Author: Taco Tuinstra

Kenya Urged to Hike Excise Duties

Photo: Rodworks
Kenya should increase its cigarette excise duties in line with World Health Organization guidelines, according to coalition of health experts, tobacco control advocates and national development policy specialists, reports People Daily Kenya.
The call comes in response to the government’s 2023-2024 financial budget, which for the first time in a decade maintains cigarette tax levels at their current levels.
A 2019 study by the National Taxpayers Association (NTA) proposed to the government to increase the excise duty applicable to cigarettes and to apply a uniform rate.
Kenya taxes filterless cigarettes at lower rates than filtered products—and approach that falls short of the recommended WHO best practices for tobacco taxation, according to the study.
NTA CEO Irene Otieno, says that despite efforts to control tobacco consumption in Kenya over the last decade, more than 2.5 million adults use tobacco products.
October 29, 2023
Cigarette Production Plunges in Pakistan

Photo: hassan
Tobacco companies in Pakistan produced 43.9 billion cigarettes in 2022-2023, down from 64.7 billion in the previous fiscal year, reports The News International, citing figures from the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) track-and-trace system.
The country’s leading manufacturers, Pakistan Tobacco Co. and Philip Morris International, suffered year-to-year production declines of 32 percent and 39 percent, respectively. The production of Khyber Tobacco, by contrast, jumped 48 percent in the most recent financial year.
The FBR collected tobacco revenues of PKR62.9 billion ($224.3 million) from July to September this year, compared with revenues of PKR177.7 billion in the comparable 2022 quarter.
The FBR undertook 1,447 “actions of enforcement and seizure with confiscation” during the most recent financial year, according to FBR Project Director of Track and Trace Zaheer Qureshi
The government is reportedly exploring strategies to boost revenue as part of an anticipated mini-budget in December.
During a discussion on tobacco taxes, FBR officials attributed lamented the challenges posed by a limited workforce, logistical hurdles and an undocumented economy.
October 29, 2023
Survey: Tobacco Grower Relatively Wealthy

Photo: Taco Tuinstra
Tobacco farmers in southern Brazil earn an average monthly income of BRL3,935.40 ($785.08) from their crops, according to new research conducted by the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul at the request of the Interstate Tobacco Industry Union (SindiTabaco).
By comparison, the average per capita income in Brazil was BRL1,625 in 2022, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Taking into account all sources of income, the tobacco farmers in southern Brazil earn an average monthly income of BRL11,755.30. Seventy-three percent of tobacco farmers in the region have additional income sources, which may include earnings from the cultivation of other crops, land leases or financial investments.
Nearly 73 percent of the tobacco farmers live in masonry houses; nearly 72 percent have three or more bedrooms per household; and all households have at least one bathroom or toilet, according to the study. Almost all households (98.6 percent) have access to electrical energy, via national power grid, while practically 100 percent have heated water.

The results come as no surprise to those who know the tobacco sector, but they could come as a surprise to those who still believe in information based on ideology.
Iro Schuenke, president, SindiTabaco
One hundred percent of the tobacco farmers surveyed had an automobile, while 137 percent owned a property in addition to their home.
Nearly 60 percent of those surveyed have more than eight years of schooling, meaning they have competed their elementary education, or more; among them, 32.2 percent have more than 11 years of schooling, corresponding to high school, and some have taken college courses.
Conducted June 30-July 20, 2023, the survey covered 37 municipalities in the tobacco growing states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Parana.
According to SindiTabaco President Iro Schuenke, the results reaffirm the economic and social importance of tobacco in rural areas. “At several moments we have heard that the tobacco farmers endure vulnerability conditions, but the research destroys this tale,” he said in a statement. “Just like in 2016 [when the previous survey took place], the results come as no surprise to those who know the tobacco sector, but they could come as a surprise to those who still believe in information based on ideology,” Schuenke said.
October 27, 2023
New Report Touts THR Benefits

Photo: Bacho | Dreamstime
Significant numbers of lives can be saved through the widespread adoption of tobacco harm reduction (THR) and related measures in Kazakhstan, Pakistan, South Africa and Bangladesh, according to a new report released by experts in the field.
Titled “Lives Saved—Integrating harm reduction into tobacco control,” the report analyzed the current smoking rates and quitting rates in four low-income and middle-Income countries– Kazakhstan, Pakistan, South Africa, and Bangladesh—where 350,000 people die prematurely from tobacco use each year.
The report aims to provide policymakers and public health experts with estimates of the potential benefit of THR, improved cessation, and better access to lung cancer diagnostics and treatment on reducing premature deaths.
The study’s key findings indicate that significant numbers of lives can be saved in these countries through the widespread adoption of THR and related measures. For instance, Kazakhstan could prevent 165,000 premature deaths in the next four decades, while South Africa, Bangladesh and Pakistan could save 320,000, 920,000, and 1.2 million lives, respectively.

