Author: marissa

Senate Confirms New FDA Commissioner

Last week the U.S. Senate confirmed former Johns Hopkins surgeon and professor Dr. Marty Makary to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by a 56-44 vote. During his confirmation hearing, Makary said his goals for the agency were “more cures and meaningful treatments for Americans,” and offered several insights as to how he would achieve those goals throughout the hearing.

In the past, Makary has been critical of the FDA, in 2021 calling for “fresh leadership at the FDA to change the culture at the agency and promote scientific advancement, not hinder it.” Reporting to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Makary’s leadership of the FDA also includes its Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). However, it’s not yet clear how he will approach CTP’s looming issues of reviewing premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs), the illicit vape market, and other tobacco-related issues.

Much of the confirmation hearing centered around past problems, including those with Covid-19 vaccines, the pharmaceutical industry, and various other issues that have often gained headlines of late, but he did not commit to specifics in that venue.

“I have no preconceived plans on mifepristone policy except to take a hard look at the data and to meet with the professional career scientists at the FDA who have reviewed the data,” he said at his hearing. “We now have a generational opportunity in American healthcare. President Trump and Secretary Kennedy’s focus on healthy foods has galvanized a grassroots movement in America. Childhood obesity is not a willpower problem, and the rise of early-onset Alzheimer’s is not a genetic cause. We should be, and we will, be addressing food as it impacts our health.”

When asked about the backlog of cases the FDA has across all departments, Makary did not rule out leveraging artificial intelligence and making other regulatory changes to streamline the drug review process. He suggested FDA reviewers could use AI “to help reviewers in the review process—not to replace human reviews, but to improve efficiency.”

National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) Executive Director David Spross told CSP on Friday that “NATO looks forward to working with Dr. Makary and the team at FDA on tobacco and nicotine product regulatory issues, including for the FDA is to support tobacco harm reduction policies by authorizing more PMTA vapor and nicotine pouch product applications that provide adult smokers with more choices.”

Spross added that there is a “need for more transparency from the agency by providing retailers more information on illicit products, specifically in the vapor and nicotine pouch categories.”

Makary is a surgical oncologist and health policy researcher who has spent more than 20 years at Johns Hopkins.

“I am pleased to congratulate Dr. Makary on his new role as FDA commissioner,” said Johns Hopkins University President Ron Daniels. “We are fortunate to have one of our senior faculty members at the School of Medicine undertake this critical service to the nation.

“An accomplished clinician and widely published health policy researcher, Dr. Makary has had a storied career at Johns Hopkins that reflects the research and clinical acumen and openness to different ideas and approaches undergirded by academic freedom that are the hallmark of our great institution,” said Daniels.

Makary founded the Johns Hopkins Center for Surgical Trials and Outcomes Research and co-developed a surgical safety checklist used in operating rooms worldwide. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and three New York Times bestselling books on healthcare.

Senate also confirmed Jay Bhattacharya as the new director of the National Institutes on Health.

March 31, 2025
Farmers Encouraged to Focus on Quality

Tobacco farmers in Zimbabwe have been encouraged to prioritize crop quality in order to combat expected price decreases, according to The Herald.

The 2025 tobacco marketing season is expected to see an increase in production due to favorable weather conditions, expanded hectarage, and an increase in farmers. However, the anticipated increase in supply along with other global market dynamics are expected to put downward pressure on prices, especially for middle-grade to low-grade leaf.

“China, the world’s largest tobacco producer and consumer, continues to show strong demand for top-end grades, which may help stabilize prices for high-quality tobacco,” said Tapiwa Masedza, a tobacco trading expert.

“While the increased production is a positive development, farmers must brace for potential price declines,” Masedza said. “To mitigate these challenges, we emphasize the importance of improving crop quality through better handling, curing, and presentation. Mixing grades in bales, excessive moisture, and moldy tobacco can lead to discounts or rejections, ultimately affecting profitability.

“In the long term, farmers are encouraged to invest in energy-efficient curing infrastructure, adopt precision farming techniques, and implement improved agronomic practices.

“These measures can help reduce operating costs, enhance yield, and ensure better returns despite fluctuating prices.”

The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board is developing a new price matrix for contract tobacco sales in order to establish a more representative minimum price for the marketing season. The new system is expected to be implemented in the upcoming selling season beginning April 5.

Under the new system, the day’s minimum price will be based on the previous day’s average price of all tobacco sold, at auction and through contract, across all grades.

Tobacco is Zimbabwe’s largest single foreign currency earner following gold.

February 21, 2025
Smoking Increases in Croatia

The number of smokers in Croatia is increasing, according to Croatia Week, citing a study from January 2025 carried out by JA Trgovac magazine and Hendal, a global market research agency.

The study showed that 37 percent of people used tobacco products in January of this year, four percentage points higher than the previous year. In two years, the number of tobacco users has increased by 12 percent.

Of all tobacco users, 74 percent smoke cigarettes, an increase of 6 percent from January 2023.

