TobaccoIntelligence open content

Concern grows over influencers’ social media promotion of tobacco products

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 10th November 2021

The misleading advertising of tobacco alternatives on social media has become a critical concern of public health groups and some governments around the world ...

Switzerland moves ahead with bill to regulate heated and oral tobacco

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 4th November 2021

The Swiss Federal Assembly has adopted a longstanding bill that will implement new restrictions on tobacco-alternative products, including specific regulations on packaging and promotion ...

Three possible reasons for WHO decision to keep alternatives out of tobacco talks

Written by Barnaby Page | 4th November 2021

Why won’t the World Health Organization (WHO) talk about tobacco alternatives? It’s never been shy before about putting forward its extreme scepticism ...

EU criticises WHO over ‘unprecedented’ delay in talks on tobacco alternatives

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 29th October 2021

European countries have publicly expressed disagreement with the World Health Organization (WHO)’s decision to postpone discussions of novel tobacco products, keeping them out of the upcoming COP9 ...

Is plain packaging of snus working in Norway? Official body raises the question

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 27th October 2021

Researchers at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) found that plain packaging did not produce a decline in men’s snus use in Norway, with “inconclusive results” on both smoking and women’s snus use ...

US FDA authorises sale of oral tobacco products taken off the market in 2019

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 21st October 2021

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued marketing authorisation for four mint-flavoured oral tobacco products that were withdrawn from the US market in 2019 ...

Decision on e-cigs shines some light on US FDA’s likely approach to alternatives

Written by Barnaby Page | 21st October 2021

While the decision to give marketing authorisation to some RJ Reynolds relates specifically to e-cigarette products, it’s highly likely that much the same priorities will govern official thinking on other alternative products ...

PMI’s heated tobacco business on the up despite warnings of disruption in US

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 20th October 2021

Philip Morris International (PMI)’s net revenues were up by 9.1% in the third quarter of 2021 thanks to the growth of its heated tobacco segment ...

Patents for HnB and smokeless tobacco products on the rise, research finds

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 18th October 2021

Patents for tobacco alternatives have been booming in recent times as tobacco companies position themselves as contributors to a smoke-free world ...

‘Utopian’ – but is a global consensus on smoke-free alternatives a realistic goal?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 14th October 2021

A global consensus between industry, scientists and regulators around the role of tobacco alternatives in smoking cessation could be reached in the long term, but experts believe achieving more cooperation is a major challenge ...

What e-cigarette process tells us about the US FDA’s thinking on tobacco

Written by Barnaby Page | 7th October 2021

Some light is now dawning on some truths long since suspected about the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s approach to tobacco-alternative products of all kinds through its cumbersome evaluation of e-cigarettes ...

US International Trade Commission bans imports of PMI’s Iqos HeatSticks

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 1st October 2021

PMI and its distributor Altria Group must stop importing Iqos consumables in the US, according to a ruling issued by the US International Trade Commission (ITC) ...

Is Big Tobacco growing environmentally friendly – or is it merely greenwash?

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 29th September 2021

Tobacco corporations seem to be accelerating their commitment towards more sustainable businesses, investing in projects to reduce environmental harm caused by tobacco-alternative devices ...

Survey backs EU-wide tax harmony on heated tobacco and oral nicotine

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 28th September 2021

New figures from the European Commission reveal broad support for harmonised tax rules for tobacco-alternative products ahead of the revision of a directive on the structure and rates of excise duties on tobacco ...

False beliefs about tobacco alternatives are themselves a public health problem

Written by Barnaby Page | 23rd September 2021

“Misinformation poses a real threat to progress” in a major area of public health concern, we’re told – and this time it’s about the dangers of tobacco-alternative products ...

Why have WHO FCTC COP9 novel tobacco discussions been postponed to 2023?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 21st September 2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) has decided to postpone a discussion on novel tobacco products to a face-to-face event in 2023 – a decision experts are linking to a lack of consensus on what approach...

Heated tobacco: product definitions and brands

Written by Carlo Infurna | 21st September 2021

This short report provides an overview of the main heated tobacco products and brands, covering the major Big Tobacco brands and their products as well as compatible hardware and consumable products ...

Swedish Match is ready to shake up the industry by getting out of combustibles

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 15th September 2021

Swedish Match has announced that the company is to become 100% smoke-free by next year with the separation of its cigar business in the US, a decision that is likely to have an impact in...

Time’s up for the US FDA to make up its mind – now where do PMTAs stand?

Written by Barnaby Page | 9th September 2021

As the US Food and Drug Administration's deadline to pass or reject e-cigarette premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) arrives, where does it leave the market and what might it mean for tobacco alternatives? ...

US nicotine pouch sales have grown 300 times in five years: so what’s next?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 2nd September 2021

Sales of nicotine pouches in the US have risen 300 times higher over the five years since they entered the US market in 2016, according to figures released by the US Centers for Disease Control...