This document marks a key milestone in the fight against smoking-related deaths. I urge decisionmakers worldwide and particularly those of low- and middle-income countries—where the total number of lives claimed by the smoking epidemic is still too high—to carefully review this document.
Riccardo Polosa, co-author
“Calculating the potential lives of adult smokers that can be saved by improving tobacco control and complementing it with harm reduction strategies is a critical exercise in public health,” said Riccardo Polosa, founder of the Center of Excellence for the acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) and one of the paper’s contributors, in a statement.
“This document marks a key milestone in the fight against smoking-related deaths. I urge decisionmakers worldwide and particularly those of low- and middle-income countries—where the total number of lives claimed by the smoking epidemic is still too high—to carefully review this document.
“In these countries, the failure and the current stagnation in the calculation of lives saved from smoking are palpable due to the adoption of strategies that are no longer effective. The evidence is clear, wide adoption of combustion-free nicotine products can potentially save hundreds of thousands of human lives, even up to 1 million in Pakistan alone.”
Polosa urges policymakers to consider tailor-made interventions that foster a culture of health through educational and prevention programs. This approach, he notes, should incorporate lessons learned from countries with extensive histories of tobacco control, encompassing both their successes and failures.
The report demands several actions. “The adoption of combustion-free nicotine products presents a viable alternative, but its success hinges on the development of a strategy that thoughtfully incorporates scientific evidence” said Polosa
“This strategy should seamlessly integrate the evidence into established healthcare approaches to maximize outcomes, which are currently at a standstill. To make a meaningful impact, maximum cooperation is imperative, particularly at the level of healthcare policies. This involves educating the medical community about the relative harms associated with different methods of nicotine consumption and providing comprehensive health education to the end consumer.”
October 27, 2023
Activists Worried About COP Transparency

Photo: Alexey Novikov
The World Vapers Alliance (WVA) is worried about the transparency and inclusivity of the upcoming COP10 meeting for the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
The WVA cites a recent Politico article, according to which seven EU member states have expressed reservations regarding their diminished roles and the Commission’s deviation from established practices in the face of global treaties.
“It’s deeply concerning that such pivotal discussions affecting millions of vapers and smokers across the EU might not reflect all member states’ diverse views and interests, not to mention the diverse views of their citizens,” said WVA Director Michael Landl in a statement.
“The Commission’s evident anti-harm reduction stance starkly contrasts with several member states that have been more progressive and successful with their harm reduction policies. These nations and citizens deserve to have their voices amplified and heard.”
According to the Politico report cited by the WVA, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Romania and Slovakia jointly released a statement highlighting the Commission’s shift from the usual consensus-based approach to using Article 218 (9) TFEU. This gives the Commission a more centralized role in the Panama negotiations, sidelining individual member states. The countries stressed the success of the consensus model in the past nine sessions and regretted the lack of a detailed explanation for the change.
Additionally, these nations lamented the absence of an ambitious proposal for a working group focusing on novel products. The established plans regarding the EU’s representation in FCTC expert working groups have also been questioned, with concerns about representation, rotation and coordination among the 27 member states.
“The EU had a true opportunity to assume leadership in smoking-cessation efforts by pushing for an ambitious and consumer-friendly harm reduction strategy. Embracing less harmful products such as vaping, nicotine pouches and heat-not-burn products—which have already saved millions of smokers’ lives—would be a bold step forward. Unfortunately, the EU still has a long way to go,” remarked Landl.
October 27, 2023
Lithuania Urged to Reconsider Flavor Ban

Photo: rh2010
The Independent European Vape Alliance (IEVA) has called on Lithuania to reconsider a proposed ban on key e-liquid ingredients, including sweeteners.
The country’s Draft Law No XIVP-2791(2) amending Article 9(2) of Law No I-1143 on the control of tobacco, tobacco products and related products proposes a “ban on placing on the market e-cigarettes and e-cigarette fillers with liquid adapted for filling electronic cigarettes if this liquid contains sugar and/or sweeteners.”
In comments submitted under the EU Technical Regulations Information System, IEVA warns that the measure will encourage the illicit trade, boost smoking rates, jeopardize employment and lower government revenues due to reduced vape tax collections.
According to the alliance, the draft law shows a lack of understanding of the technical and chemical characteristics of e-cigarettes, as well as a disregard for the negative consequences for Lithuania’s public health and for the country’s vaping small and medium-sized enterprises.
“Banning sugar and sweetener chemicals, which are necessary for the manufacturing of e-liquids, will lead to a quasi-ban of e-cigarettes,” the IEVA wrote in a statement. “It will lead to a boom in black market sales of dangerous products and to a surge of tobacco smoking by depriving smokers of a less harmful alternative. Finally, this measure, not justified by any scientific evidence, is bound to be ineffective in addressing its purported goal of limiting young people’s access to vaping.”
The group encourages the Lithuanian government to adopt measures adapted to the pursued aim and based on thorough scientific evidence.
October 27, 2023
Netherlands to Tax E-cigarettes

