Blog News analysis

Why is the boss of Marlboro maker PMI talking up the end of smoking days?

Written by Barnaby Page | 29th July 2021

Jacek Olczak, CEO of Philip Morris International (PMI), says the company could stop selling combustible cigarettes in the UK within a decade ...

Blog News analysis

Is plain packaging all it’s cracked up to be when it comes to stubbing out smoking?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 22nd July 2021

A new study by researchers from the Luiss Business School in Rome and Deloitte comes to an unexpected and counterintuitive conclusion ...

News analysis

PMI raises its sights for 2021 as Europe leads the rush towards heated tobacco

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 20th July 2021

Philip Morris International (PMI)’s net revenues were up by 10% in the first half of 2021, with smoke-free products accounting for 28.5% of the total ...

Blog News analysis

PMI is busy reinventing itself as Big Tobacco prepares for life after smoking

Written by Barnaby Page | 15th July 2021

Philip Morris International (PMI) has always been one of the frankest tobacco companies when it comes to speaking of the smoke-free future – now it is taking positive steps in a bold new direction ...

News analysis

Japanese health ministry denies plan to widen access to tobacco-free pouches

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 14th July 2021

Regulations governing nicotine pouches in Japan are unlikely to change in the near future despite rumours to the contrary ...

Blog News analysis

BAT pulls Velo out of German market due to uncertainty over legality of pouches

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 8th July 2021

British American Tobacco (BAT) is removing its Velo nicotine pouches from the German market because of a lack of clarity over their regulation both nationally and in the country's regional states ...

Blog News analysis

The Japanese innovation that could help normalise heated tobacco everywhere

Written by Barnaby Page | 1st July 2021

A new development in Japan sets an example which proponents of harm reduction could do well to advocate elsewhere – the increasing trend toward heated-tobacco-only areas in public spaces ...

News analysis

From the ski slopes to the karaoke bar, Japan goes smoke-free with HnB

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 28th June 2021

A growing number of leisure facilities in Japan are going smoke-free by allowing only heated tobacco products to be used, or establishing dedicated areas for them, in response to stricter rules on indoor smoking ...

Blog News analysis

Did Philippines FDA break the law hiring tobacco staff with Bloomberg cash?

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 23rd June 2021

The Philippines Food and Drug Administration is under public scrutiny after being accused of acting unlawfully in accepting foreign donations from a non-government organisation funded by the anti-tobacco Bloomberg Initiative ...

News analysis

Italian Ministry of Health evaluates future regulation for nicotine pouches

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 18th June 2021

Health officials in Rome are considering regulation of nicotine pouches in the country after they seized and banned the sale of a brand of such products following a Higher Health Institute (ISS) laboratory analysis ...

Blog News analysis

Could legalising snus tap into a huge potential for smoking cessation?

Written by Barnaby Page | 18th June 2021

Two startling statistics emerge from a recent survey of smokers in Europe: nearly one in three (31%) of current smokers would be interested in trying snus if it became legal, but less than 3% are...

News analysis

Germany has second thoughts, lowering the tax pressure on heated tobacco

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 16th June 2021

The German Bundestag has approved the country’s Tobacco Law, lowering the level of tax on heat-not-burn (HnB) products proposed by the government to apply from January 2022 ...

News analysis

MPs say UK policy on smoking cessation should include HnB and nicotine pouches

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 14th June 2021

The British government must step up efforts to promote tobacco alternative products if it is to achieve its goal of a smoke-free society by 2030, a cross-party parliamentary committee agreed ...

News analysis

Three in ten smokers would try snus if it was legalised in the EU, survey finds

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 11th June 2021

More than 31% of current European smokers would be interested in trying snus if it was legalised in the region, according to a major survey ...

Blog News analysis

BAT faces a fine of up to €5m over alleged covert heated tobacco advertising in Italy

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 11th June 2021

Italy’s antitrust regulator has opened formal procedures against British American Tobacco (BAT) for using influencers to promote an advertising campaign for Glo Hyper, and it could cost the manufacturer millions ...

News analysis

Bosnia and Herzegovina set to regulate heated tobacco, ban oral products

Written by Marija Obradovic | 8th June 2021

Bosnia and Herzegovina has passed a bill that will harmonise the country’s tobacco regulation with the provisions of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and establish a regulatory framework for tobacco alternatives ...

Blog News analysis

The WHO, the where and the why

Written by Barnaby Page | 4th June 2021

Advocates for novel tobacco products often get infuriated with the oppositional stance taken by the World Health Organization – but might there be some fair reason behind the WHO’s less-than-enthusiastic view? ...

Blog News analysis

British government review of tobacco rules won’t be coming any time soon

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 26th May 2021

The UK government’s post-implementation review of the 2016 Tobacco and Related Products Regulations (TRPR) won’t be ready before the end of the year ...

Blog News analysis

Politicians and regulators just can’t stop thinking of the children

Written by Barnaby Page | 21st May 2021

News that Florida is planning to increase the purchase age for tobacco products to 21 is another clear indication of just how much the issues of youth smoking and youth vaping dominate the minds of...

Blog News analysis

Pakistan: prime minister’s withdrawal from webinar reveals tensions over tobacco products

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 13th May 2021

Pakistan’s prime minister Imran Khan cancelled a few days ago the country’s attendance at an event sponsored by Philip Morris Japan, after health advocates protested violation of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco...