Market & legal data of alternative tobacco products in Europe

Industry says EC not heeding its concerns in EU Tobacco Products Directive revision

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 25th April 2024

Representatives from the European tobacco industry hope the renewal of the EU Parliament, following elections in June, will bring about changes in the EU Commission (EC)’s attitude towards them ...

PMI’s smoke-free momentum continues to build in 2024, fuelled by Iqos and Zyn

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 24th April 2024

PMI continued reporting its smoke-free momentum in the first quarter of 2024, announcing 25% organic growth in net revenues and 38% in gross profit – with strong contributions from Iqos and Zyn ...

Harm-reduction strategies are part of the debate in European Parliament elections

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 23rd April 2024

Some 370m Europeans will be called to the polls in June to elect the 720 members of the next European Parliament, and the outcome could shed light on the future of nicotine pouches ...

Survey results on nicotine usage rates among young Finns beg further digging

Written by Freddie Dawson | 18th April 2024

Use of alternative nicotine products among younger consumers in Finland is on the rise, but their tobacco use has stayed the same, a survey by the Finnish Association for Substance Abuse Prevention recently found ...

Will the next European Parliament have a milder outlook on smoking alternatives?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 15th April 2024

Around 370m Europeans will be called to the polls in June to elect the 720 members of the next European Parliament. The outcome could reshape the narrative around harm-reduction strategies ...

Spain’s long-overdue anti-smoking plan is finally approved but not yet in force

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 11th April 2024

Three years after the expected date, the Spanish government has finally approved the country’s new anti-smoking plan, which will now need to be implemented through different laws across the country ...

Romania gets stricter with restrictions on HTPs, vapes amid election-intensive year

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 8th April 2024

The Romanian parliament has adopted a bill that will subject nicotine pouches, heated tobacco products (HTPs) and herbal heated products to the same rules as those for vaping and other tobacco products ...

The evolution of novel tobacco and nicotine products over the last decade

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 5th April 2024

In this part of a series of articles celebrating the tenth anniversary of Tamarind Intelligence, we look at how heated tobacco, nicotine pouches and herbal heated sticks have evolved in the past decade ...

Sweden could reduce snus tax this year, while increasing other tobacco taxes

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 4th April 2024

The Swedish government is taking the slightly unusual step of proposing a tax reduction of 20% on snus while increasing taxes on traditional cigarettes and smoking tobacco products ...

Italy regulates next-generation products with ‘pragmatic’ approach, study finds

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 27th March 2024

The majority of users of next-generation products in Italy would not continue to use their products if the price of next-generation alternatives increased through taxation, according to a new survey ...

UK introduces generational smoking ban bill and publishes draft disposables ban

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 26th March 2024

The UK’s proposed legislation for a generational ban on tobacco product sales was introduced to Parliament last week ...

Where will tax hikes and court rulings take the alternative tobacco market?

Written by Freddie Dawson | 21st March 2024

A recent CJEU ruling confirmed it was OK for Germany to increase duties on heated tobacco sticks to the equivalent of 80% of the tax applied to conventional cigarettes on public health grounds ...

New Russian tobacco and nicotine product laws are met with scepticism

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 19th March 2024

New national regulatory standards are now being enforced across the Russian market for tobacco and nicotine-containing products, including heated tobacco and e-cigarettes ...

It’s time to talk realistically about tobacco harm reduction, says German association

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 18th March 2024

The German Association of the Tobacco Industry and New Products says we need more constructive non-political discourse about tobacco harm reduction to counter the impact of bad science on the current prohibitionist mindset ...

Poland could include tobacco-free heated products in tobacco regulation changes

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 15th March 2024

Herbal heated sticks could be brought under the Polish Excise Duty Act definition of novel tobacco products if a proposal from the Ministry of Finance goes forward ...

No clear guidance on pouch marketing in Europe, so advertisers should be cautious

Written by Freddie Dawson | 14th March 2024

Rules on how companies can market nicotine pouches in Europe are no clearer, but criticisms of practices have started and are only going to increase as what can and cannot be done in major European...

UK tobacco prices to rise as chancellor hikes excise duty to accompany vape tax

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 7th March 2024

UK tobacco prices will go up as a result of an increase in excise duties announced yesterday, 6th March, by the government during its spring budget ...

