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  • Sri Lanka’s Beedi Industry Under Attack

    Sri Lanka’s Beedi Industry Under Attack

    Sri Lanka’s Parliamentary Committee on Ways and Means called for stronger action to curb the illegal import of beedi leaves, warning that smuggling is eroding government tax revenue and undermining the legal beedi industry. During a recent meeting chaired by MP Wijesiri Basnayake, officials said large quantities of leaves are being brought in by sea to avoid import duties, despite existing enforcement efforts. The committee urged measures to stop industry participants from using illicit supplies and directed Finance Ministry officials to develop a mechanism to safeguard tax collection.

    Officials from the government, police, and navy discussed enforcement options. Lawmakers stressed the need to balance revenue protection with safeguarding employment in the beedi sector while tightening controls on illicit imports.

  • New Mexico AG Sues Retailers for Youth Vape Addiction

    New Mexico AG Sues Retailers for Youth Vape Addiction

    New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed a lawsuit against Circle K and other major retailers, alleging violations of the state’s Unfair Practices Act for marketing vapes and e-cigarettes in ways that appeal to children. The suit claims the products’ colorful packaging and sweet flavors are designed to attract minors, contributing to some of the highest youth nicotine usage rates in the country. Torrez seeks damages, including civil penalties of $5,000 per violation, following his previous $375 million win against Meta for similar violations.

    Health experts and school officials cited in the lawsuit highlight the dangers of adolescent vaping, including addiction, lung damage, increased risk-taking behavior, and mental health impacts. The Attorney General also said the presence of online “straw purchases” that funnel e-cigarettes to minors, comparing the ongoing harm to historic tobacco-related public health crises.

  • Virginia AG Pushing to Enforce New Vape Regulations

    Virginia AG Pushing to Enforce New Vape Regulations

    As of April 1, 2026, Virginia vape shops must sell only liquid nicotine and vapor products listed in the state’s official registry. Attorney General Jay Jones has instructed local prosecutors to begin enforcement, with retailers facing fines of $1,000 per unlisted product per day until compliance. The grace period for compliance, initially set at 60 days from the registry’s January 1 launch, was extended to April 1 following confusion over a federal injunction that had temporarily allowed unregistered products to remain on shelves. Vape shop owners warn that the new rules will impact sales, as many popular products are not yet listed.

    Legislators are also advancing the Vape Enforcement Act, shifting oversight and licensing from the Department of Taxation to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority and mandating inspections every 24 months to prevent sales to minors. The bills, which have passed the General Assembly and await Governor Abigail Spanberger’s signature, aim to close loopholes, strengthen enforcement, and ensure harmful unregulated products are removed from the market.

  • Ireland Called to Consider Australian-Style Vape Ban

    Ireland Called to Consider Australian-Style Vape Ban

    Calls to restrict vape sales to pharmacies have resurfaced in Ireland after a regional health forum asked the Health Service Executive to study whether an Australia-style model could curb youth vaping. At the HSE South-West Regional Health Forum, councilors from multiple parties backed a motion from Cork City South East Councilor Peter Horgan, urging research into the potential benefits and drawbacks of limiting vape sales to pharmacy-only settings. The proposal follows mounting concern over youth use, with estimates suggesting one in five 15–16 year olds now vape, and ongoing criticism of brightly colored devices and sweet flavors seen as appealing to children.

    Supporters of the motion pointed to Australia’s 2024 shift to pharmacy-only sales for all vaping products as a possible template, arguing that higher prices and restricted access there may have reduced affordability for young people despite illicit trade challenges. HSE representatives highlighted existing national campaigns aimed at parents, schools and teenagers, including peer-led education and the “Take a Breath” initiative launched in 2025. The forum agreed to seek national HSE funding for a feasibility study, with the intention of using the findings to inform future policy discussions at the government level.

  • Oklahoma Cuts Cigarette Tax for HTPs

    Oklahoma Cuts Cigarette Tax for HTPs

    Oklahoma lawmakers approved legislation amending the state’s cigarette stamp tax law to extend a 50% tax exemption to cigarettes “intended to be heated rather than burned,” effectively lowering the excise burden on heated tobacco products. The measure revises definitions in existing statute to clarify that products designed to be heated still fall within the legal definition of a cigarette, but then carves out a partial exemption for those products from the stamp excise tax. The change applies within Oklahoma’s long-standing cigarette tax framework under the oversight of the Oklahoma Tax Commission.

    The law directs the Tax Commission to create rules to implement the exemption and ensure appropriate tax stamps are available for heated products before the act takes effect on November 1, 2026.

  • Bangladesh Pushed for More Realistic Tobacco Tax Policy

    Bangladesh Pushed for More Realistic Tobacco Tax Policy

    A roundtable hosted by the Policy Research Institute in Dhaka urged Bangladesh to adopt a simpler, more predictable tobacco tax framework, arguing that sharp duty and price hikes in June 2024 and January 2025 have reduced cigarette sales and weakened revenue performance. Speakers cited an Ernst & Young market assessment showing that despite repeated tax increases since FY20, revenue growth has lagged expectations as the total tax burden on tobacco has climbed to roughly 83%, among the highest globally.

