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  • Warfighter Tobacco Ships 10th Anniversary and San Andres Releases

    Warfighter Tobacco Co. has begun shipping the two new cigars it introduced at the 2026 PCA Convention & Trade Show: the Warfighter 10th Anniversary and the Warfighter San Andres. The 10th Anniversary commemorates the veteran-owned company’s tenth year in business and, unusually for an anniversary cigar, enters the lineup as a regular production release rather than a limited edition. It is a 6 x 52 toro built with an Ecuadorian-grown, Sumatra-seed wrapper over a Honduran binder and Nicaraguan filler, carrying an MSRP of $12.75 per cigar and $255 for a box of 20.

    The Warfighter San Andres represents the return of a previously limited release, now also moving to regular production. The cigar originated as the company’s Heroes Sports line, released in 2022 to benefit a Texas-based charity of the same name. Its blend, a Mexican San Andres wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and filler in the same 6 x 52 toro format, is unchanged, but the name and branding have been revised. It is priced at $12.75 per cigar.

    Both cigars are produced at Tabacalera Carreras in Esteli, Nicaragua.

  • Imperial Expands U.S. Portfolio with Black Buffalo Acquisition

    Imperial Expands U.S. Portfolio with Black Buffalo Acquisition

    Imperial Brands announced it has acquired Black Buffalo in a deal valued at $150 million upfront, with additional performance-based payments over the next three years, as the company looks to expand its position in the fast-growing U.S. oral nicotine category. The acquisition gives Imperial and its U.S. subsidiary ITG Brands a stronger foothold beyond traditional nicotine pouches through Black Buffalo’s tobacco-free long cut and pouch products designed to replicate the experience of moist smokeless tobacco.

    Founded in 2015 and manufactured in North Carolina using U.S.-grown leafy greens, Black Buffalo has built a growing presence in the U.S. modern oral segment that has generated roughly $6.6 billion in sales over the past year and continues to grow at double-digit rates. While Imperial’s existing Zone pouch brand recently reached about 2.8% national market share across more than 109,000 U.S. stores, the company said Black Buffalo’s differentiated positioning complements its existing oral portfolio and strengthens its long-term next-generation products strategy as cigarette volumes continue to decline globally.

  • ALP Taps Conor McGregor as Pouch Brand Partner

    ALP Taps Conor McGregor as Pouch Brand Partner

    ALP Pouches announced a partnership with Conor McGregor as the company accelerates its expansion across international markets and broader consumer marketing channels. ALP, founded less than two years ago, said the collaboration will support its nicotine pouch brand growth ahead of planned launches in the European Union and South America later this year.

    The agreement includes a multi-channel marketing campaign spanning broadcast, digital, social, and experiential activations, timed around major combat sports events, including International Fight Week in July, where speculation continues around McGregor’s potential return to competition. ALP executives said the partnership aligns with the company’s strategy of building visibility through sports and culture-focused marketing as competition intensifies in the rapidly growing nicotine pouch category.

    The company said it plans to continue expanding retail and digital distribution as demand for oral nicotine products grows globally.

  • ACHE Cites Evidence That Youth Tobacco Measures Are Working

    ACHE Cites Evidence That Youth Tobacco Measures Are Working

    Today (May 27), the Asian Coalition for Health Empowerment (ACHE) shared its outlook based on the FDA’s 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) data that was released earlier this year, pointing to continued declines in youth tobacco and nicotine use while calling for more balanced, evidence-based regulation. The FDA data showed overall youth tobacco use fell to 7.5% in 2025 from 8.1% in 2024, while youth e-cigarette use dropped to 5.2% — the lowest level recorded in a decade. Use of nicotine pouches remained relatively low and stable at 1.7%, while use of other oral nicotine products, such as gums and lozenges, declined sharply to 0.6%.

    Following the release of the data, ACHE brought together public health experts and policy voices to discuss implications for tobacco harm reduction and future regulation. Dr. Anjum Datta said the results highlight the value of sustained public health strategies that combine awareness, regulation, and behavioral interventions, while cautioning against policies that could unintentionally limit harm reduction options for adult smokers. Dr. Dewesh Kumar said the findings support targeted regulation and youth protections without relying on “extreme prohibitive measures,” adding that adult smoking cessation efforts should remain part of the broader public health discussion.

  • Malaysian Tobacco Control Groups Pushing for 5% Tax Increases

    Malaysian Tobacco Control Groups Pushing for 5% Tax Increases

    Tobacco control organizations in Malaysia are calling for annual 5% increases in tobacco taxes following survey findings showing broad public support for higher excise rates. Research conducted by the Social and Economic Research Initiative (Seri) found that 80% of 3,200 respondents supported yearly tax hikes, while 72% believed higher tobacco taxes could help ease broader cost-of-living pressures.

    Groups backing the proposal include the Malaysian Anti-Drug Association, Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control, and the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia. Seri senior researcher Muhammad Daniel Kittu said tobacco excise duties have remained largely unchanged since 2015 despite rising prices for staple goods, arguing that higher cigarette prices could reduce smoking rates while redirecting household spending toward essentials such as food, healthcare, and education.

