Author: Marissa Dean

  • Indian Growers Hopeful for Better Prices

    Indian Growers Hopeful for Better Prices

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    As tobacco auctions began in Prakasam and Nellore, Indian tobacco farmers are hoping to see better than average prices for their leaf during the 2021–2022 season, reports The Hindu.

    Farmers had a hard time marketing leaf the past two years due to lower demand caused by the economic crisis and uncertainties due to Covid-19.

    “We hope to make a kill[ing] this year, thanks to the lifting of pandemic restrictions. There are no logistic problems that were witnessed in the last two years when Covid cases were at peak,” said a group of farmers waiting for buyers at the Ongole I auction platform. Exporters have not entered the market yet due to the lack of confirmed orders from their counterparts overseas.

    “The exporters are expected to enter the market during next week when the bales put for auction will be stepped up from the present 200 to 300 in each auction platform to 500 to 600,” SLS Regional Manager D. Venugopal assured the farmers, who were worried over nonparticipation in the auctions by all the registered traders.

  • Study Shows Vaping Alters Mouth Microbes

    Study Shows Vaping Alters Mouth Microbes

    Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Researchers at New York University led by Deepak Saxena and Xin Li conducted a study to compare oral microbiomes of smokers and vapers, according to the National Institutes of Health.

    During the study, 27 smokers, 28 e-cigarette users and 29 nonsmokers were examined over six months. All participants had at least mild gum disease at the beginning of the study, and none had their teeth cleaned during the study period.

    Researchers compared the types of bacteria found where the gums meet the teeth at the beginning and end of the six-month study. They also compared markers of inflammation and immune cell activity.

    The number of unique bacterial species living in and around the gums increased for all participants during the study. This can be a sign of gum disease getting worse.

    The specific types of microbes found in the oral microbiomes differed substantially between the three groups. There was a core set of species common among the groups, but each also had unique features. They were so distinct that a machine-learning program could use the oral microbiome to predict which group people were in with 74 percent accuracy.

    However, the program was least accurate at picking out e-cigarette users. The patterns of their oral microbes shared characteristics with both smokers and nonsmokers, with slightly more similarities to smokers. Unique traits among e-cigarette users included enrichment with Fusobacterium and Bacteroidales species, both of which are linked to gum disease.

    “We are now beginning to understand how e-cigarettes and the chemicals they contain are changing the oral microbiome and disrupting the balance of bacteria,” Saxena says.

  • Belgium Shuts Down Illegal Cigarette Factory

    Belgium Shuts Down Illegal Cigarette Factory

    Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Belgian Customs, with the help of Europol’s European Financial Economic Crime Center (EFECC), raided and shut down an illegal cigarette manufacturing factory in a former pet hotel in Arlon, Belgium, according to Europol.

    Belgian authorities seized the complete cigarette manufacturing machinery and arrested 14 workers, mainly from Eastern Europe. Also seized were 4 tons of tobacco and 2 million counterfeit cigarettes.

    Additionally, 40 million counterfeit cigarettes were seized in trailers in an industrial area in Duffel, Belgium. These cigarettes were presumed to have been manufactured at the illegal factory in Arlon and were most likely destined for the black market in France and the U.K.

    French Customs was also involved in the investigation, seizing over 25 tons of cigarettes and 16 tons of tobacco from the same organized crime group in the city of La Longueville.

  • Hangsen Sued Over Synthetic Nicotine

    Hangsen Sued Over Synthetic Nicotine

    Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Zanoprima Lifesciences filed a complaint for patent infringement against Hangsen International Group in the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Texas. In its complaint, Zanoprima Lifesciences alleges that Hangsen has violated its patent titled “Process for Making (S)-Nicotine” through Hangsen’s manufacture and importation into the U.S. market of products containing synthetic nicotine that are manufactured using Zanoprima Lifesciences’ process, according to a press release.

    “Over many years, Zanoprima has invested substantial time, resources, intellectual capital and scientific expertise into developing Zanoprima’s groundbreaking enzymatic patented process for synthesizing an (S)-nicotine that is devoid of tobacco-specific nitrosamines and other impurities,” said Ashok Narasimhan, CEO of Zanoprima. “Zanoprima’s legal action reflects our company’s dedication to vigorously protecting our intellectual property in the U.S. and around the world.”

    Zanoprima’s complaint alleges that, after publication of Zanoprima’s patent, Hangsen filed a Chinese patent application describing a process that copied the process invented by Zanoprima. But, as alleged in the complaint, Hangsen’s patent application was rejected by the Chinese Patent Office in June 2021, citing Zanoprima’s patent as prior art. The complaint also alleges Hangsen imports into the U.S. from China and sells products containing “alleged high-purity synthetic (S)-nicotine and nicotine products that are marketed and sold under various names, including as MOTiVO Synthetic S-Nicotine,” and that such imported products “are manufactured by a process that practices every step of claim 1” of the Zanoprima patent.