Signing a petition for change? Don’t expect that to affect UK tobacco policy

Written by Freddie Dawson | 7th March 2024

It looks like nicotine pouches are gearing up to be the latest battleground for tobacco alternatives, with opposition to pouches springing up in the UK and the US ...

Oral products boosted Big Tobacco’s momentum in 2023, and HTPs still in play

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 27th February 2024

Nicotine pouches seemed to be the universal positive for Big Tobacco in 2023, with oral tobacco categories making increasingly important contributions to all the companies involved in that area ...

Europe’s respiratory specialists don’t support harm reduction: is this news?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 22nd February 2024

No smoking and no nicotine consumption at all is better for your health than quitting cigarettes without quitting nicotine, says the European Respiratory Society, stating the obvious ...

BAT and Amazon to fight €7m sanction for ‘misleading advertising’ of Glo in Italy

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 20th February 2024

British American Tobacco (BAT) and Amazon are going to appeal a combined total of €7m in sanctions for the “misleading advertising” of Glo Hyper X2 and Glo Hyper Air heated tobacco devices in Italy ...

Italy’s tracing of HHPs could help fight against black market, industry says

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 16th February 2024

Herbal sticks will be tracked and traced the same way as traditional cigarettes and heated tobacco sticks in Italy starting from May, which could work against black market trade ...

BAT’s new categories perform well, with its Velo nicotine pouches growing rapidly

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 9th February 2024

British American Tobacco (BAT) saw its new category products achieve profitability two years ahead of schedule supported by rapid growth in its Velo nicotine pouch ...

Which way should you turn to follow the EU tobacco policy revision process?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 8th February 2024

European authorities seem unsure on the timeline for the next step in the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) review and laissez-faire about keeping anyone up to date on developments for it ...

UK parliament pre-COP10 talks stress harm reduction and take on the WHO

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 7th February 2024

In a UK parliamentary session, key figures voiced their concerns and positions just ahead of the 10th session of the Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control ...

PMI could re-introduce Iqos into US market after dispute resolution with BAT

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 6th February 2024

British American Tobacco (BAT) has agreed to allow Philip Morris International (PMI) to re-introduce PMI’s Iqos heated tobacco device into the US marketplace ...

Important EU cancer inequalities report not optimistic on tobacco alternatives

Written by Freddie Dawson | 5th February 2024

An influential European Union report, “Beating Cancer Inequalities in the EU”, has taken a cautious, generally pessimistic view on tobacco alternatives ...

Spain finally ready to ‘catch up’ with smoking prevention plan, by end of year

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 2nd February 2024

Spain's health minister Mónica García announced the country will have a new smoking prevention plan in place by the end of this year, reforming the tobacco law – originally due to be amended in 2021...

Sweden’s alternatives advocates worried about COP10 impact on snus and pouches

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 31st January 2024

Swedish sources worry strong domestic support for products like snus will be lost when one delegation represents the EU as a whole at the upcoming COP10 international tobacco control conference ...

UK govt plans tobacco age-of-sale law and ban on sale of nicotine pouches to minors

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 29th January 2024

British prime minister Rishi Sunak has announced plans to ban sales of previously unregulated nicotine pouches to minors and of tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1st January 2009 ...

EU tobacco policy revision timeline shifts, with next steps unlikely before Q3 2024

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 26th January 2024

No further steps are expected in the revision of the EU legislative framework for tobacco control at least until this year’s second half, based on updates of the evaluation process timeline on the EC website...

BAT subsidiaries continue trying to get EU heated tobacco flavour ban annulled

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 25th January 2024

An appeal on the EU heated tobacco product flavour ban – brought by UK-based Nicoventures Trading and other BAT subsidiaries to the Court of Justice of the European Union is unlikely to succeed ...

WHO reports drop in tobacco use despite industry ‘interference’ in achieving goals

Written by Freddie Dawson | 25th January 2024

Tobacco use continues to reduce globally, according to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030 ...

BAT reacts to Italian health authorities’ surprise suspension of Velo pouch sales

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 22nd January 2024

British American Tobacco (BAT) did not expect the temporary sales suspension of its Velo nicotine pouches in Italy, ordered by health authorities, and is prepared to take action to protect its rights ...

