News analysis for professionals in the alternative tobacco sector

'Impressive growth' of heated tobacco not enough to stave off drop in PMI revenues

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 4th February 2021

Demand for Philip Morris International (PMI)’s heated tobacco products rose in 2020, but that was not enough to save the tobacco giant from posting an overall 3.7% drop in net revenues over the year ...

Europe places anti-cancer focus on tighter HnB regulation and taxation

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 3rd February 2021

The European Commission’s newly outlined Beating Cancer Plan places a focus on tobacco-alternative products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco ...

US trade officials recommend banning imports of PMI’s Iqos HeatSticks

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 2nd February 2021

A patent infringement hearing at the US International Trade Commission (ITC) could result in Philip Morris International (PMI) being barred from importing its Iqos consumables into the US ...

US attorneys ask the FDA to urgently ban menthol cigarettes

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 29th January 2021

A coalition of US attorneys called on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban menthol cigarettes “in the best interest of the public” and no longer delay a process that has been on...

Altria enjoys steady growth in nicotine pouches, while Iqos rollout continues

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 28th January 2021

Altria has posted positive numbers for the last quarter of 2020 despite the coronavirus pandemic, with a good performance for its oral portfolio but unknown figures for Iqos in the US ...

Imperial Brands' five-year plan to 'dial up focus' on heated tobacco in Europe

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 28th January 2021

Imperial Brands has announced a substantial shift in strategy towards its next-generation products category, with a focus on investment in heated tobacco in Europe over the next five years ...

PMI insider Olczak set to take the reins and drive product transformation

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 26th January 2021

Philip Morris International (PMI) is to have a new CEO, with Jacek Olczak taking over from André Calantzopoulos after the annual shareholder meeting in May ...

Hong Kong legislators raise doubts over government plans to ban heated tobacco

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 20th January 2021

Lawmakers in Hong Kong who met to discuss the government’s long-delayed proposal to ban heated tobacco products remained divided on the issue ...

Change yes, but what change? EU given mixed messages on tobacco tax harmony

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 14th January 2021

Industry insiders and public health bodies agree the EU should make changes to the tax scheme for tobacco alternatives – but not all share the same view on what those changes should be ...

US FDA hiring new contractor to design anti-tobacco social media campaigns

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 12th January 2021

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is looking to appoint a new company to provide public communication services to the agency’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) ...

What new rules lie ahead for tobacco alternatives on the road through 2021?

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 7th January 2021

The new year looks certain to become another significant one for the tobacco-alternatives industry across the globe, with a bunch of new regulations on the horizon ...

New year brings new heated tobacco taxes after Italian Senate vote

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 4th January 2021

Italy has gone into 2021 with new excise duties on heated tobacco after the Senate voted in favour of an amendment included in the country’s budget bill ...

Ban public use, advertising and reduced-risk claims for HnB, says WHO group

Written by Barnaby Page | 31st December 2020

All advertising and public use of heated tobacco systems should be banned by governments, a World Health Organization (WHO) committee has suggested ...

Looking back over TobaccoIntelligence's Year 1 – it wasn't all bad news

Written by Aidan Semmens | 30th December 2020

Apart from the obvious, what has 2020 brought us? And in particular, what has it brought to the world of alternative tobacco and tobacco alternatives? ...

Filipino government issues packaging restrictions amid FDA cash scandal

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 28th December 2020

A joint memorandum from several government agencies laying down rules for tobacco-alternative products in the Philippines establishes new restrictions on flavours and changes to labelling requirements ...

UK tobacco regulation review likely after Brexit deal signed

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 24th December 2020

After the eleventh-hour agreement of a Brexit deal on Christmas Eve, one of the first key issues for the go-it-alone UK to tackle will be the review of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations (TRPR) ...

Norwegian coalition agrees to cut snus tax to curb cross-border purchases

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 22nd December 2020

Norway’s majority coalition parties have agreed to drop 25% of the excise duties on snus in a bid to stop people buying it in from neighbouring Sweden ...