Hrvatski Duhani, a BAT-owned company, purchased more than 4,500 tonnes of tobacco last year from 250 growers in the Podravina and Slavonia regions, marking a 41 percent increase from 2023. According to Hrvatski Duhani, the company paid tobacco producers more than €20 million last year.

February 21, 2025
Milan Bans Outdoor Smoking

Milan has banned smoking in outdoor and public areas, effective Jan. 1, 2025, reports Euro News.
The ban includes “all public spaces, including streets” but provides an exception for isolated spaces as long as smokers maintain a distance of at least 10 meters from other people. Those caught violating the ban face fines ranging from €40 to €240.
The ban aims to improve the city’s air quality and protect the health of citizens from secondhand smoke. Milan is one of Europe’s most polluted cities in terms of air quality.
The new law does not apply to electronic cigarettes, however.

January 2, 2025
Study: One Cigarette Decreases Life Expectancy by 20 Minutes

Photo: Nopphon

A new study in Addiction shows that smoking a single cigarette decreases life expectancy by an average of 20 minutes, reports CNN Health. The study is based off British smokers and was commissioned by the U.K. Department for Health and Social Care.
The research, which came out of University College London, estimated that the loss of life expectancy for men was about 17 minutes and for women was about 22 minutes.
According to Sarah Jackson, lead author of the paper and a principal research fellow in the UCL Alcohol and Tobacco Research Group, “20 cigarettes at 20 minutes per cigarette works out to be almost seven hours of life lost per pack.”
“The time they’re losing is time that they could be spending with their loved ones in fairly good health,” Jackson said. “With smoking, it doesn’t eat into the later period of your life that tends to be lived in poorer health. Rather, it seems to erode some relatively healthier section in the middle of life. So when we’re talking about loss of life expectancy, life expectancy would tend to be lived relatively good health.”
The research used mortality data from the British Doctors Study and the Million Women Study, showing that people who smoked throughout their lives lost, on average, around 10 years of life compared to nonsmokers. Life expectancy is similar in the U.S. for smokers versus nonsmokers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The amount of life expectancy that can be recovered by quitting smoking can depend on several factors, according to the new research.
“In terms of regaining this life lost, it’s complicated,” said Jackson. “These studies have shown that people who quit at a very young age—so by their 20s or early 30s—tend to have a similar life expectancy to people who have never smoked. But as you get older, you progressively lose a little bit more that you can’t regain by quitting.
“But no matter how old you are when you quit, you will always have a longer life expectancy than if you had continued to smoke. So, in effect, while you may not be reversing the life lost already, you’re preventing further loss of life expectancy.”

January 2, 2025
Iowa Vape Companies Sue to Block Registry

A group of e-cigarette and vaping product distributors and retailers is suing the state of Iowa to block enforcement of a new law set to take effect in February.
Alternatives to Smoking and Tobacco Inc., Global Source Distribution, Triton Distribution, Smokin Hot, Central Iowa Vapors WDM, and Route 69 Vapor filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.
The companies allege that House File 2677 violates the supremacy clause and equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution as well as the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution.
State records show House File 2677 was introduced on March 27, 2024, with backing from lobbyists for R.J. Reynolds and other tobacco companies. Lobbyists for the American Cancer Society Action Network declared their opposition to the bill within two days, according to Iowa Capital Dispatch.
The bill was approved in the Iowa House on April 3, 2024, and in the Iowa Senate on April 19, 2024. Governor Kim Reynolds signed it into law on May 17, 2024.
The law stipulates that manufacturers whose electronic nicotine-delivery systems—more commonly known as electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and vaping products—are sold in Iowa must certify that their products “have received a marketing authorization” from the Food and Drug Administration or that their applications for authorization were filed by September 2020 and are still under review.
The Iowa Department of Revenue is then tasked with producing a publicly accessible directory listing all certified vaping products—at which point any retailer selling products not on the registry is subject to fines or other enforcement action.

January 2, 2025
A Platform for Dialogue

Photos: BAT

With its Omni tool, BAT has released a dynamic, science-based guide to tobacco harm reduction.

