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  • Germany Busts Ring that Imported 7.6M Illegal Vapes

    Germany Busts Ring that Imported 7.6M Illegal Vapes

    German customs investigators announced over the weekend that they are investigating an alleged international network accused of illegally importing nicotine-containing disposable e-cigarettes from China and selling them on Germany’s black market. Authorities said the manufacturer structure allegedly imported more than 7.6 million disposable vapes between January 2024 and March 2025, resulting in an estimated €33.3 million in unpaid excise taxes.

    The investigation covers 23 defendants, including four employees of a Chinese e-cigarette manufacturer and 19 Germany-based individuals allegedly involved in receiving and reselling the products. Authorities executed 13 arrest warrants and seized more than 100 pallets containing about 600,000 illegal vapes, with estimated tax losses of €4 million. Investigators also seized four properties, a vehicle, luxury watches, gold jewelry, gold bars, cash valued at more than €2.25 million, and 37 bank accounts. The investigation is being led by the Essen Customs Investigation Office on behalf of the Düsseldorf Public Prosecutor’s Office. All defendants are presumed innocent unless convicted.

  • Turning Point Appoints Glazek as New CEO

    Turning Point Appoints Glazek as New CEO

    Turning Point Brands announced the appointment of David E. Glazek as CEO, effective Oct. 1. Glazek, who currently serves as Executive Chairman, will succeed Graham Purdy, who is stepping down as CEO for personal reasons and will be assisting with the transition of his responsibilities.

    TPB reaffirmed its full-year 2026 Modern Oral gross sales guidance of $330 million to $350 million and net sales guidance of $260 million to $270 million. The company narrowed its full-year EBITDA guidance to $70 million to $80 million, from $70 million to $90 million, citing the assumption that onshoring manufacturing will provide no margin benefit until 2027, along with prolonged higher freight costs.

  • PMI Increases Dividend 8.8% to Annualized Rate of $6.40 per Share

    PMI Increases Dividend 8.8% to Annualized Rate of $6.40 per Share

    Philip Morris International’s (PMI) Board of Directors increased the company’s regular quarterly dividend by 8.8% to $1.60 per share, or an annualized rate of $6.40 per share, up from $1.47. The dividend is payable Oct. 26, to shareholders of record as of Oct. 2, with an ex-dividend date of Oct. 2.

    PMI said it has increased its annual dividend every year since becoming a publicly traded company in 2008. The latest increase brings the company’s cumulative dividend increase since its IPO to 248%, representing a compound annual growth rate of 7.2%.

  • Zambian-Owned Cigarette Brand Plans November Launch

    Zambian-Owned Cigarette Brand Plans November Launch

    Rastaman, a Zambian-owned cigarette brand, announced it is preparing for a November launch in Lusaka, with a planned retail price of ZMW25 ($1.28) per pack. The company said it secured local contract manufacturing after eight months of rejections, describing the arrangement as the first local contract manufacturing agreement for a Zambian-owned cigarette brand in the country’s history.

    The company says its trademark, ZM/T/2026/002422, has been registered with the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA). The brand’s packaging features a Lion of Judah, Ethiopian green, yellow, and red colors, and Rastafari cultural elements. Rastaman also reported pre-launch interest from Jamaica, Guyana, Suriname, and South Africa, and said it is developing distribution plans for the brand.

  • Relaunched NicoLeaks.com Expands Product Info, Test Results 

    Relaunched NicoLeaks.com Expands Product Info, Test Results 

    Haypp Group announced that it has relaunched NicoLeaks.com, a publicly available database of independent nicotine pouch testing results, marking the platform’s fifth anniversary. The redesigned site includes dedicated product pages, expanded product information, and tools to filter and compare laboratory results by nicotine content, pH, moisture levels, and market. Each entry identifies the source and date of analysis, while laboratory reports are available to view and download.

    Testing is conducted by Eurofins and covers compositional parameters including nicotine content, pH, moisture, tobacco-specific nitrosamines, and trace metals. Haypp said the testing evaluates product composition only and does not assess health effects. The relaunch coincides with the Tobacco Science Research Conference in Charlotte, N.C., where Haypp scientists are presenting findings from independent testing of more than 400 nicotine pouch products in 2025. The company said it plans to add scientific articles, presentations, and other educational resources to NicoLeaks in the coming months.

