News analysis for professionals in the alternative tobacco sector

How China's new licensing rules can benefit the industry at home and abroad

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 12th October 2022

Firms importing tobacco alternative products from China have been advised to check that their suppliers have the appropriate licence to meet the requirements of legislation that has now come into effect ...

Danish ‘mink’ elections mean questions for future nicotine prohibition policy

Written by Fernanda Tucunduva | 10th October 2022

The future viability of Denmark’s plans to ban anyone born in or after 2010 from accessing tobacco and nicotine products has been thrown into question after the country’s government has become the first ever to...

BAT backs German cannabis company as potential new European market beckons

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 29th September 2022

British American Tobacco (BAT) has again bet on the cannabis industry as it looks to diversify its portfolio as part of its plan to transition to a smoke-free future ...

Swedish Match awarded top marks for transformation to reduced risk

Written by Barnaby Page | 29th September 2022

Swedish Match was the clear winner in this year’s Tobacco Transformation Index, which ranks major tobacco companies on their shift toward reduced-risk products ...

Switzerland’s regions have their say on bill to ban most tobacco advertising

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 27th September 2022

The Swiss Federal Council has opened the consultation process with Switzerland’s cantons on a bill to amend the national Tobacco Products Act following a referendum on tightening advertising restrictions ...

European citizens’ petition for a tobacco-free generation by 2030 seeks signatures

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 16th September 2022

Organisers of a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) need 1m signatures across seven EU member states by next summer for the European Commission to respond to their request for measures leading to Europe’s first tobacco-free generation...

Europe's tobacconists facing big changes, with new products and new regulations

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 15th September 2022

The EU’s tobacconists will need to change their identity if they are to adapt to major regulatory changes coming soon, according to a leading trade body for tobacco retailers ...

Iceland's new regulations for pouches include 2% cap on nicotine content

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 14th September 2022

A cap of 20 mg/g will be applied to nicotine pouches in Iceland following an amendment to the law on e-cigarettes and refills that brings pouches under its remit ...

'Everyone practises harm reduction, so why not for tobacco?' ask health experts

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 13th September 2022

Scientists need to communicate more effectively with politicians and the public to ensure the US overcomes a long-held prohibitionist mindset on tobacco harm reduction, according to some public health experts ...

Uncertainty mixed with optimism in tobacco sector ahead of Italian elections

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 12th September 2022

Uncertainty remains high in the Italian tobacco-alternatives industry, but there is a feeling of cautious optimism as the country approaches election day on 25th September ...

22nd Century continues its VLN distribution expansion in US and beyond

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 9th September 2022

US company 22nd Century Group plans to expand points-of-sale of its low-nicotine conventional cigarette VLN throughout Illinois based on solid pilot results in Chicago, and plans to sign two other distribution partnerships to launch in Colorado...

Colombia hopes for millions in taxes on heated tobacco and combustibles

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 8th September 2022

New taxes in Colombia on heated tobacco, vapour products and combustible cigarettes are expected to bring in as much as COP1tn ($227.3m) annually, making their approval the top agenda item for president Gustavo Petro, according...

The pros and cons of a menthol tobacco ban raise strong feelings on both sides

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 5th September 2022

A proposed US ban on menthol cigarettes and flavoured cigars, which would also apply to heated tobacco products – currently regulated as conventional cigarettes – has stirred up strong passions either way ...

Choice of Delnevo to head US FDA tobacco science committee is warmly received

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 1st September 2022

Cristine Delnevo, the new chair of the US FDA's Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC), has been hailed as an “objective, thoughtful scientist” with an understanding of research into harm reduction ...

US FDA earns bouquets and brickbats with warning on flavoured gummies

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 31st August 2022

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s warning over flavoured nicotine gummies has been welcomed by public health organisations, while it has not gone down well with representatives of the vaping industry ...

While other countries have gone with a flavour ban, menthol is still big in Japan

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 29th August 2022

Japan currently has no intention of following the US and Europe with a ban on menthol-flavoured tobacco products ...