    Responding to concerns that higher taxes could fuel illegal sales, Kittu said weak enforcement — rather than pricing — remains the primary driver of illicit tobacco activity.

  • CVA Touts Vaping as Path to Canada’s Smoke-Free Future

    CVA Touts Vaping as Path to Canada’s Smoke-Free Future

    Ahead of World Vape Day 2026 on May 30 and World No Tobacco Day on May 31, the Canadian Vaping Association said that declining youth vaping rates in Canada show that current regulations are working, while warning against proposed federal flavor bans. Citing data from Canada’s Third Legislative Review of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act, the group noted past-30-day vaping among youth ages 12 to 17 fell from 13.2% in 2019 to 5.8% in 2024, a decline of nearly 60%.

    Association President Sam Tam said policymakers should rely on current evidence rather than “outdated statistics” when considering additional restrictions. The group also pointed to newly published studies supporting vaping as a smoking cessation tool for adults and argued that broad flavor prohibitions could undermine Canada’s goal of reducing smoking rates below 5% by 2035 while fueling illicit markets.

  • Tennessee Expands Vapor Product Definitions

    Tennessee Expands Vapor Product Definitions

    Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation broadening the state’s definitions of “consumable material” and “vapor product” to explicitly include natural and synthetic liquid nicotine solutions and nicotine analogues used in e-cigarettes and related products. The measure, enacted under HB 2359, updates state tobacco and vapor product laws covering taxation, regulation, and enforcement.

    The law clarifies that vapor products include noncombustible devices using heating elements, batteries, or electronic mechanisms to produce vapor, including electronic cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, pipes, and associated cartridges or containers. It also expands taxable consumable materials to include synthetic nicotine and nicotine analogue formulations.

    In addition, the legislation gives Tennessee’s Alcoholic Beverage Commission authority to issue fines for violations involving the retail sale or offering of vapor products to individuals under the age of 21. The law took effect immediately upon approval and amended multiple sections of the Tennessee code related to tobacco, taxation, and retail enforcement.

  • BAT Encouraging Participation in EU’s Call for Evidence

    BAT Encouraging Participation in EU’s Call for Evidence

    British American Tobacco launched an initiative aimed at encouraging adult consumers and retail partners to participate in the European Commission’s Call for Evidence on future EU tobacco and nicotine legislation. The campaign, titled “Share Your Voice,” is designed to drive engagement with the EU’s ongoing review of its Tobacco Products Directive and direct stakeholders to the Commission’s “Have Your Say” consultation platform during the current feedback period.

    The company said the initiative is intended to provide practical insight into how proposed regulatory changes could affect real-world product use and retail operations, arguing that better-informed policymaking requires input from consumers who have switched to smokeless alternatives. BAT estimates that more than 30 million adults in Europe now use smokeless nicotine products and warns that parts of the Commission’s policy direction could restrict or ban categories of reduced-risk products.

    The European Commission has indicated in its April 2026 evaluation report that it is considering tighter restrictions on tobacco and nicotine products as part of an updated regulatory framework. The consultation process remains open to stakeholders as part of the legislative review process.

  • PMI to Present at the dbAccess Global Consumer Conference

    PMI to Present at the dbAccess Global Consumer Conference

    Philip Morris International Inc. said it will host a live webcast of remarks and a Q&A session with CEO Jacek Olczak at the 2026 dbAccess Global Consumer Conference on June 2, at 11:15 a.m. CET. The session will be streamed live and made available for replay for one year via the company’s investor relations channels, including its mobile app and website.

    The event will provide an update on PMI’s strategy as it continues to position itself as a “smoke-free” consumer goods company, with a portfolio spanning cigarettes and reduced-risk products such as heat-not-burn devices, nicotine pouches, and e-vapor products. The company also highlighted ongoing regulatory milestones, including U.S. FDA authorizations for products such as Zyn nicotine pouches and IQOS devices, as it continues to expand its investor communications around its long-term transition strategy.

  • Vendix Expands Tobacco Vending Machine Technology

    Vendix Expands Tobacco Vending Machine Technology

    Tobacco retail technology company Vendix is continuing its market rollout with a presentation at the T2000 on Tour exhibition in Rome, June 6–7, following its debut in Catania earlier this year. The company, founded in 2025 as a joint venture between Microhard and FAS International, is positioning its latest-generation vending machines for tobacconists seeking expanded sales capabilities outside traditional store hours.

    Vendix will showcase touchscreen-enabled vending systems with capacities ranging from 300 to 1,400 packs, designed for indoor and outdoor installation and equipped with remote monitoring and management functions. The machines support both cash and cashless payments and include integrated services such as bill payments and digital transactions, alongside real-time performance tracking for operators.

    CEO Andrea Montanari said the systems are intended to support sales after closing time, highlighting a shift toward more digital, service-oriented retail models for tobacconists. The company said its platform is designed to combine operational control with expanded consumer access, reflecting broader trends in automation and retail tech within tobacco distribution channels.