  • Half of Cig Packs Collected in Belgium Were Foreign or Counterfeit

    Half of Cig Packs Collected in Belgium Were Foreign or Counterfeit

    More than half of cigarette packs collected in Belgium in the second quarter of 2026 contained cigarettes that were either intended for foreign markets or counterfeit, according to figures from Cimabel. The share reached 50.6%, up from 44.4% at the end of 2025 and 33.1% a year earlier. Foreign-market cigarettes accounted for 46% of the total, while counterfeit cigarettes represented 4.6%. The survey covered 2,800 empty packs, representing 59,320 cigarettes, collected across 18 cities by WSPM Group.

    The share of foreign and counterfeit cigarettes increased in 14 of the 18 cities compared with the end of 2025 and exceeded 50% in eight cities. Leuven recorded the highest share at 61.7%, followed by Genk at 57.3% and Charleroi at 54.8%. Bulgaria was the largest identified country of origin, accounting for 30% of the cigarettes, compared with 15.7% a year earlier, followed by Luxembourg at 5.3% and Turkey at 2.1%. Cimabel estimated the market represents a theoretical €2.6 billion in Belgian tax revenue, while noting that the survey could not determine whether foreign cigarettes entered Belgium legally within travelers’ allowances or through illicit trade.

  • E-Cigarette Directories Did Not Reduce Flavored Sales: Study

    E-Cigarette Directories Did Not Reduce Flavored Sales: Study

    A CDC Foundation study published in JAMA Network Open found that e-cigarette directory laws in Alabama, Oklahoma, and Louisiana did not produce sustained reductions in flavored e-cigarette sales. Researchers analyzing retail scanner data from January 2021 through April 2025 found no significant changes in nicotine sales or product availability in Alabama or Oklahoma, while Louisiana saw an initial decline in both after its directory was published. Louisiana sales rebounded within eight months and eventually exceeded pre-directory levels, driven in part by menthol prefilled cartridges and flavored disposable products not listed in the state directory.

    By April 2025, products not listed on state directories accounted for more than half of per-capita e-cigarette nicotine sales in all three states, raising questions about whether directory laws, as currently implemented, can effectively restrict unauthorized products.

  • Imperial Urges Retailers to Weigh In on UK Consultation

    Imperial Urges Retailers to Weigh In on UK Consultation

    Imperial Brands is urging UK retailers to respond to the government’s latest consultation on the packaging, appearance, and in-store display of vapes, nicotine pouches, and other nicotine products before the Oct. 2 deadline. The company says retailer input will be important given the potential costs and operational disruption associated with changes to store layouts, displays, and packaging.

    The government is expected to respond by the end of the year, with new display restrictions on vapes and nicotine pouches proposed for June 2027. Product appearance requirements would follow later and could also apply to cigarette papers, herbal smoking products, and heated tobacco devices.

    Imperial said it supports measures to prevent youth access but says new requirements should be “practical, evidence-based, and workable for responsible law-abiding retailers.” The company warns that mandatory closed storage could require new fixtures or store-layout changes, while standardized white packaging could make products harder to distinguish and increase transaction times. It also says implementation timelines could be challenging where physical modifications are required.

    Imperial is encouraging retailers to submit their views through the government consultation portal, arguing their “real-world retail experience” is critical to developing practical and proportionate regulations. The consultation comes ahead of other significant UK changes, including Oct. 29’s minimum sales age of 18 for all consumer nicotine products and the phased annual increase in the tobacco sales age beginning Jan. 1, 2027.

  • Reynolds Provides $200K to Support NC Farmers, Food Access

    Reynolds Provides $200K to Support NC Farmers, Food Access

    Reynolds American provided $200,000 to expand a partnership between Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC and organic produce distributor Happy Dirt, supporting fresh food access while creating new market opportunities for North Carolina farmers. The program’s first year served more than 384,000 people, distributing more than 250,000 pounds of fresh produce sourced from 27 farms, including seven with ties to tobacco production.

    The renewed funding will support the existing produce purchasing program and add a weekly box program providing 150 seasonal produce boxes for 24 weeks. The initiative is aimed in part at helping current and former tobacco farmers diversify into organic fruit and vegetable production and gain access to new wholesale markets.

  • UK Survey Highlights Vape Waste and Recycling Confusion

    UK Survey Highlights Vape Waste and Recycling Confusion

    A survey of 1,001 UK adults commissioned by nicotine pouch company übbs found significant gaps in public understanding of vape waste and battery disposal. While 62% knew vapes contain batteries and 73% viewed vape waste as at least somewhat of a problem, 46% said they would dispose of a used vape in general waste or household recycling. Only 12% correctly estimated that more than 10 million vapes are discarded in the UK each week.

    The survey also found that 33% of respondents said a cash-back or deposit scheme would most encourage responsible disposal, followed by more recycling points in shops at 31%. The findings come as the UK continues to address vape waste following its June 2025 ban on single-use vapes.