Market & legal data of alternative tobacco products in Europe

Altria reports solid oral tobacco segment performance despite lower revenues

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 2nd August 2023

Altria reported a solid performance in the first half of 2023 despite lower net revenues, partially offset by higher revenue in the oral tobacco segment ...

More improvement needed – WHO report gives the world 7/10 for tobacco control

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 2nd August 2023

Seven out of ten people worldwide – five times as many as in 2007 – are protected against tobacco-related health issues by sound regulatory policies, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) ...

‘Must do better’ – BAT boss gives Hyper 2 a less than Glo-ing half-term report

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 27th July 2023

British American Tobacco (BAT) has reported a continued positive performance of its vapour and modern oral segment but said it needs to do more work on its heated tobacco products ...

PMI admits it can’t quit Russia due to international financial regulations

Written by Freddie Dawson | 26th July 2023

More than 15 months after pledging to “scale down” its activities in Russia, Philip Morris International (PMI) has said it can’t pull out of the Russian market ...

Belgian minister urges EU-wide ban on ‘polluting and dangerous’ cigarette filters

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 25th July 2023

Filtered cigarettes are as dangerous as those without filters and should be banned, Belgium’s environment minister told TobaccoIntelligence, supporting a call by the country’s Superior Health Council (CSS) ...

Will Spanish election bring a fresh approach to tobacco alternatives?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 19th July 2023

Lobbyists for tobacco alternatives have urged Spanish voters to back centre and right-leaning parties in the 23rd July elections, fearing further tough regulations if the current government remains in power ...

Pirates refuse to walk the government line on Czechs’ nicotine pouch tax plan

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 18th July 2023

The Czech Pirate Party, a member of the government coalition, has voiced opposition to the cabinet’s proposal to impose a tax of CZK3.45 (€0.14) per g on nicotine pouches and “other nicotine products” ...

Denmark explores stricter laws and enforcement to curb rising nicotine use

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 14th July 2023

The Danish health minister is considering increased age limits, higher prices and more severe sanctions for stores breaking the law to address rising use of nicotine products in the country ...

Finland gets answers on nicotine pouch regulations with new government

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 30th June 2023

Following recent uncertainy, Finland’s newly formed government has confirmed that the legal status of nicotine pouches in the country will not change ...

Big in Japan, unfashionable in France – how attitudes to heated tobacco vary

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 29th June 2023

Attitudes towards heated tobacco vary, even between neighbouring countries, with a range of social factors affecting market conditions – as shown by differences between France and Switzerland, Japan and South Korea ...

Imperial Brands acquires TJP Labs nicotine pouch product range for £65m

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 27th June 2023

UK-based tobacco group Imperial Brands has acquired a range of nicotine pouch products from Canadian manufacturer TJP Labs for £65m, and said the move would facilitate its entry into the US modern oral nicotine market...

High smoking rates expected to keep boosting heated tobacco in Ukraine

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 23rd June 2023

Increased smoking rates could mean a boon for heated tobacco brands in Ukraine, analysts predict, and overall demand for heated tobacco products is expected to increase ...

Finland’s chemicals agency moves to ban ‘dangerously strong’ nicotine pouches

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 22nd June 2023

The Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes) has banned the sale and marketing of pouches containing 20 mg or more of nicotine ...

Shocked MEPs accuse Swedish medic of promoting snus in speech to committee

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 14th June 2023

A Swedish medical expert’s presentation on the use of snus has been strongly criticised by members of the European Parliament (MEPs), who accused him of promoting a harmful nicotine product ...

BAT petitions Belgium not to ban nicotine pouches, but to follow the Swedish model

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 13th June 2023

British American Tobacco (BAT) will petition Belgium’s highest administrative court, the Council of State, to annul a royal decree set to ban the sale of nicotine pouches from 1st October ...

Finnish health groups ask retailers to hold nicotine pouch sales for revised laws

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 12th June 2023

Finnish public health organisations have sent a joint open letter to retailers, urging them not to sell nicotine pouches while tobacco laws are being revised. Pouch sales boomed after they stopped being classified as medicinal...

Danish authorities fight uphill battle with retailers over tax law compliance

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 9th June 2023

More than half of the tobacco retailers inspected by the Danish Customs and Tax Administration at the beginning of this year were found to be non-compliant with new tax rules ...

