Author: Taco Tuinstra

  • Price Hikes Drive Purchases Abroad

    Price Hikes Drive Purchases Abroad

    Photo: mema

    Consecutive price hikes appear to have prompted Danish smokers to purchase more cigarettes abroad, reports The Local.

    In 2019, Danish smokers purchased 250 million cigarettes in shops across the border. By 2022, that number increased to 700 million, according to the Ministry of Taxation. That reflects a rise in spending from DKR410 million ($60.34 million) to DKR1.15 billion.

    The figures coincide with the rise in price of cigarettes in Denmark. Between 2020 and 2022, the price of a pack of cigarettes increased from DKR40 to DKR60.

    “The Ministry of Taxation’s figures speak for themselves,” Janick Nytoft, managing director of The Cooperative Merchants, an industry organization, was quoted as saying by newswire Ritzau. “You cannot raise taxes in Denmark without increased cross-border trade. Cigarettes bought abroad do not make the Danes healthier, but the treasury and the shops poorer,”

    Meanwhile, a 2022 survey of smoking habits, showed that the rise is cigarette prices had not significantly reduced the number of smokers in Denmark.

    In 2022, 19 percent of people in Denmark smoked daily or occasionally, compared to 18 percent recorded in 2020. Among 15-19 year olds, smoking incidence actually increased. In 2022, 25 percent of this age group said they smoked daily or occasionally—up from 23 percent in 2022. The same age group also experienced a rise in users of e-cigarettes and smokeless nicotine products.

    Health activists said the tax ministry’s numbers proved that the price hikes had been too modest. Mads Lind, chief consultant at the Heart Association, urged the government to increase prices to DKR100 per pack.

    In addition to price hikes, Denmark has been debating other measures to reduce the number of smokers. Other proposals include plain packaging, restrictions on product displays and a so-called generational tobacco ban, which would prohibit sales to people born after a certain date.

    According to the National Health Authority, around 13,600 people die every year from smoking in Denmark.

  • Clive Bates

    Clive Bates

    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.

    Nicotine 2040

    The market for tobacco and nicotine is transforming—how could it look by 2040?

    Eyes on the Ball

    Officials should approach COP10 with clarity about their national goals and with tough questions about trade-offs, unintended consequences and evidence.

    Clive Bates

    Read the work of Tobacco Reporter’s special contributor Clive Bates.

    Changing Gear

    Clive Bates on how the tobacco industry can accelerate transformation

    Fighting The Wrong War

    The automatic criticism of everything associated with tobacco is not merely misguided; it has the potential to do real harm.

    Fresh Thinking

    The World Health Organization and tobacco policy: a seven-point reform agenda

    The Endgame Revisited

    It is time to confront the fundamental confusion about the public health aims for tobacco and nicotine policy.

    A rhetorical gambit

    The absence of long-term studies does not justify stifling potentially less harmful nicotine products.  

    Hold your fire

    In debating the relative risks of nicotine products, one consideration trumps all others.

  • WHO Releases Provisional Agendas

    WHO Releases Provisional Agendas

    Photo: Alexey Novikov

    The World Health Organization has released its provisional agendas for the 10th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the third session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (MOP3), the FCTC announced on its website.

    Held in Panama, COP10 will take place Nov. 20-25 and MOP3 will take place Nov. 27-30.

    The provisional COP10 agenda is here and the provisional MOP3 agenda is here. Participants in COP10 can register here and participants in MOP3 can register here.

    Guidance on registration is also available on the FCTC website.

    The FCTC is the first international treaty negotiated under the auspices of the WHO. It was adopted by the World Health Assembly on May 21, 2003, and entered into force on Feb. 27, 2005.

    The Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products is the first protocol to the FCTC, and a new international treaty in its own right. The Protocol builds upon and complements Article 15 of the FCTC, which addresses means of countering illicit trade in tobacco products. It was adopted by consensus on Nov. 12, 2012, at the fifth session of the Conference of the Parties to the FCTC in Seoul and entered into force on Sept. 25, 2018. The Protocol currently includes 67 Parties.

  • Plant-Based Biologics Market Thriving

    Plant-Based Biologics Market Thriving

    Photo: Kentucky Bioprocessing

    The global plant-based biologics market is anticipated to generate a revenue of $182.9 million by 2031, expanding a compound annual growth rate of 4.8 percent from 2022, according to a new report published by Research Dive.

    Plant-based biologics are medical products that are produced by utilizing bioengineered plants to create complex molecules like proteins, antibodies, and vaccines. These biologics are produced more sustainably and economically than conventional animal cell-based biologics. The use of plant-based biologics may have substantial effects on the pharmaceutical industry by lowering the costs of medicine development and production and addressing ethical concerns about the use of animals in medical research.