Legal eagles' report calls for reform and enforcement of India's tobacco controls

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 17th December 2020

A report by the National Law School of India University calls for wide-ranging reforms of the country’s Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, including raising the legal age to buy tobacco from 18 to 21...

BAT awaits approval to manufacture and market nicotine pouches in Kenya

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 16th December 2020

British American Tobacco (BAT) is planning to invest up to $25m in a factory in Kenya to manufacture Lyft nicotine pouches – under regulatory scrutiny from officials in the country ...

Serbia's five-year plan for a gradual increase in heated tobacco taxes

Written by Marija Obradovic | 10th December 2020

The Serbian government is proposing to increase tobacco taxes, including those levied on heat-not-burn (HnB) products ...

IQOS 3 is approved for sale in the US as FDA finds 'no new concerns'

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 9th December 2020

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a marketing order authorising the sale of Philip Morris International (PMI)’s IQOS 3 holder and charger ...

Biden names California AG to head US federal health department

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 7th December 2020

US president-elect Joe Biden has unexpectedly named California attorney general Xavier Becerra as his choice for the vital role of heading the massive Health and Human Services (HHS) Department ...

Danish health minister seeks to postpone labelling rules for nicotine pouches

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 4th December 2020

The Ministry of Health has proposed that the enforcement of the provisions affecting labelling and health warnings rules should be postponed by six months ...

Swiss Assembly starts debate this month on long-anticipated tobacco bill

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 2nd December 2020

The Swiss National Council is expected to debate the country’s draft Federal Tobacco Act in a few days but a final vote on the bill, which would ban tobacco sales to minors, is unlikely...

Study calls for better phrased risk-reduction claims, from trusted sources

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 30th November 2020

A survey has concluded that reduced-risk claims for snus are understood by smokers, but better wording and genuine statements from independent sources – not tobacco companies – would improve their credibility ...

Future of HnB remains unclear as Taiwan debates possible e-cigarette ban

Written by Tao Hong | 26th November 2020

A proposed amendment to Taiwan’s Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act could ban e-cigarettes but leave the way open for a large heated tobacco market to develop ...

Expected increase in HnB tax is dropped from Italy’s proposed budget for 2021

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 24th November 2020

Italy’s draft budget for 2021 does not include any provision – for now – on taxing heated tobacco products, despite calls from health authorities and members of the country’s Senate ...

Netherlands bans the sale of tobacco products in supermarkets from 2024

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 23rd November 2020

Supermarkets in the Netherlands will no longer be allowed to sell tobacco, including heated tobacco products, from 2024, health minister Paul Blokhuis has announced ...

Could products combining nicotine with CBD be a way to help smokers quit?

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 19th November 2020

Nicotine and CBD are perceived as the bad guy and the good guy of health and wellness – but could putting the two together make commercial sense if it can help smokers break the habit?...

Spain to unveil soon new regulations equating HnB with combustibles

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 18th November 2020

The Spanish Ministry of Health has prepared an amendment to the Tobacco, Act including provisions on tobacco-alternative products, but implementation will depend on the COVID-19 pandemic situation ...

Imperial posts poor next-gen results, aims to expand oral nicotine in Europe

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 17th November 2020

Imperial Brands has revealed that net revenue from its next-generation portfolio declined by 27% in the year to September and announced that it will take a “more prudent approach” from now on ...

EU Parliament endorses Commission’s new health programme

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 13th November 2020

The European Parliament approved by an overwhelming majority the EU health policy programme for the period 2021-2017 aimed at tackling some of the main health issues in Europe, including tobacco policy ...

Australian Senate committee ready to hear both sides on harm reduction

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 11th November 2020

An Australian Senate committee to inquire into tobacco harm reduction strategies will meet for the first time in Canberra on Friday, and again week later in Sydney ...

Dryft purchase can give a big boost to BAT's share of US modern oral market

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 10th November 2020

The purchase by BAT of nicotine pouch brand Dryft to “strengthen” its modern oral portfolio in the US is an opportunity for both to increase their share of the market ...