By Stefanie Rossel

The concept of tobacco harm reduction (THR) dates back to at least 1976, when Michael Russell made his famous statement that people smoke for the nicotine but die from the tar and suggested that altering the ratio of tar to nicotine could be the way to safer smoking. Almost 50 years on, there is an extensive array of less hazardous alternatives to combustible cigarettes, but misconceptions about nicotine and reduced-risk products (RRPs) continue to be so pervasive that the R Street Institute last year even published a list with the 10 most common misperceptions, arguing that over the past decade, an overwhelming onslaught of misinformation from academics, media outlets and public health agencies had created confusion and significantly slowed THR activities.
BAT has set out to overcome these misunderstandings with a new tool. At its first-ever Transformation Forum, which took place in London in September, the company introduced Omni, an evidence-based, accessible and dynamic knowledge resource that shows how science and innovation can converge to achieve a smokeless world.
Under its “A Better Tomorrow” strategy, the company aims to migrate adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke from cigarettes to smokeless products and to ultimately consign cigarettes to the dustbin of history. On its transformation journey, however, the company has faced several challenges, including the rejection of THR by key regulatory bodies and nongovernmental organizations, markets that prevent the sale of RRPs, onerous regulatory frameworks that hinder innovation, skepticism toward industry research as well as the already-mentioned misperceptions about nicotine and the relative risks of combustion-free products.
James Murphy
Omni, BAT states on its website, is intended to be a compendium of information that underpins the company’s corporate and scientific strategy and offers insights into the work being done at BAT to achieve a world without cigarettes. “The world’s first-of-its-kind resource, Omni explains why THR should be a prominent component of the public health strategy on tobacco,” says James Murphy, director of research and science at BAT. “It draws from hundreds of independent scientific studies, BAT’s own research into its smokeless innovations, and examples of THR in action globally. Beyond that, Omni serves as a dynamic platform for thoughtful, constructive conversations with stakeholders rooted in evidence, where open dialogue around THR is not just welcomed but encouraged.”
Omni differs from BAT’s Science website, which focuses on the innovations driving the company’s business, Murphy points out. The Science website “serves as a hub for publishing data and peer-reviewed research on our smokeless products such as Vuse, VELO and Glo. The website also provides insights into our global research and development network, which comprises 1,750 R&D specialists across eight different sites worldwide. The emphasis here is on showcasing the science behind our products rather than facilitating discussions on THR policy,” says Murphy.

Engaging All Stakeholders

Kingsley Wheaton
Omni is targeted at scientists, public health authorities, regulators, policymakers and investors, and it aims to spur a dialogue across the wider scientific and regulatory ecosystem related to tobacco and nicotine products. Across nine chapters, it addresses the big questions that the company and the tobacco industry in general are confronted with, among them classics such as what exactly tobacco harm reduction means, whether smokeless products are a gateway to cigarette smoking or what the role of flavors in smokeless tobacco and THR is.
“We believe that open and constructive dialogue with a broad range of stakeholders is crucial for accelerating the decline in global smoking rates,” says Kingsley Wheaton, BAT’s chief corporate officer. “It is incumbent on regulators, scientists and policymakers to review the scientific and real-world evidence on THR and engage in dialogue on how to encourage smokers to switch completely to smokeless alternatives with a reduced-risk profile. Unfortunately, there are few spaces where these groups can review such evidence and reach common ground on THR science to drive progress.”
According to Wheaton, Omni demonstrates that the evidence in support of THR is growing daily. “Sweden, which is on the brink of becoming smoke-free, has the lowest adult smoking rates and lung cancer deaths in Europe, which has attributed to the availability, affordability and increased use of smokeless tobacco and nicotine products,” he says. “Yet there is still significant debate on whether THR strategies should be used to reach global smoke-free targets, and more countries are restricting the sale of smokeless alternatives. Our hope is that Omni becomes the platform to engage these stakeholders so that we can create whole-of-society solutions and build smarter regulation that allows THR to flourish.”
BAT plans to make Omni, which is also available as a PDF download, a fully online, dynamic resource in the coming months. “With THR research rapidly evolving, we want Omni to reflect the latest evidence in support of THR,” says Wheaton. “A team of scientists will regularly update Omni by assessing and collating new academic research, including BAT’s latest peer-reviewed evidence. Omni will both push out information and pull in insights, but the ultimate goal is to create a platform for dialogue. That’s why we are inviting anyone who shares our belief that a smokeless world is possible—and even those who don’t agree with us—to interrogate the evidence and join us on our journey to ‘A Better Tomorrow.’”

Major Milestone

BAT will be introducing new tools and technology-enabled platforms to facilitate the interrogation of the latest science and real-world experience of tobacco harm reduction, Wheaton says. “For example, it gives us the opportunity to develop a tech-driven Omni tool to give stakeholders in the THR policy debate more access to our evidence-based answers to the big questions facing our sector and society.”
“Omni is not a broadcast channel for BAT to talk about tobacco harm reduction,” he stresses. “Our ambition is for Omni to be a platform for a necessary conversation with stakeholders rooted in evidence—a manifesto for change and a call to action, backed by high-quality science and real-world evidence.”
Omni, Murphy explains, is the result of a major scientific effort, involving over 60 contributors and writers. “It covers products that involve around 9,800 global patents and cites more than 600 pieces of external evidence. This comprehensive compendium reflects over a decade of research—both our own and independent studies—into THR, and we have included the very best of published industry science for assessing the risk profile of smokeless products. We’re incredibly proud of this achievement, and as we’ve said, this is just the beginning.”
“The launch of Omni marks a major milestone in our transformation toward a smokeless world, and we’re excited about the progress it represents for both us and the industry. By 2030, we aim to have 50 million adult consumers of our smokeless products, and by 2035, for smokeless products to make up at least 50 percent of our global revenue,” says Wheaton. “The ultimate goal we are working toward is a fully smokeless business, hopefully in a fully smokeless world. We believe Omni will be instrumental in achieving this vision, and we’re eager for the next chapter.”