    Tobacco continues to be the most widely used plant for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals. Due to their high biomass yield, ease of genetic modification and quick growth rate, tobacco plants are well-suited for biologics production. Several companies, including Medicago, Baiya Phytopharm and Kentucky Bioprocessing have used tobacco to developed vaccines and other medical treatments.

    According to Research Dive, North America dominated the global plant-based biologics market in 2021. Not only does the continent offer a sizable market, but it also offers a supportive regulatory environment and strong research infrastructure.

    Tobacco Reporter explored tobacco’s potential as a “green bioreactor” in its April 2022 issue.

  • Activists Dispute Gateway Findings

    Activists Dispute Gateway Findings

    Photo: Wlodzimierz

    Recent claims by Otago University in New Zealand that vaping is a gateway to smoking have been disputed by leading global harm reduction experts Roberto Sussman, Konstantinos Farsalinos and Gerry Stimson. These experts have highlighted the importance of harm reduction strategies in reducing the negative health impacts of smoking.

    Published on June 28 in Drug and Alcohol Review, the Otago University study analyzed data related to New Zealanders’ smoking and vaping status from the 2018-2020 New Zealand Attitudes and Values survey.

    Unlike other studies, Post-graduate student Andre Mason and associate professor Damian Scarf found no consistent evidence that vaping acted as a cessation pathway from smoking. Mason said vaping appeared to be another smoking-related behavior, rather than a substitute for smoking that primarily helped people quit.

    “We found that there was an equal likelihood of vapers transitioning to smoking as smokers were to vapers,” Mason told Radio New Zealand.  

    Tobacco harm reduction advocates questioned the findings. According to Sussman, there is no evidence that vaping is a gateway to smoking. “In fact, studies have shown that vaping can be an effective tool for smoking cessation,” he said. “The vast majority of vapers are former smokers who have successfully quit smoking thanks to vaping,” added Farsalinos

    Gerry Stimson, a public health expert and advocate for harm reduction, emphasizes that harm reduction strategies like vaping are essential in reducing the negative health impacts of smoking. “We need to focus on providing smokers with safer alternatives to cigarettes, rather than demonizing harm reduction strategies like vaping,” he noted.

    Nancy Loucas, executive coordinator of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates, who compiled these comments, also disputed the gateway claim by Otago University.

    Lous cited recent data, which suggest the smoking incidence rates in New Zealand have fallen significantly over the past five to 10 years. The current smoking rate of New Zealand adults is 8 percent in 2021/2022, which has decreased from 16.5 percent in 2015 and from 27 percent in both men and women in 1993. Loucas insists that vaping has played a significant role in the reduction of smoking rates in New Zealand over the past five to 10 years. According to research published in the NZ Medical Journal, the current vaping rate in New Zealand is 8.3 percent of adults being categorized as daily e-cigarette users, up from 6.2 percent in the previous year.

    “We need to focus on harm reduction strategies that work, rather than relying on outdated and inaccurate claims about vaping being a gateway to smoking,” said Loucas. “The evidence is clear: vaping can be an effective tool for smoking cessation and harm reduction.

    The government of New Zealand has given NZD1.4 million ($860,411) to a large trial to help New Zealanders quit vaping. Over six months, more than 1,000 participants will test whether cytisine—a medicine that partially blocks the effects of nicotine on the brain—is more effective than a tapered reduction in nicotine, when accompanied with behavioral support.

  • JT Launches New Infused Tobacco Device

    JT Launches New Infused Tobacco Device

    Photo: JT

    Japan Tobacco is launching a new brand named “With” and a new device named “With 2” for infused tobacco capsules in Japan this summer, the company announced on its website.

    The company will discontinue its Ploom TECH, Ploom TECH + and Ploom TECH + With infused tobacco capsule devices, which are only in Japan. They will be available until stocks are sold out.

    Ploom X, which is a device for heated tobacco sticks, is unaffected by this announcement and will continue to be sold and rolled out in a number of markets including Japan.

    JT says it remains committed to investing in reduced-risk products. The company competes in the heated-tobacco segment with its Ploom brand and participates in the e-cigarette market with its Logic brand.

    The discontinued devices
  • Brazilian Lawmakers Debate COP10

    Brazilian Lawmakers Debate COP10

    Photo: SindiTabaco

    Brazil’s House of Representatives held a public hearing June 15 to clarify the country’s position in the upcoming conference of the parties to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which is scheduled to take place in Panama in November (COP10).

    The debate had been requested by federal deputy Alceu Moreira, who lamented the degree of “injustice, disinformation and ideologically oriented political correctness” he claimed to have witnessed in the runup to the conference.

    “We produce a licit crop; we are not committing a crime,” said Moreira. “We are proud of engaging in constructive debates with the aim to protect a licit crop and we refuse to be reprimanded for growing tobacco.”

