News analysis for professionals in the alternative tobacco sector

Time's up for the US FDA to make up its mind – now where do PMTAs stand?

Written by Barnaby Page | 9th September 2021

As the US Food and Drug Administration's deadline to pass or reject e-cigarette premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) arrives, where does it leave the market and what might it mean for tobacco alternatives? ...

Nations miss the deadline to implement EU's directive on single-use plastics

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 6th September 2021

Few countries hit the deadline for implementing the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUP) to reduce the environmental impact of certain plastics – including those in heated tobacco filters – TobaccoIntelligence has found ...

US nicotine pouch sales have grown 300 times in five years: so what’s next?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 2nd September 2021

Sales of nicotine pouches in the US have risen 300 times higher over the five years since they entered the US market in 2016, according to figures released by the US Centers for Disease Control...

Congress committees ready to slash Biden's suggested FDA budget figure

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 31st August 2021

Both the House and Senate are intent on increasing the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) budget for next year, but the figure is likely to be far short of the $6.5bn initially requested by...

HnB facing 'passive smoking' clampdown as German state considers new rules

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 30th August 2021

The German state of Hesse is targeting heated tobacco along with e-cigarettes in a new legislative initiative to update the current regulations covering smoking ...

Young adults smoked more while overall quitting rate doubled in UK lockdown

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 26th August 2021

A study by Cancer Research UK has found that the success rate of attempts to quit smoking in England almost doubled during the first Covid-19 lockdown, while smoking by young adults increased by almost 25%...

Knee-jerk response as US AGs leap aboard the anti-flavours bandwagon

Written by Barnaby Page | 26th August 2021

Are we really in the midst of a “pandemic” of oral nicotine use by young people, and if so is the answer a flavour ban? 31 US attorneys general have some answering of their own...

US state attorneys warn of 'the next Juul' and urge FDA to act on oral nicotine

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 24th August 2021

A group of 31 US state attorneys general have accused the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of failing to impose rules setting “acceptable levels of nicotine” for oral nicotine products and called for a flavour...

Is Mexico’s thaw on heated tobacco influenced by attitudes of the US FDA?

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 18th August 2021

A recent step forward on HnB taken by the FDA could be behind the shift of the Mexican government toward allowing the sale of these smoke-free devices ...

PMI launches Iqos Iluma in Japan, with new induction-heating technology

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 17th August 2021

Philip Morris International (PMI) has launched Iqos Iluma in Japan today as part of the company’s plan to achieve a smoke-free future ...

Localities and regions take a harsher approach towards HnB in Taiwan

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 16th August 2021

The most populous city in Taiwan has recently joined eight regions in implementing new legislation restricting the use and sale of e-cigs and heated tobacco ...

Vectura’s board supports 'fair' £1.2bn PMI takeover bid; shareholders to decide

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 13th August 2021

The board of UK health firm Vectura has recommended that shareholders support the £1.2bn takeover bid from tobacco giant PMI ...

Hardly any US teens use heated tobacco, but that doesn’t stop the fearmongering

Written by Barnaby Page | 12th August 2021

Despite heated tobacco products being barely available in the US, it is now officially the next monstrous threat facing America’s youth ...

PMTAs deadline looms: the future of the remaining 1.5m product applications

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 11th August 2021

After the recent announcement that the FDA rejected 4.5m from the total 6m PMTAs filed, experts believe that this decision means a clear path for enforcement ...

Russia prepares proposal to ban pouches across the Eurasian economic region

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 9th August 2021

The Russian Health Ministry recently finalised a draft agreement on restricting tobacco-free white pouches across the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) territory ...

Study raises early hopes for the use of CBD in treating nicotine withdrawal

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 6th August 2021

Researchers at the University of San Diego in California have published a paper showing early evidence that CBD may help ease the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal ...

Will the UK government end up blocking PMI-Vectura deal in the public interest?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 5th August 2021

The proposal of Philip Morris International (PMI) to acquire inhaled drug delivery company Ventura for $1.2bn has alerted the UK government, which can block the deal if it sees any major public interest reason to...