Early election could put paid to Malaysia’s ‘Generational End Game’ for nicotine

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 25th August 2022

Malaysia’s latest attempt to put an end to nicotine use among the younger generation is likely to be delayed, or even derailed, with an early election expected to stall the new bill ...

Czech Republic could be facing nicotine cap and other restrictions on pouches

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 24th August 2022

The Czech Republic Ministry of Health is preparing to introduce restrictions on the strength, marketing and production of nicotine pouches ...

Hawaii's Democratic governor explains why he said no to anti-flavour legislation

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 23rd August 2022

The Democratic governor of Hawaii appeared to take a step out of line with the US party’s common position when he vetoed a bill that would have introduced a ban on flavoured tobacco products ...

US FDA issues first warning on flavoured nicotine gummies that 'could kill a child'

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 23rd August 2022

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning letter to a Florida-based manufacturer for marketing flavoured nicotine gummies – the first such warning over this type of product ...

Lack of solid science stokes fears and doubts over safety of nicotine pouches

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 16th August 2022

While nicotine pouches are growing in popularity fast, the state of science on their safety remains threadbare ...

Clampdown and tax on tobacco products may never reach Spanish parliament

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 11th August 2022

The fate of two laws feared by Spain’s tobacco and vaping industries is in doubt due to a tight political calendar and uncertainty over future regulation at EU level ...

Doing better than expected – VLN ready to expand way beyond Chicago trial

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 10th August 2022

22nd Century Group has announced that its very low nicotine (VLN) cigarettes pilot in Chicago is exceeding expectations, leading the company to accelerate its launch plans ...

Welsh strategy for a smoke-free future leaves out the question of alternatives

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 4th August 2022

Heated tobacco and the possible legalisation of snus are not specifically addressed in a new tobacco control strategy for the devolved UK region of Wales ...

Ploom X leads the way for JTI in Japan as popular switch to reduced risk goes on

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 3rd August 2022

Japan Tobacco International (JTI) has reported increases in sales of reduced-risk products, helping offset falling shipment volumes of combustible tobacco products ...

Revenue, not harm reduction, the driving force behind Romania's increased taxes

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 2nd August 2022

Romania increased taxes on conventional cigarettes, heated tobacco and vaping products on 1st August, purely in an attempt to secure additional tax revenue ...

Altria’s revenue decrease so far in 2022 doesn’t deter year-end goal expectations

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 29th July 2022

Altria saw $12.43bn in revenue in the first half of 2022 – a decrease of 4.1% from the same period a year ago – but was encouraged by the positive momentum of its nicotine pouch...

Fury in the Philippines as new president lets novel tobacco bill lapse into law

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 28th July 2022

Calls for the president to veto the Philippines Vape Regulation Bill – and a change of government – failed to derail the bill, which also regulates heated tobacco and other novel tobacco products ...

BAT confident Hyper X2 can add to its Glo-ing performance in HnB and oral

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 28th July 2022

British American Tobacco (BAT) saw revenue from its new products category portfolio rise by 45% in the first half of the year, with good returns from its modern oral and heated tobacco portfolio ...

Both sides fear undue influence on independent review of US FDA CTP

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 26th July 2022

The tobacco industry has little faith that the upcoming external review of the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) will help fix faults in the US FDA department's regulation of new tobacco and alternative products ...

‘Misleading and irresponsible’ – UK ASA rules on ads for cigarette flavour additive

Written by Freddie Dawson | 26th July 2022

A new way to add flavours to conventional cigarettes has gained publicity after being criticised by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ...

Banner ads booked by algorithm are not exempt from ban, Danish paper told

Written by Freddie Dawson | 25th July 2022

It is a publisher’s responsibility to ensure tobacco ads do not appear on a newspaper website through automated or algorithmic banner ad purchases, according to a ruling by the Danish Consumer Ombudsman ...

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...

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