Belgium aims to bring herbal products under clarified heated tobacco rules

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 31st May 2023

Herbal products and devices will fall under the Belgian regulatory framework for tobacco if a bill to incorporate Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2022/2100, submitted into the EU TRIS database, goes into effect unchanged ...

Man on a mission to counter ‘nicotine illiteracy’ and aid smokers everywhere

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 19th May 2023

Taking nicotine out of a tobacco context and inspiring confidence in the role it can play in harm reduction is the goal of Sudhanshu Patwardhan, medical director at the UK Centre for Health Research and...

The vanity of the bonfires – has UK plan to scrap EU rules gone up in smoke?

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 16th May 2023

The UK government’s plan to review or revoke thousands of pieces of legislation that originated from EU law by the end of the year is itself now under review ...

Tobacco group calls public consultation on TPD revision a ‘tick-the-box exercise’

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 15th May 2023

The EU has launched a public consultation on how it can update its tobacco control framework by revising the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and the Tobacco Advertising Directive (TAD) ...

22nd Century banks on big plans for its VLN cigarettes in the US and beyond

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 12th May 2023

US company 22nd Century will look to expand its international interests by launching trials in Switzerland and Japan as well as relaunching its low-nicotine conventional cigarette product in South Korea ...

UK court dismisses tit-for-tat claims in long-running PMI/BAT patents feud

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 11th May 2023

A dismissive ruling by the High Court in London is just the latest in a series of ongoing legal battles between PMI and BAT over the patents for their rival heated-tobacco systems Iqos and Glo...

Sweden and alternatives show the way to cut down on smoking, says Italian MEP

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 10th May 2023

The best way to reduce smoking rates is by encouraging smokers to switch to new, reduced-risk categories, according to Italian MEP Aldo Patriciello, who recommends the Swedish approach ...

Big Tobacco ‘moving too slowly’ to fulfil the FSFW’s mission of ending smoking

Written by Freddie Dawson | 9th May 2023

Tobacco companies are not doing enough to transition to reduced risk products and are not phasing out conventional cigarettes quickly enough, according to the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) ...

New restrictions to tobacco law as Norway gears up to implement TPD

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 5th May 2023

An increasing age limit to prevent future generations from accessing tobacco products and a ban on flavours are two of the most important elements of new regulations being considered in Norway ...

Minimum pricing ahead as Russia places new restrictions on heated tobacco sales

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 2nd May 2023

Russian president Vladimir Putin has signed into law a bill tightening regulation of alternative tobacco products, intended particularly to curb under-age demand – even though sales to under-18s were already prohibited ...

EU’s revised tobacco rules ‘should make allowances for safer alternatives’ – MEP

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 1st May 2023

While most European Parliament members (MEPs) are likely to take a conservative approach to the revision of tobacco regulations, some are more open to acknowledging a positive role for alternatives to smoking ...

Decision upheld against PMI accused of underhanded advertising in Lithuania

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 28th April 2023

Philip Morris International has failed to overturn a decision by Lithuanian authorities that advertising for Iqos devices constitutes tobacco advertising ...

PMI reports good numbers, positive momentum of Iqos and Zyn in the US

Written by Freddie Dawson | 28th April 2023

Philip Morris International will focus on heated tobacco and nicotine pouches as the alternatives that can help it meet its goal of becoming a majority smoke-free revenue company by 2025 ...

Likely tougher rules on alternatives will hinder anti-smoking efforts, says MEP

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 25th April 2023

Czech MEP Radka Maxová says it is impossible to predict the final outcome of the EU debate on revision of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), but “the trend in EU legislation is clear: abolitionism” ...

Heated tobacco and modern oral flavours make up for Imperial’s US vaping blow

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 19th April 2023

Expanding sales of next generation products into new markets has more than compensated Imperial Brands for the enforced loss of its Myblu e-cigarette from the US market ...

Belgian ban: nicotine and cannabinoid pouch sales to be illegal this year

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 14th April 2023

The sale of nicotine pouches in Belgium has been banned, effective later this year, on the grounds they pose a danger to public health, particularly due to their potential for addiction ...