    Participants said frequent price adjustments and a complex multi-tier tax structure are distorting the market, pushing consumers toward cheaper segments and widening price gaps between tiers while creating incentives for illicit trade. The group recommended a gradual shift from a value-based to a specific tax system, stronger enforcement capacity to curb illegal trade, and improved factory-level monitoring, arguing that a transparent, stable tax policy is needed to sustain revenue, support administrative efficiency, and reduce market volatility.

  • BAT Pulls Pouches from France, Criticizes Debateless Ban

    BAT Pulls Pouches from France, Criticizes Debateless Ban

    BAT France said it has stopped marketing nicotine pouches nationwide as of April 1, complying with a government decree issued on Sept. 5, 2025 that entered into force this week. The company confirmed it is withdrawing the products from sale in line with the regulation.

    At the same time, BAT France criticized the move as a regulatory ban adopted without parliamentary debate, arguing it runs counter to harm-reduction strategies and France’s goal of a “tobacco-free generation” by 2032. The company said the decision comes amid ongoing European discussions over revisions to the Tobacco Excise Directive and evaluation of the Tobacco Products Directive, and pledged to continue advocating for what it called a science-based, proportionate framework while focusing on vaping products for adult smokers.

  • Filing Shows FDA Rescinded 229 CTP RIF Notices

    Filing Shows FDA Rescinded 229 CTP RIF Notices

    A court filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island shows that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products has fully reversed a wave of 2025 reduction-in-force (RIF) notices affecting 229 employees. In a declaration filed March 27, FDA official Melanie M. Keller detailed how the notices, issued March 31, April 1, and May 2, 2025, were rescinded in stages beginning May 1 and continuing through September 12, 2025, across multiple CTP offices, including health communication and education, compliance and enforcement, management, regulations, and public health education.

    The declaration states that on February 3, 2026, all remaining RIF notices were rescinded except for eight employees who had already moved to other CTP divisions. The final rescissions covered staff responsible for public complaints, small business assistance, IT business process support, industry outreach, and management of contracts and grants. The filing also notes that two Office of Science leaders placed on administrative leave after proposed reassignments returned to their roles by November 6, 2025, and that none of the affected employees remains on administrative leave.

    The filing is part of State of New York vs Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., lawsuit.

  • Acupuncture Featured as Cessation Tool  

    Acupuncture Featured as Cessation Tool  

    Acupuncture for smoking cessation was highlighted as a promising non-pharmacological intervention at the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Traditional Chinese Medicine Technology Development Forum, where experts promoted acupoint stimulation as a way to reduce nicotine cravings without medication. The forum, focused on standardizing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) technologies and strengthening primary healthcare, brought together specialists from Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao to discuss scalable TCM practices.

    Paulo do Lago Comandante, chairman of the Macau Association of Researchers, Practitioners and Promoters of Chinese Medicine, said such techniques are “simple, convenient, affordable, and effective,” and can help integrate TCM more deeply into frontline care. Speakers framed acupuncture-based cessation support as part of a broader push to formalize and expand TCM methods across community health systems in the Greater Bay Area.

  • IMPERIAL BRANDS ADDS NEW FLAVOUR TO POPULAR BLU LINE UP

    IMPERIAL BRANDS ADDS NEW FLAVOUR TO POPULAR BLU LINE UP

    Imperial Brands has announced the addition of a brand-new flavor to its popular blu vape offering with the arrival of Sour Berry.

    Launching across retail in April, and with an RRP of £5.99, Sour Berry is the newest addition to blu bar kit and blu box kit’s extensive flavor range, bringing the total number of flavor options available to customers to 17.

    With fruit-flavors preferred by 83% of vape users, customer demand is seeking differentiated, less synthetic flavors in this category. In response, Imperial Brands launched Sour Berry to expand its blu vape flavor range in line with customer preferences. The newest addition will offer a more authentic flavor profile of wild berries, sharpened by tartness, to provide a superior flavor experience for users, engaging their senses with distinct, vibrant berry notes.

    The new Sour Berry flavor uses the innovative AuthentiTaste formulation, which are liquids crafted with flavorings that mirror real fruit profiles and sensorial cues – like sourness – delivering a fresh, captivating experience.

    The new Sour Berry flavour will be available in two formats:

    • blu bar kit: Offering 1,000 puffs of intense, authentic flavor per prefilled, replaceable pod. The kit features a sleek device and is compatible with all other flavors in the extensive blu pod range, allowing users to enjoy a variety of flavor experiences.
    • blu pod pack: Each pack includes two replacement blu pods, delivering an impressive total of 2,000 puffs per pod pack.

    Shirley Soccio, Head of Consumer Marketing UK & Ireland at Imperial Brands, commented: “Vape users across the UK continue to demand new and exciting flavors. As a business, we remain committed to ensuring our range reflects evolving customer taste preferences. For retailers, this means that they can in turn offer the best products and experiences to their customers.

    “A recurring point of feedback among customers is that they see some flavors on the market as artificial or one-dimensional. To address this, Sour Berry has been formulated specifically to offer an unexpected yet genuine flavor experience, which we anticipate will create strong demand from vape users.”

    For further information, visit https://www.blu.com/en-GB.