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  • Researchers to Study Impact of Dual Use

    Researchers to Study Impact of Dual Use

    Photo: tcsaba

    A new project sponsored by the Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) will investigate the consequences of the combined use of conventional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes on human health.

    Titled, “MAGnitude of cigarette substitutioN after Initiation oF e-cigarettes and its Impact on biomArkers of exposure and potenTial harm in dual users” (“Magnificat”), the study will involve more than 300 dual users.

    Using specific biomarkers, clinical endpoints and behavioral correlations, researchers will be monitoring participants’ health to quantify the impact of transitioning to combustion-free products.

    Participants will be asked to reduce the consumption of conventional cigarettes and switch to electronic cigarettes for a controlled period. According to CoEHAR, the results of the study will be of great interest in addressing questions related to smoking harm reduction in both clinical and behavioral contexts.

    Tobacco Reporter profiled the work of CoEHAR in its January 2024 issue (see “Reviewing their Peers.”)

  • Colorado May Allow County Flavor Bans

    Colorado May Allow County Flavor Bans

    Credit: Nathan

    A Senate bill in Colorado would grant counties the power to regulate or ban the sale and distribution of flavored vaping, cigarettes and other nicotine products.

    Senate Bill 24-022 defines flavored nicotine and tobacco products as anything with a scent or flavor other than tobacco, including products that induce a cooling or numbing sensation. 

    Citing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rep. Kyle Brown, a sponsor of the legislation, said nearly 9 out of 10 adults who smoke every day first tried smoking “before they turned age 18.”

    He said tobacco products are linked to negative health effects, including cancer, and that e-cigarettes and other vape products are “highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development.”

    A similar bill was introduced during the 2022 legislative session but died in the Senate. At the time, Gov. Jared Polis said he opposed the bill because he thought the matter should be handled at a local level.

  • Pakistan Growers Reject Purchasing Price

    Pakistan Growers Reject Purchasing Price

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    Tobacco growers in Pakistan have rejected the PKR505 ($1.80) per kg tobacco purchasing price set by the Ministry of Commerce for the upcoming marketing season, reports Dawn.

    During a Jan. 13 meeting in the Dagi, Swabi District, grower representatives blasted the Pakistan Tobacco Board for being partial to tobacco buyers in price negotiations. They also accused the purchasing companies of negotiating in bad faith.

    The growers’ leaders demanded that the per-kg tobacco rate should be fixed in proportion to the prevailing record inflation and the high expenditures incurred on production of the crop.

    Grower representative Arif Ali recalled that the companies bought tobacco from growers at PKR425 per kg at initial stage in the 2023 season, but the market price later jumped to PKR1,200 per kg. He said the firms had also failed to fulfil a promise to pay arrears at the end of the season as per the final rate.

    The growers are now planning sit-ins outside the gates of the tobacco purchase centers in the production areas. They also threatened to switch to other crops if their demands were not met.

  • Malawi Extends Grower Registration Deadline

    Malawi Extends Grower Registration Deadline

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    Malawi’s Tobacco Commission (TC) has extended the registration and licensing period for tobacco growers until Jan. 31, reports The Nyasa Times.  

    TC spokesperson Telophorus Chigwenembe said the extension period will allow farmers who missed the December deadline to obtain the proper documentation.

    The regulator has also waved late registration penalties and will allow farmers to pay the associated fees after the sale of their tobacco this year.

    The TC said it would conduct its first crop estimates in February for the upcoming growing season.

  • Hong Kong Seizures Hit $288 Million in 2023

    Hong Kong Seizures Hit $288 Million in 2023

    Credit: Alven 0920

    Customs officers in Hong Kong reported that the agency had impounded more than 650 million black market cigarettes worth HK$2.25 billion ($287.8 million) last year, the largest annual cash value in more than two decades, according to media reports.

    The seized cigarettes would have generated about HK$1.54 billion in tax revenue, also a record, over the same period, according to an undisclosed source.

    Last week, authorities in Hong Kong said they were considering a further increase in tobacco duty.

    Last year’s total number of cigarettes seized was lower than the 732 million impounded in 2022, although the value was higher. Last year’s record seizure coincided with a 31 percent tobacco tax increase in February, which raised the average cost of a pack of 20 cigarettes by HK$12 to more than HK$70.

    A pack on the black market costs HK$18 to HK$38.

    The source said the confiscated tobacco products were stored in government warehouses currently, pending court proceedings or further investigations before being destroyed and buried at landfill sites.

    He added customs officials would boost efforts to combat crime syndicates that tried to take advantage of busy logistics services in the run-up to the Lunar New Year to smuggle cigarettes into the city.

  • Australian Gangs Torching Tobacco Shops

    Australian Gangs Torching Tobacco Shops

    Tobacco Reporter Archive

    Police in the Australian state of Victoria have arrested five individuals believed to be connected to the Finks outlaw motorcycle gang and a series of arson attacks on tobacco stores in Victoria.