Big Tobacco appears to be in no hurry to pull out of Russia over Ukraine invasion

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 12th April 2023

Global tobacco majors are not hurrying to leave the Russian market and suffer the multi-billion dollar losses that might potentially be associated with such an exodus ...

Cigarettes for €0.10 a pack? Italian shops hit by vending-machine hack attack

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 6th April 2023

Italian tobacco associations estimate up to €250,000 in losses after hundreds of tobacco vending machines were the subject of a cyber-attack thought to be the work of anarchists ...

Models in ads for heated tobacco must both look and be over 25, UK ASA rules

Written by Freddie Dawson | 23rd March 2023

Companies dealing in tobacco products must be extremely careful with all age-related details when it comes to website illustrations and endorsements, a new UK ruling demonstrates ...

UK tax increases raise prices of tobacco, including heat-not-burn consumables

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 21st March 2023

UK consumers are facing a considerable hike in the price of all tobacco products following the Spring Budget outlined last week by chancellor (finance minister) Jeremy Hunt ...

Single regulatory agency to oversee nicotine and tobacco industries in Russia

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 9th March 2023

The Russian Ministry of Finance announced in February that it would submit a bill to the parliament this month to establish a single regulator for the alcohol, tobacco and nicotine industries ...

Finnish working group recommends tougher rules for all nicotine products

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 8th March 2023

Continuing tax increases, raising the age limit to 20, restrictions on imports, and further extensions of smoke-free environments are among ideas being considered in Finland for all tobacco-related products ...

Europe taking on novel products as it aims for a ‘tobacco-free environment’

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 6th March 2023

A European Council recommendation due in the autumn will be “a recommendation for a tobacco-free environment, regardless of the form tobacco takes” ...

More challenges to EU heated tobacco flavour ban during wait for CJEU verdict

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 3rd March 2023

Tobacco companies wait for a judicial verdict on the validity of an EU directive outlawing heated tobacco flavours across Europe, but the ban has already come into effect ...

Big Tobacco remains in love with novelty as it heads towards a smokeless future

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 3rd March 2023

The significance Big Tobacco companies are placing on novel tobacco products is demonstrated by the continued international expansion many are undertaking ...

EU lawmakers becoming less aware and less confident on novel nicotine products

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 2nd March 2023

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are less aware of key issues surrounding new nicotine products than in previous years and often less confident in their views, according to new research ...

Iqos accused as French campaign group calls for clampdown on ads and flavours

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 15th February 2023

A French anti-smoking group has called for a ban on non-tobacco flavours in all nicotine products as well as for the regulation of nicotine pouch advertising, while accusing PMI of flouting advertising rules ...

Proposed new EU packaging and waste rules evoke strong but mixed response

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 15th February 2023

The European Commission has issued a proposal for a revision of EU legislation on packaging and packaging waste, which could have profound long-term consequences for the tobacco alternatives industry ...

‘More to come’ from non-combustibles – JTI has money to heat-not-burn

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 14th February 2023

A growing share of the Japanese heated tobacco market and the launch of the Ploom X heat-not-burn (HnB) device in the UK contributed to Japan Tobacco International (JTI) posting positive figures for 2022 ...

PMI reports positive 2022 performance, talks Iqos, Swedish Match and KT&G

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 10th February 2023

Philip Morris International (PMI) reports an overall positive performance in 2022, boosted by growth in its Iqos business, with revenues and shipment volumes slightly up for the year ...

BAT delivers another Glo-ing report, with growth across all its novel categories

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 9th February 2023

British American Tobacco (BAT) enjoyed a 37% rise last year in revenues from novel products, with growing contributions across all three of its new categories, led by its brands Vuse, Velo and Glo Hyper ...

Finland to approve heated tobacco flavour ban, other EU countries to follow

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 6th February 2023

Finland is among the first EU countries to take concrete steps towards banning flavours for heated tobacco products. The Finnish parliament has approved the government’s proposal to add to the Finnish Tobacco Act the definition of heated tobacco...

Lawmakers in the Czech Republic look to regulate nicotine pouches in two acts

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 25th January 2023

The Czech Republic could extend regulations of tobacco products and e-cigarettes to nicotine pouches, put age restrictions on the sale of pouches, and regulate their composition, labelling, notification and other requirements ...

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