    As one of the world’s largest exporters of leaf tobacco, Brazil could be heavily impacted by the decisions made at COP10. In the most recent season, the southern region of Brazil alone produced 560 million kg of tobacco, generating BRL9.5 billion ($1.98 billion) for 128,000 farm families.

    The public hearing was attended by representatives of the ministry of foreign affairs, the ministry of agriculture and livestock, and the ministry of agrarian development and family farming. The ministry of health declined to take part, saying that the debate was premature, given that the WHO had yet to publish an agenda for COP10.

    The tobacco industry was represented by the tobacco growers association Afubra and the interstate tobacco industry union SindiTabaco, among other organizations.

    SindiTabaco President Iro Schünke lamented the lack of transparency in the FCTC meetings. “The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is the worst dictatorship I know, where the real interested parties are not allowed to take part in the debates,” he said.

    The tobacco industry, said Schünke, produces a licit crop that generates income and jobs for millions of Brazilians and is committed to sustainable production. “My intervention is to discover what stance the Brazilian delegation will adopt at the upcoming COP 10 meeting and warn about the consequences from a poorly conducted positioning at the COP,” he said in a statement.

  • FTC Drops Complaint After Altria’s Juul Exit

    FTC Drops Complaint After Altria’s Juul Exit

    Photo: Paul Brady

    The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on July 3 dismissed a complaint against Altria Group and Juul Labs relating to the cigarette maker’s 2018 investment in Juul, reports Reuters.

    In late 2018, Altria paid $12.8 billion for a 35 percent state in Juul. The FTC said in 2020 that Altria’s investment violated antitrust law because the company acquired the position rather than continuing to compete against Juul in the market for closed-system e-cigarettes.

    After Altria exchanged its entire investment in Juul for a global license to Juul heated tobacco intellectual property, the tobacco giant asked the FTC to drop its challenge.

    Altria terminated its Juul stake after the investment lost much of its value in the wake of regulatory scrutiny and litigation relating to Juul’s marketing practices. On June 23, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered Juul Labs to pull its e-cigarettes from U.S. store shelves, saying the e-cigarette manufacturer had submitted insufficient evidence that they were “appropriate for the protection of the public health.” After Juul challenged the marketing denial order (MDO), the FDA agreed to take another look at the company’s pre-market tobacco product application.

    The agency said it had determined that there are scientific issues unique to the Juul application that warrant additional review. 

    In early September 2022, Juul Labs agreed to pay nearly $440 million to settle a two-year investigation by 33 U.S. states into the marketing of its vaping products, which critics have blamed for sparking a surge in underage vaping.

    On Sept. 30, 2022, Altria announced it was ending its noncompete agreement with Juul.

  • NGOs Challenge Nicotine Delisting

    NGOs Challenge Nicotine Delisting

    Photo: Purilum

    Three groups have sued the government of Malaysia for removing liquid nicotine from the list of controlled substances, reports Bloomberg, citing local media reports.

    Malaysia is preparing legislation that seeks to ban the sale of all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to those born after 2007. The NGOs contended that removing nicotine from the list of controlled substances before the tobacco-control rules are in place would allow vape products to be sold openly and legally to anyone, including children.  

    Malaysia’s health ministry removed the restrictions on nicotine liquids and gels on March 31, which allowed the government to tax vape products containing them starting April 1.

    The NGOs argue that the move is unconstitutional, arguing that it went against the recommendation of the Poisons Board.

    The plaintiffs in the suit are the Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control, Malaysian Green Lung Association and Voice of the Children.

  • Tobacco Used for Cancer Antibodies

    Tobacco Used for Cancer Antibodies

    Photo: Baiya Phytopharm

    Baiya Phytopharm claims to have produced antibodies against cancer from tobacco and undertaken successful trials using lab animals.

    Instead of targeting cancer cells the way chemotherapy does, plant-based immunotherapy focuses on boosting immune cells to block the growth of cancerous cells.

    While immunotherapy has gained popularity in recent years, the antibodies for such treatment remain expensive. In Thailand, immunotherapy medicine production still relies heavily on imported technologies and equipment.

    According to co-founder and Chief Technical Officer Waranyoo Phoolcharoen, Baiya Phytopharm aims to reduce the cost of producing cancer-treating drugs in Thailand and make such treatments more accessible and affordable.

    “Our team is developing technology to produce a plant-based protein, an alternative and cost-effective ingredient for anti-bodies to treat cancer,” Waranyoo told the Bangkok Post.

    During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Thai pharmaceutical company made headlines with its efforts to develop a tobacco-plant based vaccine against the coronavirus. (See “Joining the Race,” Tobacco Reporter, November 2020).

    Tobacco plants lend themselves well to developing pharmaceutical compounds (also see “The Virtuous Weed,” Tobacco Reporter, April 2022). In many ways, they are better suited to the task than the man-made bioreactors used in traditional vaccine development, according to experts.