    The arrests are a police response to the so-called tobacco wars, which have seen criminal gangs fight for control of the “significant source of income” generated by the sale of illicit tobacco.

    Victoria police Det. Insp. Graham Banks acknowledged community concern about the attacks in recent weeks and said the force was “turning the corner” with new intelligence, according to media reports.

    The arrests are related to the torching of four tobacco stores and a cafe between Christmas Day and Friday in Moe, Croydon, Altona, Altona North and Sunshine.

    On each occasion, police allege the offenders broke into the stores before setting them ablaze.

    Police report they found five vehicles believed to have been stolen when arresting the group, along with Molotov cocktails.

    “We believe they were preparing to do further attacks, so this is a substantial series of arrests,” Banks said. “This certainly impacts a syndicate that is driving this.

    “There is still a significant conflict between multiple different groups over control of a significant source of income. It will be an ongoing issue for several months, but we’re certainly turning the corner.”

  • Oliva Launches ‘Year of the Dragon’ Cigar

    Oliva Launches ‘Year of the Dragon’ Cigar

    Nicaragua-based Oliva Cigars has partnered with China Duty Free Group (CDFG) to launch a limited-edition “Year of the Dragon” premium cigar line.

    The MSRP has been set at $35 per cigar or $350 per box of 10 cigars. Production is limited to 1,500 boxes, and they are expected to go on sale in mid-February.

    Each box features a dragon design, paying homage to the creature and the spirit of the Chinese New Year.

    Credit: Oliva

    The Year of the Dragon is a Churchhill produced in Oliva’s factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, and features an Ecuadorian Habano sun-grown wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan fillers.

    “We are thrilled to introduce the Oliva Year of the Dragon Churchill Cigar in celebration of the Chinese New Year in cooperation with CDFG,” Oliva Cigars Export Manager Thomas Gryson said in a press release. “This limited-edition collection is a true embodiment of our dedication to quality and craftsmanship.

    “We have carefully curated this offering to provide aficionados with a unique and culturally significant cigar experience, making it a must-have for collectors and enthusiasts alike.”

  • Virginia Proposes Approved Product List

    Virginia Proposes Approved Product List

    Virginia has long been the epicenter of the tobacco industry; now, two bills that would ban flavored vaping products have been filed with the state’s General Assembly.

    Sponsors say Virginia should step in where Washington has been ineffective in blocking unregulated flavored e-cigarettes, such as Elf Bar disposables, off of store shelves.

    The bills, House Bill 1069 and Senate Bill 550, call for a fine of $1,000 a day for each product sold that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not authorized to be marketed in the U.S.

    The Attorney General would maintain a directory of legal products, much like Alabama and Louisiana. Products not listed in that directory could not be legally sold in Virginia.

    The bill states any retailer and wholesaler that sells or distributes any liquid nicotine or nicotine vapor product in the state is subject to scheduled or unscheduled compliance checks carried out by the Attorney General’s Office for enforcement purposes.

    Manufacturers must certify, in a filing with the Attorney General, that an FDA marketing authorization order covers their product or is exempt from that because it was sold in the U.S. before 2016 or subject to a premarket tobacco product application dating from before 2020.

    “It’s a public health issue,” said Del. Rodney Willett, who sponsored the House of Delegates bill.

    “They’re targeting kids with the flavors,” he said, according to media reports. “When I walk into a convenience store, I’m just stunned by the number of these products that are for sale.”

  • Innokin Launches ‘Trine’ Pod Vaping System

    Innokin Launches ‘Trine’ Pod Vaping System

    Image: Innokin

    Innokin launched Trine, a redefinition of the structure of pod systems, namely atomizer, control and battery (removable), according to a press release.

    Innokin claims the new 3-in-1 solution improves the reusability of the battery. 

    Trine features removable batteries for pod systems, extending the life cycle of devices far beyond that of an individual battery while enabling safe recycling, according to the release.

    Trine ensures safe battery disposal by integrating EcoDrain, a battery discharge technology setting a new industry standard as an eco-safe solution for battery disposal. It addresses the challenges associated with handling discarded batteries, ensuring safe battery discharge before recycling.

    The technology minimizes fire hazards and actively reduces the detrimental environmental impact caused by battery waste, according to the company.

  • Alpha Partners Bulgaria Can Acquire KT Intl.

    Alpha Partners Bulgaria Can Acquire KT Intl.

    Image: Wasan

    Alpha Partners Bulgaria has been cleared to acquire KT International, a Bulgarian tobacco grower and cigarette producer, reports SeeNews.

    The acquisition will not cause notable horizontal or vertical overlaps that could curb competition or lead to a dominant position in relevant markets, according to the Commission on Protection of Competition.

    The value of the acquisition was not disclosed. KT International’s registered capital amounts to $2.8 million.

    KT International is the only tobacco products manufacturer that sells on the Bulgarian market. Competitors export all of their products. Between May 2021 and May 2023, KT International held a 5 percent to 10 percent share in the Bulgarian cigarette distribution market.