News analysis for professionals in the alternative tobacco sector

UK government proposes generational tobacco ban to reach smoke-free goal

Written by Barnaby Page | 5th October 2023

The UK government is considering a generational ban for most tobacco products — but not e-cigarettes — as well as restrictions on disposable vapes and flavours, according to proposals issued this week ...

Possible EU ban on nicotine pouches may jeopardise smoke-free goal, say critics

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 5th October 2023

The European Commission (EC) reportedly wants to extend the EU-wide ban on snus to tobacco-free nicotine pouches. An EC report revealed on social media by an MEP says the oral tobacco ban has been successful...

Launch of PMI’s first non-tobacco stick raises regulatory questions

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 2nd October 2023

Philip Morris International (PMI) has launched a zero-tobacco stick called Levia for use with its heated tobacco device, Iqos. PMI is the first Big Tobacco to introduce these sticks, though others have marketed similar products...

Dutch officials foresee conservative TPD that’s unlikely to take effect before 2027

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 26th September 2023

Dutch officials believe a revised EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) will not come into force before 2027 at the earliest and, when it does, will reflect a conservative approach to novel tobacco products ...

Oklahoma governor won’t ‘give an inch’ on tribal nations tobacco tax revenues

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 26th September 2023

The governor of Oklahoma, Republican Kevin Stitt, says losing a disagreement over tobacco tax will force him to give up half his state to tribal nations ...

Canadian tobacco regulation review may include requiring manufacturers to pay

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 22nd September 2023

The Canadian government has begun a legislative review of the country’s tobacco legislation, saying it wants to reduce the number of smokers nationwide ...

Sweden’s stance on snus and cigarettes seen in upcoming tax cuts and hikes

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 19th September 2023

The Swedish government has proposed a tax reduction on snus of about 20% while increasing the tax on cigarettes and smoking tobacco by 9% ...

Russia starts implementing changes as part of its tobacco regulatory overhaul

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 15th September 2023

Suppliers of novel nicotine products to the Russian market face new licensing requirements and tax increases over several years as the government overhauls its regulatory system ...

PMI ups its investment in its Romanian plant for smoke-free products to $730m

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 13th September 2023

Global tobacco group Philip Morris International (PMI) is scaling up the investment in its Romanian smoke-free product factory to $730m (€680m) ...

UK smoking rates keep decreasing while vaping on the rise, national survey says

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 12th September 2023

Less than 13% of adults smoke cigarettes in the UK, the lowest figure ever recorded by the country’s Office for National Statistics (ONS). This represents a small decrease from the 13.3% recorded for 2021 ...

Looking into nicotine – non-tobacco sources for research and even benefits

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 6th September 2023

Despite increasing interest in synthetic nicotine, most nicotine still comes from tobacco. But could other plants also be a commercially viable source of the substance? ...

No tobacco tax hike in France for 2024, but ‘other measures’ are on the horizon

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 4th September 2023

France will not include a tax increase in its tobacco control plan for 2024, prime minister Élisabeth Borne has promised, though she said “other measures” would be taken ...

Italy implements EU HTP flavour ban, but ambiguity could cause misinterpretation

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 1st September 2023

Italy’s parliament has passed a law implementing the EU ban on flavours in heated tobacco – but ambiguity in its definition of the category may lead to difficulties in interpretation ...

South Africa’s bill to toughen tobacco rules elicits mixed reactions from public

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 31st August 2023

South Africans have expressed mixed reactions to the country’s Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, which aims to strengthen the law and would create new rules affecting tobacco products ...

Lithuania works on draft nicotine pouch legislation amid shadow market fears

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 29th August 2023

Nicotine pouch sales are currently banned in Lithuania, but that could soon change, as amendments are in the works to the country’s Law I-1143 on the control of tobacco, tobacco products and related products ...

Young US adults are smoking less, while upping their use of e-cigs and cannabis

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 28th August 2023

Young adults in the US are more likely to vape or use cannabis than to smoke cigarettes, according to a new Gallup poll, as the national smoking rate hovers near a historical low ...

Education on smoking alternatives justified but not top priority, says US FDA

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 25th August 2023

Educating consumers about reduced-risk alternatives to smoking is worthwhile – but encouraging them to use smoking-cessation methods should still take priority, according to the US Food and Drug Administration ...

Israel proposes tough measures and tax hikes to curb youth nicotine use

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 24th August 2023

The Israeli Ministry of Health has published plans for stricter measures that would apply to all smoking and tobacco products, in advance of a public consultation aimed at amending the Tobacco Law ...

F1 Velo sponsorship in the Netherlands: is McLaren pulling a fast one?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 23rd August 2023

Health organisations in the Netherlands are protesting against promotion of the nicotine pouch brand Velo by the UK's McLaren Formula 1 team ...

ITGA calls for understanding of the challenges faced by tobacco growers

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 23rd August 2023

The world’s tobacco growers are facing urgent economic, social and environmental challenges, from rising production costs and stagnating prices to labour shortages, unseasonable weather, soil degradation and deforestation ...