Photo: dbvirago
Dutch lawmakers on Oct. 26 voted for a motion to introduce a tax on vapor products, reports Dutch News. The move follows earlier reports that the Netherlands would not impose such a levy prior to the elections scheduled for November.
The government had been planning to wait until the introduction of Europe-wide legislation but given that is unlikely to happen before 2026, ministers agreed to take unilateral measures, if that is what MPs wanted.
One in five Dutch youngsters under the age of 25 uses e-cigarettes, and 70 percent of vapers also smoke tobacco cigarettes, according to the Trimbos addiction institute.
The 18 age limit for using vapes is also widely flouted and internet sales have flourished, De Telegraaf reported earlier this month.
Vaping is cheaper than smoking in the Netherlands, where a pack of cigarettes now retails for around €11 ($11.64). An e-cigarette with the equivalent of two packets of cigarettes in terms of nicotine costs around €6.
October 27, 2023
European Union Reviewing Snus

Photo: Marko Hannula
The future of Sweden’s snus, a moist oral tobacco product banned in the EU since 1992, is currently under review as part of the EU’s evaluation of the tobacco directive, reports Euractiv.
Originating in the 18th century, snus is a unique Swedish tobacco product and differs from newer alternatives like heated tobacco, e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches. Sweden secured an exemption for snus during its EU accession negotiations, limiting its sale to within the country.
The EU aims to achieve a “Tobacco-free Generation” by 2040 as tobacco is a major health risk, responsible for 27 percent of all cancers in the EU. Sweden, expected to have smoking rates drop below 5 percent in 2023, is at the forefront of this effort.
Patrik Strömer, Secretary-General of the Swedish Snus Manufacturers’ Association, believes that the EU’s ban on snus is due to a lack of knowledge about the product, and he highlights that it has proven beneficial in reducing smoking-related diseases in Sweden.
Karl Fagerström, a tobacco and nicotine researcher, finds it odd that the U.S. has allowed snus in the market while the EU has banned it, despite using similar data. He points to WHO data showing that Swedish snus users have lower smoking-attributable deaths, especially regarding lung cancer.
On the other hand, Italian MEP Alessandra Moretti argues that snus is associated with diseases like cardiovascular issues and cancers of the digestive system. Fagerström counters that snus usage in Sweden is not linked to oral cancer and should be avoided during pregnancy, similar to any nicotine use.
The EU Court of Justice deems tobacco products for oral use harmful, addictive and potentially a gateway to tobacco use. Advocates for snus maintain that in Sweden, snus use doesn’t lead to subsequent smoking, supported by declining smoking rates among the young population.
October 27, 2023
Taiwan Worried About Popularity of Flavors

Photo: zoommer
Health authorities in Taiwan are worried about the growing popularity of flavored tobacco products, especially among young students and women, reports Taiwan News.
In a 2022 survey, 18.2 percent of those aged 18 and older who smoke reported using flavored tobacco products, up from the 15.6 percent recorded in 2020. Female respondents exhibited a higher usage rate, with 43.8 percent showing an interest in these products, compared to 14.3 percent reported among males, according to the Health Promotion Administration (HPA).
Data from 2021 revealed that 40 percent of adolescent smokers in Taiwan were using flavored tobacco products. Among, junior high and senior high school female students the usage rates were 57.2 percent and 60.7 percent, respectively, surpassing their male counterparts.
The HPA emphasizes that flavored tobacco products are as harmful to health as nonflavored varieties, adding that young smokers are at an increased risk of developing addictions to other substances.
Lawmakers have initiated a public consultation on plans to ban specific fragrances, such as chocolate and mint.

October 26, 2023
Belgium Announces Crackdown on Tobacco

Photo: sezerozger
Belgium Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke announced measures to curtail tobacco consumption and ban the display of tobacco products, reports The Brussels Times.
About 24 percent of Belgians smoke, according to Cancer Foundation reports, and of smokers, one in five smoke daily. To help discourage smoking, the federal government previously announced plans to increase excise taxes on tobacco products.
The latest announcement will reduce points of sale—large supermarkets and festivals will no longer be able to sell cigarettes. Smoking in public spaces will also be restricted, and these new regulations will be effective Jan. 1, 2025.
The government says it will carry out widespread controls with heavy penalties for those who do not comply with the new rules, including forced closure.
The Belgian government’s goal is to reduce daily tobacco use to 10 percent of the population by 2028 and to 5 percent by 2040. Sciensano research predicts that these goals will be overshot; if the current rate continues, the 2028 targets will not be fully achieved by 2040.
Comeos, Belgium’s commerce federation, called the measures “pure hypocrisy,” and Philip Morris said the country’s government is “getting rich off the back of smokers” and that the measures will encourage the black market—Belgium is a known hub for counterfeit cigarettes.
October 26, 2023