Montenegro's plan to increase heated tobacco tax misses its proposed due date

Written by Marija Obradovic | 3rd August 2021

Two months after prime minister Zdravko Krivokapić submitted a proposal to increase the tax on heated tobacco each year, the Parliament of Montenegro has still not considered it and will not now do so before...

JT sees positive numbers amid 'momentum' of its HnB portfolio

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 30th July 2021

JTI posted positive numbers in the first half of the year, with good performance from its reduced-risk products and improvement in its full-year guidance after the launch of Ploom X ...

Altria announces delay in US Iqos rollout, posts revenue boost for oral tobacco

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 29th July 2021

Altria has presented positive numbers for the first half of the year, while also announcing a delay in further expansion of Iqos consumables in the US until a patent infringement case is resolved ...

Why is the boss of Marlboro maker PMI talking up the end of smoking days?

Written by Barnaby Page | 29th July 2021

Jacek Olczak, CEO of Philip Morris International (PMI), says the company could stop selling combustible cigarettes in the UK within a decade ...

BAT reports slight slip in global revenue while modern oral growth accelerates

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 28th July 2021

British American Tobacco (BAT) has posted a 0.8% global decrease in revenue for the first half of the year, while the performance of its new category portfolio rose by 40.4% ...

WHO report hits out at 'same old tactics' promoting 'new and emerging products'

Written by Aidan Semmens | 27th July 2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published its eighth report on “the global tobacco epidemic”, which places a new emphasis on “new and emerging products” ...

MPs urge UK government to be ambitious in aiming for a 'smoke-free' England

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 27th July 2021

MPs have called on the UK government to present “ambitious plans”, involving novel tobacco alternatives, if they want a smoke-free country by 2030 – a target many public health experts consider unreachable ...

U-turn in Mexico as HnB import ban is scrapped after less than 18 months

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 26th July 2021

Mexico’s president Andrés Manuel López Obrador has issued a decree lifting the import and export ban on heated tobacco devices and consumables, less than 18 months after the prohibition was approved ...

Stricter or looser: battle lies ahead over nature of new EU tobacco product rules

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 22nd July 2021

An intense period of negotiations on a revision of EU regulation of tobacco-alternative products is coming, following the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) implementation report presented by the European Commission ...

Is plain packaging all it's cracked up to be when it comes to stubbing out smoking?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 22nd July 2021

A new study by researchers from the Luiss Business School in Rome and Deloitte comes to an unexpected and counterintuitive conclusion ...

Estonian millennials are into heated tobacco, while zoomers prefer snus

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 21st July 2021

While politicians in Estonia are currently weighing up the possibility of softening regulations for tobacco-alternative products, a new survey has unveiled new figures about the consumption of these products ...

PMI raises its sights for 2021 as Europe leads the rush towards heated tobacco

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 20th July 2021

Philip Morris International (PMI)’s net revenues were up by 10% in the first half of 2021, with smoke-free products accounting for 28.5% of the total ...

Pouches drive accelerating sales and revenue for confident Swedish Match

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 20th July 2021

The latest figures from Swedish Match show continued momentum in smoke-free tobacco alternatives, with nicotine pouches “the driving force” ...

PMI is busy reinventing itself as Big Tobacco prepares for life after smoking

Written by Barnaby Page | 15th July 2021

Philip Morris International (PMI) has always been one of the frankest tobacco companies when it comes to speaking of the smoke-free future – now it is taking positive steps in a bold new direction ...

Japanese health ministry denies plan to widen access to tobacco-free pouches

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 14th July 2021

Regulations governing nicotine pouches in Japan are unlikely to change in the near future despite rumours to the contrary ...

PMI acquisition of gums manufacturer 'shows company strategy on alternatives'

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 12th July 2021

PMI’s acquisition of Fertin Pharma, a Danish manufacturer of gums and other oral products, indicates the company’s strategy to ensure “corporate survival” in the tobacco-alternatives sector, experts believe ...

Estonian MPs aim to soften regulations for snus and heated tobacco

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 9th July 2021

The Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) is considering a new bill amending the country’s Tobacco Act with the aim of clarifying the regulations for snus and heated tobacco and bringing down the country's smoking rates ...

