Bulgaria: The Customs authority has told TobaccoIntelligence that BGN55,308,468 (€28.27m) was collected in tax on heated tobacco products in 2020; BGN44,932,636 (€22.96m) in 2021; and BGN68,710,194 (€35.12m) in 2022. Nicotine pouches are not subject to excise tax in Bulgaria.

Switzerland: A study conducted last year by the Swiss Addiction Foundation, funded by the Federal Office of Public Health and involving 9,345 students, found 4% of boys and 3% of girls aged 15 had used heated tobacco at least once in the preceding 30 days. The foundation is urging the government to take measures on advertising, sales, price, packaging and flavours.

UK: The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that the heated tobacco retailer Neafs breached the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) code by featuring images on its website of people who appeared to be under 25 holding and using a Neafs device. It was determined that one of the models would have been 24 at the time the advertisement was published, putting it in breach of the code.

Czech Republic: An amendment to the Act on the Protection of Health from the Harmful Effects of Addictive Substances comes into force today, bringing changes to the regulation of nicotine pouches. Retailers have a three-month period to adapt to the new rules, which place pouches under the same restrictions on sales and public use as tobacco and e-cigarettes, including the ban on sales to under-18s.

UK: The government will unveil a set of proposals in the coming weeks aimed at realising the goal of a “Smokefree 2030” and responding to the recommendations in the Khan Review, according to junior health minister Neil O’Brien.

UK: Lancashire Police and Trading Standards officers last week seized 1,024 counterfeit e-cigarettes and tobacco products in the town of Preston. Together they would have been worth around £7,000 if genuine.