    In addition to seeking damages for infringement, Zanoprima’s complaint seeks preliminary and permanent injunctive relief to prevent Hangsen from continuing its infringing actions.

  • Imperial Launches Vaping Campaign

    Imperial Launches Vaping Campaign

    Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Imperial Tobacco Canada has launched a campaign called Let’s Clear the Smoke with the goal of educating Canadian adults on the facts about vapor products and the role these products can play in reducing risks compared to cigarettes, according to BAT.

    Let’s Clear the Smoke provides information about the latest in vapor product science and aims to allow Canadian adults to take a more informed view when considering their stance on vaping products and other less risky alternatives to smoking.

    This campaign is driven by a combination of mass out of home media placements and digital ads to drive awareness and website traffic. The campaign lasts for 10 weeks and will be the first of a range of initiatives to drive the acceptance of tobacco harm reduction in Canada.

    “There is a lack of understanding out there about vapor products, especially when it comes to the positive role they can play in tobacco harm reduction,” said Ralf Wittenberg, president and CEO of Imperial Tobacco Canada. “I think this misunderstanding is due to the fact that the vast majority of people don’t have access to accurate, credible and independent information.

    “The purpose of this campaign is to educate Canadian adults on the facts about vapor products by providing access to credible, factual and independent information.”

  • Australia Urged to Include Vaping in Smoking Strategy

    Australia Urged to Include Vaping in Smoking Strategy

    Photo: Zerophoto | Adobe Stock

    Australia is lagging well behind many other countries in the Asia-Pacific region when it comes to successfully tackling smoking through vaping, says the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA).  

    The CAPHRA’s observation comes as Australia’s Department of Health seeks feedback on its Draft National Smoking Strategy 2022–2030, with public submissions closing on March 24.

    “We encourage vapers and supporters of a progressive tobacco harm reduction (THR) approach to have their say. Australians desperate to quit smoking and those keen to stay off deadly cigarettes need all the help they can get,” says Nancy Loucas, executive coordinator of the CAPHRA.

    On Oct. 1, 2021, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration expanded its prescription-only model with customs clamping down at the border on personal imports of nicotine vaping liquids from overseas websites.

    Not only does Australia’s draft strategy ignore the potential of safer nicotine products, it also lacks ambition, according to Loucas. The strategy aims for a smoking rate of 10 percent or less by 2025 while New Zealand is pursuing a 5 percent smoke-free goal and looks on target to achieve it. “Instead of banning vaping, New Zealand has regulated it, making it tough for minors to access but available to all adults keen to keep off the cancer sticks. New Zealand is seeing its overall smoking rate tumble, yet the Australian government fails to accept that the most effective smoking cessation tool available is staring it in the face,” says Loucas.

    “Australia is well down the world rankings when it comes to adopting effective THR policies and is light-years behind the U.S. and U.K. Subsequently, Australia’s overall smoking rate has fallen very little over the past decade, and without reasonable access to vaping, Australia will struggle to even achieve its 10 percent smoking goal,” says Loucas. 

  • Taiwan: Stakeholders Debate Policy Proposals

    Taiwan: Stakeholders Debate Policy Proposals

    Photo: Andrii Yalanskyi | Adobe Stock

    A demonstrative policy debate event on whether e-cigarettes should be regulated was held on March 8, 2022, in Taipei, showing how different public policy viewpoints can be rationally discussed, according to The Taipei Times. The debate was held by the Chinese Debate Promotion Association (CDPA) at the Taipei NGO House.

    CDPA Chairman and Founder Chia Pei-te said that the Executive Yuan in January approved a draft amendment to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act proposed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare for legislative review. The proposed regulations on emerging tobacco products have sparked discussions, he said.

    The amendment would classify emerging tobacco products as “tobacco-like products” and “designated tobacco products.” E-cigarettes would be classified as “tobacco-like products” and be fully banned while heated-tobacco products would be classified as “designated tobacco products” and be subject to regulation.

    The reasoning behind banning e-cigarettes includes keeping curious teenagers away from the products, preventing consumers from adding nicotine to e-cigarette e-liquids and lowering the risk of teenage users turning to smoking.

    The debate participants went back and forth discussing the pros and cons of regulating e-cigarettes versus banning them, bringing up subjects such as public health, tax revenue options and teenage use.