BAT pulls Velo out of German market due to uncertainty over legality of pouches

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 8th July 2021

British American Tobacco (BAT) is removing its Velo nicotine pouches from the German market because of a lack of clarity over their regulation both nationally and in the country's regional states ...

Dutch tobacco advertising restrictions likely to pass despite objections

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 5th July 2021

Some Dutch lawmakers have expressed concern about the consequences of an amendment to the Tobacco and Smoking Products Act and the introduction of new advertising restrictions on tobacco-alternative products ...

Los Angeles bids to join California-wide assault on menthol and other flavours

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 5th July 2021

Los Angeles is in the early stages of preparing to ban flavoured tobacco products, the local government having authorised the drafting of a measure to end the sale of such products in the city’s 4,500...

The Japanese innovation that could help normalise heated tobacco everywhere

Written by Barnaby Page | 1st July 2021

A new development in Japan sets an example which proponents of harm reduction could do well to advocate elsewhere – the increasing trend toward heated-tobacco-only areas in public spaces ...

WHO warns governments to beware tobacco firms' attempts to dodge rules

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 30th June 2021

A report from the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends governments and health officials around the world to pay attention to attempts by the tobacco industry to avoid product regulations ...

From the ski slopes to the karaoke bar, Japan goes smoke-free with HnB

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 28th June 2021

A growing number of leisure facilities in Japan are going smoke-free by allowing only heated tobacco products to be used, or establishing dedicated areas for them, in response to stricter rules on indoor smoking ...

Did Philippines FDA break the law hiring tobacco staff with Bloomberg cash?

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 23rd June 2021

The Philippines Food and Drug Administration is under public scrutiny after being accused of acting unlawfully in accepting foreign donations from a non-government organisation funded by the anti-tobacco Bloomberg Initiative ...

Pakistan proposes its first ever tax on imported heated tobacco products

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 22nd June 2021

Pakistan has included a proposal to tax heated tobacco products in its annual national budget for the first time. It comes after several calls to take a harsher approach towards tobacco products generally ...

Italian Ministry of Health evaluates future regulation for nicotine pouches

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 18th June 2021

Health officials in Rome are considering regulation of nicotine pouches in the country after they seized and banned the sale of a brand of such products following a Higher Health Institute (ISS) laboratory analysis ...

Could legalising snus tap into a huge potential for smoking cessation?

Written by Barnaby Page | 18th June 2021

Two startling statistics emerge from a recent survey of smokers in Europe: nearly one in three (31%) of current smokers would be interested in trying snus if it became legal, but less than 3% are...

Germany has second thoughts, lowering the tax pressure on heated tobacco

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 16th June 2021

The German Bundestag has approved the country’s Tobacco Law, lowering the level of tax on heat-not-burn (HnB) products proposed by the government to apply from January 2022 ...

MPs say UK policy on smoking cessation should include HnB and nicotine pouches

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 14th June 2021

The British government must step up efforts to promote tobacco alternative products if it is to achieve its goal of a smoke-free society by 2030, a cross-party parliamentary committee agreed ...

Three in ten smokers would try snus if it was legalised in the EU, survey finds

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 11th June 2021

More than 31% of current European smokers would be interested in trying snus if it was legalised in the region, according to a major survey ...

BAT faces a fine of up to €5m over alleged covert heated tobacco advertising in Italy

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 11th June 2021

Italy’s antitrust regulator has opened formal procedures against British American Tobacco (BAT) for using influencers to promote an advertising campaign for Glo Hyper, and it could cost the manufacturer millions ...

BAT forecasts a 'pivotal' year for business with rise in HnB and modern oral sales

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 9th June 2021

British American Tobacco (BAT) has upgraded its annual forecast with an expectation of strong growth in new categories in post-pandemic times and a planned further rollout of its heated tobacco portfolio ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina set to regulate heated tobacco, ban oral products

Written by Marija Obradovic | 8th June 2021

Bosnia and Herzegovina has passed a bill that will harmonise the country’s tobacco regulation with the provisions of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and establish a regulatory framework for tobacco alternatives ...

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