Stefanie Rossel is Tobacco Reporter’s editorial contributor. An experienced trade journalist, she combines sharp reporting skills with in-depth knowledge of the tobacco and vapor industries. Prior to joining Tobacco Reporter, Stefanie was editor-in-chief at Tobacco Journal International, where she worked for a decade. Fluent in English, German and French, Stefanie covers tobacco news around the world. She is based in Germany.

December 2, 2024
At the Turning Point

Smuggled cigarettes on the Latvian border

Belarus’ role in the illicit cigarette trade is under scrutiny.

Contributed

For years, Belarus has been under scrutiny for its alleged distribution of illegal counterfeit cigarettes, a practice that is now under severe pressure in the current political landscape. This pressure casts a shadow of uncertainty over the industry’s future.
A cornerstone of the Belarus national budget, the tobacco industry contributed BYR2.5 billion ($76.45 million) in 2023. However, the industry is now facing alarming trends, as highlighted by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko during a governmental meeting in August 2024.
The reasons for the existing challenges might be different, Lukashenko vaguely said, emphasizing that despite that, “It is necessary to develop measures to preserve production and export volumes to the maximum extent possible.”
The Belarusian tobacco industry has been shrouded in secrecy for over a decade. In 2015, the last time official information was revealed, Belarusian authorities set the quota of cigarette consumption on the domestic market at 30 billion pieces. At that time, local analysts indicated that the figure had nothing to do with reality.
Research by KPMG showed that the actual consumption of cigarettes in Belarus is close to 18 billion pieces. Around 13 billion cigarettes are exported, of which 8.6 billion end up in Russia and 4.3 billion in the EU.
Woes about the flow of cheap cigarettes, often smuggled, from Belarus have become common in recent years not only in the European Union but also in Russia.
In 2020, the Russian association Anticounterfeit calculated that Belarus’ domestic consumption was around 17 billion cigarettes and that production nearly three times exceeded the country’s demand. In a letter to the Russian Ministry of Justice, Anticounterfeit claimed that cheap cigarette production was put on an industrial scale in Belarus. The nameplate capacity of the Belarusian tobacco factories was estimated at 67 billion pieces, meaning export potential was tremendous.
In 2023, Belarus accounted for 84.5 percent of illegal cigarettes sold on the Russian market, estimated the Russian National Scientific Competence Center for Combating Illegal Circulation of Industrial Products. In total, illegal—counterfeit and smuggled—cigarettes represented 15.6 percent of sales on the Russian market. This illicit trade cost the Russian budget around RUB130 billion ($1.35 billion) of lost income in 2023, the analysts calculated.

Belarussian tobacco consumption is estimated to be close to 18 million pieces per year.

Shut Borders

During the past few years, the flow of illegal cigarettes from Belarus to the European Union has subsided, as in the context of political tensions, the Baltic countries and Poland tightened border controls.
As estimated by KPMG, the volume of smuggled cigarettes from Belarus to the EU dropped by 500 million in 2023 and by almost 2 billion pieces over the past three years. The analysts also cite the tighter control and closure of a number of checkpoints on the border for the decline. The place of Belarusian cigarettes is being taken by suppliers from other countries, primarily Turkiye and Algeria.
Counterfeit supplies from Belarus to European countries decreased from 2.1 billion to 1.5 billion cigarettes over the year.
However, Belarus remains the absolute leader in the supply of illegal “white” cigarettes, which mean those smuggled and sold under their own brands to European countries.
In this category, Belarus holds a staggering 43 percent share in total deliveries to Europe. A year earlier, this figure was around 52 percent, KPMG calculated.
The most popular western destination for tobacco smuggling from Belarus is Poland. Last year, 0.74 billion illegal Belarusian cigarettes entered the country, which is almost 17 percent less than in 2022 and almost half as much as in 2020. The supply of illicit cigarettes from Belarus to Lithuania fell by 15.2 percent to 0.39 billion pieces and from Belarus to Latvia fell by 27.35 percent to 0.16 billion pieces.

Russia has declared war on counterfeit cigarettes from Belarus.

Unraveling Tobacco War?