Spain joins growing list of EU countries implementing heated tobacco flavour ban

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 17th January 2024

Spain has banned flavours in heated tobacco products (HTPs), joining the list of European countries that have transposed a EU Commission (EC) directive prohibiting flavoured HTPs across the continent ...

Herbal sticks are growing in popularity, but regulators might change their future

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 10th January 2024

Herbal heated sticks are spreading worldwide as a replacement for conventional smoking as well as an alternative to heated tobacco products ...

What will the year ahead bring? Expected tobacco and nicotine regulation in 2024

Written by Freddie Dawson | 2nd January 2024

TobaccoIntelligence predicts a restrictive future for the regulation of tobacco alternative products but also growth in both the global nicotine pouch and heated tobacco markets from 2023 to 2024 ...

Spotlight on laws, bans and environment as tobacco alternatives trend up in 2023

Written by Freddie Dawson | 28th December 2023

Looking back, 2023 just might be viewed as the turning-point year in alternatives to cigarettes, but in which direction things turn remains to be seen ...

Haypp Group eyes opportunities for reduced-risk products in Europe

Written by Freddie Dawson | 14th December 2023

Haypp Group, an online retailer of reduced-risk products, will look to expand into new categories and European markets following the success of a vaping pilot in the UK ...

Still no timeline for the revision of EU tobacco framework, Commission says

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 11th December 2023

As the revision process of the EU tobacco policy framework keeps being delayed, commissioners are still not able to come up with a timeline, or even a date for the submission of the new texts...

Nicotine pouch rules single out Redmuule in Italy, but ADM says others may be next

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 6th December 2023

Packaging restrictions introduced by an Italian health ministry decree are intended to apply only to Redmuule nicotine pouches, but similar measures may be implemented for other brands too, say the ADM ...

EU heated tobacco flavour ban may just be the start for Spain’s ‘new’ government

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 5th December 2023

Spain’s newly formed government, led for the second time by socialist prime minister Pedro Sánchez, may not be good news for the tobacco and nicotine sectors ...

Could Denmark’s plan to limit youth tobacco use provoke ‘a reverse outcome’?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 24th November 2023

A new Danish government plan to curb the consumption of tobacco and nicotine among young people is facing criticism from international advocates of reduced-risk nicotine products ...

Italy allows sales of nicotine pouches by a specific brand, but with new restrictions

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 22nd November 2023

The introduction of new packaging requirements for nicotine pouches in a decree allowing sales of one pouch brand shows authorities intended for the decree to legalise the sale of all brands, says the pouch distributor...

Imperial on track with five-year plan, thanks to NGP growth and new launches

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 15th November 2023

Imperial Brands reported a performance in line with its five-year-plan expectations in the year ended 30th September 2023, with new product and market launches boosting its next-generation product (NGP) revenue ...

No tax increase on Italian HTPs in the next two years, but the rise comes in 2026

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 13th November 2023

There would be no increase in Italian excise duties on heated tobacco products for the next two years under the new 2024 Budget Bill, but the proposal does set a rate rise in 2026 ...

Rise in snus use among young Swiss as government tries to curb smoking rates

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 13th November 2023

Snus is increasingly popular among Swiss consumers – particularly young male users – while cigarette smoking rates keep declining, according to the country’s latest population healthcare survey ...

King’s speech sets out UK’s ambitious plans for a smoke-free generation

Written by Freddie Dawson | 9th November 2023

King Charles said in the king’s speech that the UK parliament will try to push through its plan to prevent those born on or after 1st January 2009 from buying cigarettes ...

MEPs worry EU will bypass them to take up ‘extreme position’ on tobacco control

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 3rd November 2023

Members of the European Parliament are raising concerns over what they consider a possible plot by EU bureaucrats to endorse and implement “extreme WHO positions” on tobacco control with no previous consultation ...

Ploom X international expansion has helped to boost JTI’s Q3 performance

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 31st October 2023

Japan Tobacco International (JTI) enjoyed a solid performance in the third quarter of the year, partially related to its Ploom X heated tobacco product geographic expansion ...

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