Clive Bates is the director of Counterfactual Consulting and the former director of Action on Smoking and Health (U.K.). On this page we feature a selection of his contributions to Tobacco Reporter.
Retailers Push New Welsh Govt. to Focus on Illicit Crime
The organization argues that better enforcement would help curb the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes, protect legitimate retailers, and disrupt organized crime networks.
U.S. Cigar Imports Up 4.6% in 2025
Nicaragua remained the dominant supplier, with 190.4 million cigars, followed by the Dominican Republic (69.9M) and Honduras (55.5M), combining for 99% of all imports.
Reynolds Files Complaint with ITC Over Illicit Products
Reynolds argues that the alleged violations have enabled a large, illicit market that has significantly undercut lawful products such as its Vuse brand.
Mexico Implements Vape Ban
While personal possession and consumption will remain legal, violations of the new rules may result in prison sentences of one to eight years and fines.
Barnes Named First Female GM of PMSA
Barnes played a key role in PMI’s transformation strategy, which has seen smoke-free products account for 41% of the company’s net revenues by Q3 2025.
ATNF Releases Draft Agenda
ATNF 2026 plans to feature an innovation product showcase and a wide-ranging program examining science, regulation, litigation, and tobacco harm reduction.
Guam Police Required for School Smoking Incidents
Under the new procedure, GPD officers will confiscate tobacco or vaping devices, document the incident, and issue a notice to appear before the Juvenile Section.
FDA Extending Info Collection for Smokeless Products
The collection relates to requirements that smokeless tobacco packaging carry mandated health warnings, randomly displayed and rotated quarterly.
Calif. Court Denies Injunction for Cigar Companies in UTL Suit
The plaintiffs argued that the regulations impose duplicative and burdensome SKU-by-SKU submissions on premium cigars that they contend are already unflavored under federal law.
Murder of Tobacco Company Owners Tied to $5.5M Fraud Case
Authorities say they were shot by Nesar Dawla while meeting to discuss repayment of stolen funds linked to his brother, former company accountant Sadman Dawla.
Korea Health Insurance Loses Appeal Against Tobacco Cos.
The lawsuit, originally filed in 2014, sought $37.6 million to recover health insurance costs for smoking-related lung and laryngeal cancer patients.
Scandinavian Shuffles Cigar Lineups Between Divisions
The restructuring is part of STG’s Focus2030 strategy and is designed to make General and Forged more equal in scale,
Altria to Host Q4, FY25 Webcast January 29
During the webcast, CEO Billy Gifford and CFO Sal Mancuso will discuss the company’s results and answer questions from the investment community and news media.
BAT to Shut Down Only South African Plant
The company said the decision was driven by the rapid expansion of the illicit cigarette market, which it estimates now accounts for about 75% of total sales.
PCA’s Tips for Posting Industry-Related Material on Social Media
The PCA advised shifting away from direct product promotion toward lifestyle, educational, and community-focused content.
JTI Promotes Yahaya to North Asia VP, Ellena Director of Malaysia
JTI said the moves underscore its focus on sustainable growth, regulatory compliance, and responsible business practices.
BAT to Cut 59% of Jobs from Belgium Facility
According to BAT, increasing regulation, bans, rising excise duties, and the expansion of the illegal tobacco market have led to a sustained erosion of revenue.
IQOS Curious X Debuts at Zamna
The engagement platform featured a dedicated IQOS experience zone, aligning music and immersive environments with PMI’s smoke-free positioning.
Scottish Retailers Want Help as Illicit Vapes Top £2.8B
The SGF said organized criminal gangs are increasingly involved in the illicit vape trade, with products sold to underage consumers and without any safety.
OK Rules Replacing Tobacco Trust Members Unconstitutional
The court’s decision preserves the original intent of voters to insulate TSET from political influence and ensures the continuation of its public health mission.
Nepal Confiscates 16K Illicit Vapes at Mountain Border
The seizure is similar to last year at the same transit point—a high-altitude crossing point with China’s Tibet Region—where vapes worth $470,000 were confiscated.
Dutch Insurance to Cover Three Attempts to Quit Smoking per Year
While stop-smoking courses cost around €400 per attempt, campaigners argue the expense is outweighed by potential healthcare savings.
Hong Kong Ups Public Education in Battle Against Illicits
The penalty for failing to declare illicit cigarettes is $650, while the maximum punishment for duty-not-paid offences increased to $260,000 and seven years’ imprisonment.
Cabbacis Hosting Webinar Outlining its $7.5M Offering
The company will update investors on its regulatory pathway with the FDA, leadership team, and plans for an international rollout later in 2026.
Indonesia Hopes Simplifying Excises Will Reduce Illicits
Authorities underscored the scale of the illicit trade challenge, noting that 1.4 billion illegal cigarettes have been seized since the beginning of 2025.
COSH Studies Find Approval of Hong Kong Tobacco Control
Hong Kong has already doubled fixed penalties for smoking offences to HK$3,000 ($390) and expanded no-smoking zones, with further measures planned.
KT&G Says lil on Track to Top $3B in Cumulative Sales
Overseas momentum is also building, with international NGP sales up about 35% year over year to $75.3 million and products now sold in more than 30 markets.
Vietnam Looking to Tighten Tobacco Control, Include Vape and HTP
The proposal would require warnings to cover 85% of packaging and expand smoking-cessation and detoxification provisions to include e-cigarettes and HTPs.
Digital Connectivity, Collaboration Helping PMI Evolve in Saudi Arabia
PMI’s smoke-free strategy relies heavily on cooperation with regulators, emphasizing that progress depends on science-based dialogue and aligned oversight.
Philippines Seizes $1.9M in Counterfeit Cigarettes
Authorities said the cigarettes—bearing brands including Modern, RGD, Nise Baisha, and President—were intended for distribution in northern and central Luzon.
JT Introduces ‘Purple Dusk’ for Ploom AURA
JT says, “The deep colors reminiscent of the night scene and the accented patterned front panel create a mysterious atmosphere and presence.
N.J. Tightens Cannabis Rules, Allows Workers to Unionize
Cannabis workers are explicitly guaranteed rights to organize, bargain collectively, and engage in protected activity.
K&H Tobacco/Nicotine Symposium Registration Open
The two-day program is positioned as a comprehensive briefing on the legal, regulatory, and scientific issues shaping the tobacco, nicotine, and CBD/hemp sectors.
Hong Kong Health Org Wants Firm Dates for Tobacco Laws
COSH is also calling for a sharp increase in tobacco taxes, recommending a rise to 75% starting in the next fiscal year, followed by automatic annual increases.
Universal Releases FY25 Sustainability Report
The company reported a nearly sixfold increase in renewable electricity use, with renewables accounting for 17.8% of global consumption, and a 7.7% year-over-year.
22nd Century to Participate in the Needham Annual Growth Conference
Investors interested in booking meetings can register for the conference and arrange a time through their Needham representative.
Doseology Partners with McKinney to Bring Pouches to Market
McKinney will advise on formulation strategy, data generation, PMTA preparation, and post-market compliance.
Zimbabwe’s Increased Efficiency Base for Market Growth
Registered farmers declined 19.3% to 101,443, yet planted area increased 21.7% to 113,536 hectares.
MagicCube Investing in Phone Biometrics, AI Commerce
The funding will be used to accelerate R&D, strengthen AI security capabilities, and deepen integrations across global payment and identity ecosystems.
Taipei to Announce Plans for Smoke-Free City in 2026
The Mayor said officials are studying overseas models that use designated smoking areas and booths to reduce secondhand smoke and litter.