    National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) College of Pharmaceutical Sciences Dean Kang Jaw-jou said that he was moved by opinions for and against e-cigarettes. He said the affirmative side proposed to directly manage e-cigarette use through regulations and an approval system while the opposing side stressed their attitude to life—banning a substance if the public consensus deems it harmful to society.

    Many aspects of the topic can be argued, but e-cigarettes can cause negative health effects, and supporters and opponents must clearly present this fact to the public in further discussions, stated Wang Hsiang-tsui, NYCU Faculty of Pharmacy associate professor.

  • Zimbabwe: Good Quality Leaf Expected

    Zimbabwe: Good Quality Leaf Expected

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    Zimbabwe is expecting good quality tobacco leaf this year despite an expected reduction in output. The quality should attract higher prices, according to xinhuanet.com.

    The anticipated reduced volumes are likely to push demand and selling price up, according to Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board Chief Executive Meanwell Gudu.

    Tobacco hectarage for the season declined by 11 percent, according to results of the first-round crop and livestock survey for 2021–2022.

    “Due to anticipated reduced volumes in Zimbabwe this season, there will be more pressure on the demand side to take the crop, which should naturally increase prices upward. This is likely to be experienced in the medium to filler grades,” Gudu said. Top-quality grades for premium brands are likely to remain unchanged, he said. The current price for top-quality grades ranges from $3.50 to $5.40 per kg.

    “The high-end market for this grade has reached its ceiling in price increase. The major market for these grades is in China, and there are no indications to change prices upward,” Gudu said.

    “We expect top-quality grades. The irrigated crop is medium[-bodied] to heavy-bodied, predominantly lemon in color and reflecting a fair to good quality.

    “The main dryland crop is medium-bodied in the commercial sector whilst being light[-bodied] to medium-bodied in the smallholder sector. The late dryland crop has poor stand due to prolonged dry spell, which was experienced post-planting time toward the end of December.”

    “Brazil is likely to be 80 million kg short of their usual production level because of drought. This creates less competition for us,” Gudu said.

    “Some kind of hoarding of tobacco is likely to happen that may influence prices to be better because of disruptions in logistics caused by Covid-19,” he added.

    “Supply chains were disrupted from 2020 into 2021 due to shortage of vessels and closure of some shipping lines. Now that the world has lifted the Covid-19 restrictions and uncertainty in the possibilities of other waves, customers are likely going to grab this opportunity to stock up their tobacco, thereby increasing artificial demand,” Gudu said.

    Zimbabwe sold 186.6 million kg of tobacco leaf valued at $515.9 million during the 2021 marketing season, up 16.8 percent in volume and 31 percent in value over 2020 sales.

  • Malaysia: Illicit Cigarette Prevalence Drops

    Malaysia: Illicit Cigarette Prevalence Drops

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    Illicit cigarette prevalence in Malaysia has dropped by 6.5 percentage points from 63.8 percent in 2020, according to Nielsen’s Illicit Cigarettes Study in Malaysia 2021, reports The New Straits Times.

    This is the first time since 2014 that illicit cigarette prevalence has registered a decline.

    “This indicates that the measures announced by the finance minister in Budget 2021 are starting to bear results,” said a Confederation of Malaysian Tobacco Manufacturers (CMTM) spokesperson. “This is an encouraging development, and CMTM urges the government and all stakeholders to continue all efforts to curb the illicit cigarette trade.”

    Malaysia is the number one country for illegal cigarettes, even with the decline. Smuggling syndicates are reacting to Budget 2021 measures by using new methods to illegally import cigarettes into the country.

  • Rising Oil Prices May Affect Cigarette Sales

    Rising Oil Prices May Affect Cigarette Sales

    Photo: Destina | Adobe Stock

    Rising gas prices will likely depress cigarette demand due to consumers having less cash to spend at gas stations, according to CNBC.

    The Russian invasion of Ukraine has driven oil prices up as the U.S. and other Western countries have imposed sanctions on Russia. On Thursday, West Texas Intermediate crude futures, the U.S. oil benchmark, was trading at prices not seen since the financial crisis of September 2008, and Brent crude hit a high from May 2012.

    Gaurav Jain, a Barclays analyst, estimates that a 1 percent increase in oil prices will cause U.S. cigarette volume to decline by 0.1 percent. “The trend seems to suggest that as consumers saved more money at the gas station and went to the attached convenience store, they bought more cigarettes (impulse purchase item). Now as oil prices move higher, the reverse could happen,” Jain wrote in a note to clients.

    Jain predicts that U.S. cigarette volume for fiscal 2022 will fall by 5 percent with prices rising 7 percent. It’s also expected that some consumers will switch to other tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes or modern oral nicotine pouches, in search of cheaper alternatives.