Hungary set to increase tax on tobacco alternatives after EU call on cigarettes

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 6th November 2020

The Hungarian government is proposing to increase taxes on tobacco-alternative products after Brussels called on the country to apply the minimum EU threshold for excise duty on cigarettes ...

Health Canada warns against using nicotine pouches, orders ZYN recall

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 3rd November 2020

Canada's top health authority has issued a warning against nicotine pouches, saying they may pose “various serious health risks” to users, and ordered the recall of an unauthorised product being sold in Toronto ...

Norway seeks political support to increase snus excise duties in 2021

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 2nd November 2020

The Norwegian government is proposing an increase of 3.7% in the tax applied to snus from 2021 with the aim to “limit health problems”, but the minority government must find an ally in the national...

Altria’s oral tobacco hits high in the quarter

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 30th October 2020

Altria’s oral tobacco portfolio drove the numbers of the Big Tobacco company, amid “uncertainties” caused by the COVID-19 pandemic ...

US elections: the uncertain landscape for the tobacco-alternatives industry

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 29th October 2020

Just a few days ahead of the US elections there is a lot of uncertainty about the approach that next White House leader will have towards the tobacco-alternatives industry ...

Swedish Match’s nicotine pouches drive positive company numbers in the quarter

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 27th October 2020

Swedish Match’s sales of smoke-free products jumped 23% in the third quarter of 2020, with the good performance of nicotine pouches in both US and Scandinavia as the main driver ...

Brussels planning ahead for harmonised EU taxation of HnB late next year

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 21st October 2020

The tax authorities in Brussels are to give a final decision on introducing a new harmonised tax scheme for heated tobacco products in a year’s time, amid calls for action from top EU institutions ...

HnB growth provides the silver lining to PMI's declining overall earnings

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 20th October 2020

While Philip Morris International (PMI)’s earnings fell slightly in the third quarter of the year due to the ongoing COVID-19 challenges, shipments of the company's heated tobacco units were up by 18.7% ...

How COVID-19 has affected the nicotine market, and what happens next

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 20th October 2020

Our managing director, Tim Phillips, recently explained how the nicotine market has been affected by COVID-19 at the Nicotine Cannabis Strategies Europe, which took place online on 10th...

Indonesia prepares new national standard for tobacco alternatives

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 19th October 2020

Indonesia’s Ministry of Industry is working towards a new national standard for e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, which it beleives will benefit the tobacco-alternatives industry ...

Appeal delays California’s multi-million-dollar anti-tobacco campaign

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 14th October 2020

The US state of California has delayed the start of a multi-million-dollar promotional campaign to discourage the public from using tobacco products, following an appeal by a previous contractor ...

Imperial's tobacco-alternative revenues collapse by 30% in 2020

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 9th October 2020

Imperial Brands has revealed that the company’s net revenue for its next-generation portfolio is around 30% lower than 2019, while the overall company revenue looks set to remain flat this year ...

French Assembly rejects call to reduce tax on heated tobacco from 2021

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 9th October 2020

The Finance Committee of the French National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) has rejected a proposal to cut the taxes on heated tobacco to make tobacco-alternative products more attractive to smokers ...

Ukraine proposes to include HnB by definition in its national tax code

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 8th October 2020

The Ukrainian government has proposed an amendment to the country’s tax code that would add heat-not-burn (HnB) products to the definition of traditional tobacco in a bid to build “fair tax rules” ...

Denmark holds back on planned flavour ban after European Commission says no

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 5th October 2020

Denmark has put on hold a proposal to extend the ban on flavours in tobacco products to hookah and chewing tobacco after the European Commission issued a negative opinion on the plan ...

Slovakia justifies 50% HnB tax increase proposal amid broad opposition

Written by Lenka Hajnovicova | 2nd October 2020

Concern within the industry and other areas of government could lead the Slovak Ministry of Finance to water down a proposal to increase excise duties on heated tobacco by 50% ...

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