However, the main blow comes from the Russian market, where authorities also tightened the screws on illegal sales. Observers believe that problems in Russia were the key reason for Lukashenko’s concerns during the recent government meeting.
“The meeting is definitely not happening out of nowhere. But we need to call things by their proper names. We are not talking about problems with exports but with smuggling. Legal exports have been virtually nonexistent for a long time,” Nick & Mike, a local analytical Telegram channel reported.
“Strengthening controls on the western border, where Belarusian state counterfeit goods are seized in industrial quantities, including from tanks with resin, is nothing compared to what the eastern neighbor is doing. Russia has tacitly declared a ‘tobacco war’ and has been striking at illegal businesses,” the analyst claimed, referring to the intensified efforts by Russian authorities to curb illegal tobacco traffic from Belarus.
For years, Russian authorities have been turning a blind eye to illegal cigarette imports from Belarus, but this era seems to be coming to its end, a source in the tobacco industry who wished to remain anonymous told Tobacco Reporter.
“I would not call it a war, though. This is primarily about bringing the domestic market in order. Everybody knew that a situation where Russia loses over $1 billion in tax revenues every year to cigarette smuggling from Belarus would not last forever. The country could afford it during the rich times, but now every penny counts,” the source added.
In April 2024, Russia listed tobacco products among the goods of strategic importance. Andrey Mayorov, deputy head of the main directorate for customs control at the Russian Federal Customs Service, revealed that this move helped the authorities tighten their control of illegal tobacco traffic. One of the first consequences of the step, he added, was a hike in the number of criminal cases opened against tobacco smugglers.
More legal changes are on the way to turn down illegal cigarette imports to Russia from Belarus.
An agreement on indirect taxes between Russia and Belarus scheduled to gradually come into force through 2027 is expected to fully protect the Russian market from gray imports of cigarettes from Belarus, assumed Alexei Sazanov, deputy finance minister of Russia.
“The problem of gray imports stems from a significant difference between tax rates in the countries: Russian excise rates on tobacco products are significantly higher than in Belarus. This means that Belarusian tobacco manufacturers, producing cigarettes in their country, simply supply part of the goods to the Russian market, de facto paying taxes at Belarusian rates,” Sazanov explained.
The reform is stretched in time not to provoke “social and economic tensions in Belarus,” the deputy minister added.

Change of Players

The Belarusian tobacco industry is also going through a profound transformation, with Western companies gradually reducing their presence in the country.
In September 2024, Japan Tobacco International and its British subsidiary Gallaher Group terminated licensing agreements with the Tabak-Invest factory, suspending production of the brands Winston, Camel, Sobranie and Monte-Carlo.
JTI’s Minsk office confirmed that the agreement originally concluded in 2008 is no longer in force, declining to provide additional details.
In December 2023, Tabak-Invest and several of its co-owners were subjected to U.S. sanctions. The restrictions prohibited U.S. citizens and businesses from any deals with sanctioned parties.
In the meantime, JTI continues doing business in Russia. In March 2022, the company announced a suspension of investments in its four factories and marketing activity in the country. However, in November 2023, the company announced it would continue operations, complying with international and Russian regulations.
JTI may switch to importing its brands from Russia to Belarus, writes Belmarket, a local business news outlet. Alternatively, the company could sign a new license agreement with a Belarusian tobacco factory that is not subjected to Western sanctions. This could be newcomers Sentoni PRO and Alidi-West, Belmarket’s analysts speculated.
Alidi-West is a Russian company that distributes Kent cigarettes. It kicked off sales in Belarus in July 2024. Sentoni PRO is another firm registered to sell cigarettes in the country this year.
According to the Belarusian Ministry of Taxes and Duties, Sentoni PRO will produce Kent, Pall Mall, Rothmans, Vogue and Lucky Strike brands.
These players may also launch production at the capacities previously run by Western firms.
BAT in Belarus held a contract manufacturing agreement with the Grodno tobacco factory Neman. After Neman was subjected to the U.S. sanctions in 2021, the contract was canceled, and a part of BAT’s production was transferred to Tabak-Invest.
Around the same time, sanctions were also imposed against another Minsk factory, Inter Tobacco, which forced Philip Morris to withdraw from the license production.
In September 2023, BAT announced a deal to sell its business in Russia and Belarus to a consortium of Russian investors and local management, BAT Russia. Upon completion of the “business transfer,” the new structure became known as the ITMS Group of Companies. BAT left the business to its management along with the rights to the trademarks.
The gradual withdrawal of foreign business from Belarus could add pressure to the tobacco industry, which is braced for a hard time ahead.

December 2, 2024
From Tradition to Transition

By adrian_ilie825

With the launch of its Sixhill heated-tobacco brand, Firstunion is offering smokers in the Middle East a less risky alternative to smoking.

By Stefanie Rossel

The Middle East is one of the last growth markets for combustible cigarettes. Tobacco has been deeply rooted in the culture since the 1600s, and regional smoking rates are among the highest in the world. With a male smoking prevalence of 57.6 percent in 2022, Jordan tops the list, followed by 49.1 percent in Egypt and 42.9 percent in Lebanon, according a report published by THR.net.
Smoking is generally a male habit in the region. While cigarettes dominate the Middle Eastern tobacco market, other popular products include shisha, also known as waterpipe or hookah, and dokha, a powdered tobacco that comes in different varieties and strengths and is often mixed with spices, herbs and other substances.
While the World Health Organization projects smoking rates in the Middle East to decrease from 33.3 percent in 2020 to 31 percent in 2025, this is the smallest anticipated decline among all WHO regions. Embracing tobacco harm reduction (THR) could accelerate the decline of smoking prevalence. Demand for e-cigarettes in the region has been growing in recent years, with some places adopting heated-tobacco products (HTPs) and nicotine pouches as well.
“Increasing awareness of the health risks associated with smoking is driving demand for alternatives like HTPs and e-cigarettes, which are perceived as less harmful,” confirms Wayne Wu, senior director of business development (HTP BU) at Firstunion—Sixhill. “Younger demographics, particularly in countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, are increasingly turning to e-cigarettes and heated-tobacco products as they become more conscious of lifestyle choices and trends.”
While vape products are still banned in a few countries, including Iran, Omar and Qatar, most Middle Eastern states now permit the sale of e-cigarettes. Legislation differs by nation, with many countries regulating e-cigarettes using the European Union Tobacco Product Directive as a blueprint. However, several states, including Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, tax vapes and heated-tobacco products at a rate of 100 percent or more in an attempt to curb the spread of electronic smoking devices, particularly among children, and to address the disparities in taxes between traditional cigarettes and smoking alternatives.
According to Wu, the evolution of the regulatory environment reflects ongoing efforts to improve product quality and advertising standards. “Additionally, some countries have established specific regulations for e-cigarettes and HTPs, defining product specifications, advertising and sales standards to foster more orderly market development,” he says.

