BAT increases its investment in cannabis as it continues to look beyond nicotine

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 13th April 2022

British American Tobacco (BAT) has invested a further CAD6.3m (USD5.03m) in the Canadian cannabis company Organigram, thereby increasing its stake from 18.8% to 19.5% ...

Study finds considerable awareness of nicotine pouches among young US adults

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 6th April 2022

A new study suggests awareness of nicotine pouches among young US adult smokers is high, given the low market penetration of oral tobacco products in the country ...

Synthetic nicotine – a manufactured scare story with nothing to be afraid of

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 31st March 2022

While synthetic nicotine has become the focus of much controversy, demonised as a public health risk, its currently poor reputation derives more from bureaucracy than from the substance itself ...

UK government will 'consider' putting nicotine pouches under tobacco rules

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 29th March 2022

The UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published its post-implementation review of the country’s tobacco legislation ...

Brief window of change as US FDA takes charge of synthetic nicotine regulation

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 29th March 2022

TobaccoIntelligence has put together a timeline outlining the major points to look out for over the summer as the US FDA brings synthetic nicotine into the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) process ...

PMI considers leaving the Russian market as it scales down operations

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 25th March 2022

Philip Morris International (PMI) has cancelled all product launches in Russia for 2022 as part of its plans to suspend investments and scale down manufacturing operations across the country ...

FDA authorises legal US sale of Logic’s heated tobacco product Vapeleaf

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 25th March 2022

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorised the marketing of Logic Technology Development’s heated tobacco product Vapeleaf ...

No 2 Mital looks the most likely choice to succeed outgoing CTP director Zeller

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 25th March 2022

Michele Mital, deputy director of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) since 2018, looks the most likely candidate to take over from retiring director Mitch Zeller ...

Young Danes can't tell nicotine pouches from snus, but they're using more of both

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 22nd March 2022

There has been a significant increase in the use of smoke-free tobacco products among young people in Denmark over the past ten years, according to a new report by the Danish Health Authority ...

Denmark prepares to lead Europe with its first planned tobacco-free generation

Written by Marija Obradovic | 16th March 2022

Denmark could become the first country in Europe to impose a generational limit on access to tobacco and nicotine products, with a plan to ban access to tobacco and nicotine products to anyone born in...

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