KT&G’s next-generation products enjoy over 70% sales growth worldwide

Written by Freddie Dawson | 21st August 2023

KT&G anticipates that alternative nicotine products will continue to make up greater proportions of its sales, the company said during a presentation of its second-quarter results ...

FDA issues warning letter over corn-husk-based product containing nicotine

Written by Freddie Dawson | 18th August 2023

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning letter to Amarillo Snuff over its smokeless nicotine product that uses corn husks instead of tobacco leaves ...

UK government launches consultation on inserts in tobacco products

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 17th August 2023

The UK government has launched a public consultation on adding inserts to cigarette packs to encourage smokers to quit ...

White House opposes bill preventing FDA's proposed menthol ban in the US

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 17th August 2023

The US government is opposing a bill that would prevent the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from enforcing a ban on menthol cigarettes it proposed last year ...

22nd Century adjusts its 2023 revenue outlook after a rocky second quarter

Written by Freddie Dawson | 16th August 2023

22nd Century will focus on streamlining operating costs and making the marketing and sales push for its VLN cigarette products more cost efficient to address issues that have forced it to revise full-year profit guidance...

With new law Italy is set to prohibit the direct online sale of nicotine pouches

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 14th August 2023

Italy has stepped back at the last minute from imposing a formal permanent ban on the online sale of nicotine pouches ...

Venezuela joins the list of countries outlawing heated tobacco and vapes

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 11th August 2023

Venezuela is the latest Latin American country to issue a government decree banning nationwide sales, consumption, exports and distribution of heated tobacco and vapes ...

BAT’s Zonnic approval ‘could open a path into Canada for other nicotine pouches’

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 8th August 2023

Health Canada has approved the first nicotine pouch authorised for sale in Canada as an over-the-counter cessation aid – a move some say could open the door to other nicotine pouches hitting the market ...

Are herbal heated sticks set to replace heated tobacco products in Europe?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 7th August 2023

Tobacco-free herbal sticks are expected to continue growing in popularity thanks to potential price and flavour range advantages over heated tobacco products ...

WHO report says products like heated tobacco are ‘re-normalising smoking’

Written by Sergi Riudalbas | 4th August 2023

New and emerging nicotine products, including heated tobacco, may threaten the achievements of decades of tobacco control, according to a new report from the World Health Organization ...

Where does political deadlock in Spain leave alternative tobacco product laws?

Written by Laura Garay Gómez | 4th August 2023

Spain’s surprise inconclusive election result has left the future of alternative tobacco product and vaping regulation in the country up in the air, with everything depending on what government eventually emerges ...

Japan Tobacco ready to put unexpected revenue boost back into heated tobacco

Written by Freddie Dawson | 3rd August 2023

Japan Tobacco (JT) is to ramp up investment in its production of heated tobacco sticks over the second half of 2023 after reporting better than expected results for the first six months of the year...

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) ...

HeatSticks could be Philip Morris’s silver lining after court ruling on cigarettes

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 1st August 2023

Sales of HeatSticks could ironically end up benefitting from a US legal battle lost by their manufacturer Philip Morris and other leading tobacco companies ...

RJ Reynolds wants judge’s rejection of US FDA’s graphic health warnings upheld

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 31st July 2023

Lawyers for RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company call the US Food and Drug Administration’s defence of its graphic cigarette warnings “half-hearted” in a new legal brief ...

‘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 ...

Iluma to the fore as PMI builds up a head of steam towards its smoke-free future

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 25th July 2023

Philip Morris International (PMI) reported strong momentum over the first half of the year, driven by Iqos growth and the good performance of Swedish Match, accelerating the company’s transition to a smokeless future ...

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) ...

UK's Kingsway Capital seeks exit from stake in UAE's AIR as AIR looks to IPO

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 21st July 2023

Dubai-based tobacco company Advanced Inhalation Rituals is planning to go public next year and has invited banks to pitch for roles in its IPO, as parent company Kingsway Capital seeks to sell its stake ...

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 ...

At your convenience – now smokers in California are offered the low-nic option

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 18th July 2023

22nd Century Group has confirmed the launch of its VLN reduced nicotine cigarettes in California, where sales have begun in hundreds of convenience stores across the state ...

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 ...

Is Anvisa about to think again on keeping Brazil’s heated tobacco ban in force?

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 13th July 2023

A relaxation of the ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco in Brazil could be around the corner following a public consultation, according to some commentators in the country ...

Egypt’s rulemakers keep an eager eye on market openings for heated tobacco

Written by Mohamed Yousef | 12th July 2023

Egypt will soon see the introduction of new regulations, including minimum product standards and retail channel restrictions, as the market for e-cigarettes and heated tobacco garners increasing attention ...

Argentina’s shocked tobacco farmers put up a fight against HTP production ban

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 4th July 2023

Tobacco growers in Argentina are continuing efforts – so far unsuccessful – to overturn a resolution banning the production of heated tobacco products in the country ...

US FDA CTP checks itself to move forward in response to Reagan-Udall report

Written by Freddie Dawson | 3rd July 2023

The US Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products has published milestones to expect as it continues to address issues brought up by the Reagan-Udall Foundation’s recent report ...

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 ...

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