High-Potential Markets

Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Shenzhen, China, Firstunion was a pioneer in the field of electronic atomization. The company offers a vast range of electronic nicotine-delivery system (ENDS) technologies, heated-tobacco solutions and atomizing equipment. In the Middle East, Firstunion launched its proprietary heated-tobacco brand, Sixhill, which it distributes through extensive partnerships in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and Iraq. “Firstunion focuses on the research, design and production of heated-tobacco products,” Wu explains. “We collaborate closely with major international HTP manufacturers, with our products marketed globally. We aim to provide premium, technology-driven and competitive products to our THP [tobacco-heating products] customers throughout the Middle East. We look forward to building deeper, stronger strategic collaborations with more clients across the region.”
According to Wu, the Middle East markets that offer the highest potential for innovative HTP technology are the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The UAE is one of the most open and affluent countries in the region, and since e-cigarettes and HTPs were legalized in 2019, demand for these products has steadily increased. “Young consumers and expatriates in the UAE show a high acceptance of HTP products, especially among middle-[income] and high-income groups focused on health and quality of life,” says Wu.
“The UAE’s positive stance toward technological innovation makes it easier for new products and technologies to enter the market and potentially expand to other Middle Eastern countries. Furthermore, the UAE’s well-structured regulatory system allows compliant international brands to enter the market, which benefits the long-term growth of companies.”
Saudi Arabia, the largest economy in the Middle East, has gradually relaxed regulations on smoking alternatives. Since 2019, the kingdom has permitted the sale of HTP products, fueling demand. “With Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation and a rising young population, especially under the Vision 2030 initiative, there is an increasing demand among young people for modern lifestyles and innovative technology,” says Wu. “Saudi Arabia’s substantial market size, combined with a strong consumer preference for international brands and high-tech products, offers significant growth opportunities for companies with innovative heated-tobacco technology.”
Egypt, with its large population, is a crucial market too. Although HTP regulations are still evolving, the market holds immense potential, according to Wu. “There is a large number of smokers in Egypt, and demand for traditional cigarette alternatives, such as HTP products, is rising, particularly among young people and the middle class,” he says. “Given the market’s high price sensitivity, companies that can provide cost-effective, innovative technology will hold a competitive advantage in Egypt. Additionally, Egypt can serve as a gateway to the broader North African market.”

Rise of Local Brands

Regarding THR, Wu describes several trends in the Middle East, including the rise of local and international brands. “Leading international tobacco companies are actively expanding into the Middle East market, offering products that cater to local smokers seeking healthier and trendier options,” he says. “There also is an emergence of local brands: With a growing focus on health, many new tobacco brands have recently emerged across various Middle Eastern countries. These companies provide consumers with more health-conscious vaporized products and offer a more comprehensive, diverse service experience for local customers.” Firstunion collaborates with some of these brands, he adds.
HTPs and e-cigarette products are now widely available in physical stores, such as supermarkets and convenience stores, as well as through online channels, making it easier for consumers to purchase these products, according to Wu. “Major global and local retail chains are increasing their offerings of heated tobacco and e-cigarette products,” he says.
In recent years, the vaping industry in the region has diversified. “Besides traditional tobacco, products such as e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, herbal cigarettes and heated tobacco have flooded the market, offering richer flavors and more advanced technology,” says Wu. “While smokers now have a broader range of differentiated choices, market competition has also intensified. Among these options, HTPs are increasingly favored by consumers.”
Currently, Firstunion is promoting three heating technologies in the Middle East: Atine, which works with resistance heating; Insheat, which heats with induction; and Breelight, which is powered by infrared heating. Soon, the company plans to introduce its latest technology in the region: Alkaid technology. Launched this year and recognized with a “Best HnB innovation Award” at the 2024 Alternative Awards, Alkaid leverages the high-speed propagation of light to directly deliver energy to the tobacco, bypassing spatial constraints (see sidebar).

Complex Environment

Despite increasing demand, HTPs face several challenges in the region. “There is significant variation in tobacco product regulations across Middle Eastern countries, which increases complexity for manufacturers,” says Wu. “Regulations may change quickly due to public health campaigns or international agreements, making it challenging for manufacturers to remain compliant.”
He also names cultural sensitivity, with views on smoking and e-cigarettes differing widely due to cultural and religious beliefs across the region. “Many consumers still favor traditional tobacco products such as shisha and cigarettes, which may hinder the adoption of e-cigarettes and heated-tobacco products,” says Wu.
In addition, increasing concerns about health risks associated with e-cigarettes and HTPs could lead to stricter scrutiny and more stringent regulations, whereas misunderstandings about the safety and risks of HTPs may foster a negative public image, influencing regulatory actions. Strict advertising regulations could limit how manufacturers promote their products, affecting brand visibility and consumer awareness. Certain countries in the region may impose import restrictions or tariffs on e-cigarettes and HTPs, impacting pricing and supply.
“Overall, HTP and e-cigarette manufacturers in the Middle East must operate within a complex landscape of regulations, cultural attitudes, competition and market dynamics,” Wu stresses. “Addressing these challenges effectively is essential for successful market entry and ensuring sustainable growth in the region.”
Firstunion has made significant strides in the Middle East, focusing on establishing a strong market presence through partnerships, product innovation and strategic marketing, Wu says. “Our future plans include expanding our distribution network, customizing products for local markets, ensuring regulatory compliance and enhancing brand visibility to capitalize on the growing demand for e-cigarettes and heated-tobacco products in the region.”
As Middle Eastern consumers increasingly prioritize sustainability, the company plans to integrate eco-friendly practices into its production and packaging processes. “This commitment to sustainability enhances our appeal to environmentally conscious consumers,” says Wu.

The Power of Light
Firstunion’s Alkaid heated-tobacco technology works with light. The emitted wavelength of Alkaid technology ranges from 200 nm to 1 mm, enabling energy transfer in a noncontact heating process through a vacuum, significantly reducing the limitations of traditional heat conduction.
Alkaid’s light heating technology provides a continuous spectrum similar to sunlight, including ultraviolet, visible light, short-wave and mid-wave to long-wave infrared. The different wavelengths allow for varying penetration depths, achieving uniform and thorough heating of the entire tobacco segment, greatly enhancing nicotine and smoke release.
In this mode, the temperature of the tobacco remains below traditional heating levels, effectively avoiding pyrolysis temperatures, which significantly reduces the release of harmful substances.
Alkaid uses fully automated assembly line production, ensuring stable performance and a long lifespan, with tested cycles exceeding 10,000 times. Its outer casing is made from a material with high electromagnetic wave transparency, and the heating element can reach peak temperatures up to 2,000 degrees Celsius, effectively transferring energy through radiant heat. According to Firstunion, this excites nicotine and flavor compounds within the medium, delivering a rich and refined flavor with a higher nicotine conversion efficiency. —S.R.

Stefanie Rossel is Tobacco Reporter’s editorial contributor. An experienced trade journalist, she combines sharp reporting skills with in-depth knowledge of the tobacco and vapor industries. Prior to joining Tobacco Reporter, Stefanie was editor-in-chief at Tobacco Journal International, where she worked for a decade. Fluent in English, German and French, Stefanie covers tobacco news around the world. She is based in Germany.

December 2, 2024
Toward Pure Leaf

With its new Pure-F sorter, Koerber Technologies removes undesired materials from tobacco at the earliest possible point.

By Stefanie Rossel

It’s annoying but unavoidable: Nontobacco-related materials (NTRMs) can find their way into tobacco at any production stage, from harvesting to processing through packing, shipping, warehousing and even beyond. The range of things found in freshly harvested tobacco during the sorting process is nothing short of amazing, including civilization waste such as plastic bags or sweets wrappers, but also organic remainders such as bird feathers, insect cocoons, grass or cobwebs and even cadavers of small animals. Sand, pebbles and small rocks may also be found. This is sometimes added to by metal objects such as nuts, bolts or bearing balls from harvesting and processing machinery failure, and more frequently by packing materials such as shrink wraps, metal staples, strings or cardboard.
If not removed, the unwanted objects may have a detrimental effect on threshers and slicers. What’s worse, if not removed at a very early stage in the production process, the problem will multiply as once the NTRMs move through the thresher, they will be cut into 10 pieces or even more. The tinier the particles are, the harder and more complex it is to remove them during the following production stages, requiring, of course, even more sorting equipment.
That’s where Koerber’s new Hauni Pure-F sorter comes in: “Sorting early in the process, before threshing, can replace sorters in the downstream process,” says Ralf Kohlhardt, head of technical sales primary at Koerber. “These are the main reasons why sorting before threshing is so effective: There is a much lower amount of NTRMs. The NTRMs are bigger and hence easier to detect. In addition, it avoids that one NTRM will become 10 or more. And also hand pickers, which are standard in green-leaf threshing (GLT) processing, aren’t required anymore.”
The Hauni Pure-F, which Koerber claims is the only green leaf sorter on the market, is the successor of the Hauni Aerosort, which was already capable of processing whole leaves. Based on the proven Hauni Aerosort design, the Hauni Pure-F is sorting the leaves in an upstream flow, which is what allows it to process all kinds of whole leaves, hand-cut as well as machine-harvested. The machine features an optimized monolayer for detection because it transports the leaves pneumatically at a speed of 20 meters to 23 meters per second. “When the leaves enter the upstream airflow, they will be separated due to the air velocity,” Kohlhardt points out. “This avoids blockages and allows proper sorting.”
A heavy particle separator sorts out heavy objects such as tobacco pads or larger pieces of metal. The leaves and remaining NTRMs then travel upward in the sorter to pass the centerpiece of the Hauni Pure-F, its vision unit. The unit, featuring new processing software and hardware developed by the Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation (IOSB) and equipped with three state-of-the-art channel cameras, LED lights, static background and a new evaluating processor unit, detects nontobacco particles with unprecedented efficiency, the company says. In a next step, these particles are removed by air, and the NTRM-free tobacco leaves can enter the threshing process. The Hauni Pure-F sorter has been developed for strips and whole leaf in the GLT or primary and has a capacity of up to 12 tons per hour.

Opting for Camera Technology

With other suppliers such as Tomra or Key gradually withdrawing from the tobacco market, Koerber remains one of the few providers of advanced sorting equipment in this field. During the last four years, the company has continuously revised its portfolio of sorting equipment, which it now markets under the Pure brand family.
Among manufacturers of sorting equipment, the technology chosen for the actual detection process of unwanted particles has always been a bit of a holy war. The reason for this is another vital issue in the early stages of production: Certain parts of the tobacco plant itself, such as woody stalks, roots, seed capsules or moldy leaves, are just as little wanted in the final product as NTRMs, as they would negatively impact its quality. The problematic plant remainders are a category in themselves, referred to as nondesired tobacco products, and they pose a particular challenge to optical sorting systems as even perfectly good tobacco displays natural color variations even within the same leaf. Proponents of laser-based sorting systems argue that their systems also examine structural and biological differences while camera-only systems are limited to merely scanning color differences, which reportedly makes it difficult to sort out nondesired tobacco products.
Koerber has decided on purpose to use camera technology-based vision units. “Besides to the technical abilities, it is the very reliable technology which isn’t subject of any wear and tear,” says Kohlhardt. “The same applies for the LED light.”
Camera technology is also significantly less costly: Unlike laser technology, which may bring about annual maintenance costs of $30,000 during its years of operation, camera-based vision units are maintenance-free and extremely long-lasting. Koerber’s latest vision unit, benefiting from the company’s more than 20 years of experience in the field of sorting, takes these advantages even further: It is equipped with newly designed encapsulated housing inclusive of a double sealing. Integrated air-conditioning via a water-air heat exchanger makes it also suitable for warm, ambient conditions. Furthermore, it features actively cooled LED lighting. With a newly designed static background, the vision unit comes without any rotating parts, preventing the unit from scratches on the background surface and requiring no cleaning.
“What is most important about the inside of the vision unit is that it is clean, dark—i.e., there’s no reflection—and cool,” Kohlhardt explains. “Being heat [resistant] and dust resistant, the Pure design is most reliable and failure-free.”

Sixteen Million Shades

Being able to detect and process 16 million colors, the new Pure vision unit also distinguishes small color differences in the visible color range as well as in the near infrared range, which makes it possible to distinguish moldy leaves from good product, he adds. “Tobacco reflects infrared light very well. Advanced technologies and new developments contribute to the highest sorting efficiency, including much more efficient LED lighting, much higher resolution of the camera, i.e., pixel size, and a completely new and high-advanced sorting algorithm supported by Fraunhofer IOSB.”
To customers who use previous Koerber sorter models, such as the tobacco sorter Hauni TS8 or the Hauni Aerosort, Koerber offers to upgrade them with its new Pure vision unit.
Outstanding efficiency is also a key feature of Koerber’s other Pure sorter models. Its Hauni Pure 1400 T&B and 2100 T&B optical belt sorters are the only ones on the market with integrated second sorting, which means they have an in-built rerun. “Not only does this increase the sorting efficiency, but it also mainly reduces the false reject rate drastically,” Kohlhardt relates. “There isn’t almost any tobacco in the reject waste. According to the defined cross industry test (CIT) procedure, the false reject rate is reduced from approximately 2 percent without rerun to 0.2 percent with integrated rerun. Some factories have hand pickers or even a separate sorter to sort the false reject. This isn’t needed anymore with Koerber’s new technology.”
A world in which 100 percent sorting efficiency can be achieved is not completely out of reach, he says. “We are on the way. With our detection unit, we see almost all NTRMs. With CIT test results above 90 percent with the Pure, we prove that we are close already.”

Stefanie Rossel is Tobacco Reporter’s editorial contributor. An experienced trade journalist, she combines sharp reporting skills with in-depth knowledge of the tobacco and vapor industries. Prior to joining Tobacco Reporter, Stefanie was editor-in-chief at Tobacco Journal International, where she worked for a decade. Fluent in English, German and French, Stefanie covers tobacco news around the world. She is based in Germany.

December 2, 2024