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  • Ispire Says FDA Guidance Opens $50B Door

    Ispire Says FDA Guidance Opens $50B Door

    Ispire Technology Inc. says it is positioning itself to capture a multi-billion-dollar opportunity in the U.S. vaping market following the FDA’s newly issued draft guidance on flavored ENDS Premarket Tobacco Product Applications. The guidance, which formally recognized device-level age verification — or Device Access Restrictions (DAR) — as a key factor in determining whether a product meets the “appropriate for the protection of public health” standard, creates a lawful pathway for flavored products that have largely been sold illicitly.

    Ispire said its 40%-owned joint venture, IKE Tech LLC, is uniquely positioned to provide the age-gating and product authentication infrastructure required for compliance, leveraging its blockchain-secured, biometric, and Bluetooth-enabled technology platform that has been validated to prevent underage access while supporting adult consumer use.

    Ispire said the recognition of DAR technologies by the FDA opens a total addressable market estimated at $50 billion, largely comprised of illicit and unauthorized flavored ENDS products. IKE Tech’s SaaS-based compliance model, which Ispire estimates can generate $5 million to $20 million in annual recurring revenue per manufacturer customer, positions the company to capture significant enterprise value even with a limited number of clients. Beyond age verification, the platform also addresses counterfeiting and illicit trade, providing traceability and authentication across the supply chain.

  • S. Carolina Looking to Cut Tax on HTPs, Add for E-liquids

    S. Carolina Looking to Cut Tax on HTPs, Add for E-liquids

    South Carolina lawmakers are considering legislation that would cut the excise tax on heated tobacco products by more than half, arguing the devices pose lower health risks than traditional cigarettes and could help smokers transition away from combustible tobacco. Republican Sen. Tom Davis, chair of the Senate Labor, Commerce, and Industry Committee, said the products provide a similar experience to smoking but with fewer harmful chemicals, and argued the tax structure should reflect the relative risk compared with conventional cigarettes.  The bill, introduced last year, imposes a separate excise tax on heated cigarettes of 25 cents per pack of 20, effectively cutting the HTP tax rate by 45 cents from the combustible rate of 70 cents per pack.

    Public health groups oppose the proposal, with the American Heart Association warning that reducing taxes could encourage continued nicotine use or product switching rather than quitting. The bill would also introduce a new excise tax on vaping products of five cents per milliliter of vape liquid, as South Carolina currently has no tax on e-cigarettes. According to the state fiscal office, heated tobacco products are not currently sold in the state, though companies have marketed them there previously and could reenter the market if the legislation passes.

  • Jordan to Tighten Regs on Shisha Tobacco

    Jordan to Tighten Regs on Shisha Tobacco

    Jordan will prohibit the sale of loose shisha tobacco starting April 1, requiring all products to be sold in officially approved packaged containers, according to the country’s Income and Sales Tax Department. The measure is part of new regulations governing the licensing and operation of shisha tobacco factories introduced in 2025, aimed at strengthening oversight of manufacturing and distribution while ensuring compliance with tax and regulatory requirements. Authorities said the move will help regulate the trade of shisha tobacco and improve monitoring across the supply chain.

    Under the updated rules, factories must meet a range of operational requirements, including locating facilities in designated industrial zones, maintaining a minimum production area of 1,000 square meters, and employing at least 10 registered Jordanian workers. Producers must also comply with national production standards, maintain computerized accounting and inventory systems, and meet regular tax reporting obligations. Existing factories have been given up to one year to bring operations into compliance, while traders have been urged to prepare for the packaging-only sales requirement before the April 2026 implementation date.

  • Glasgow Vape Shop Fire Draws Attention, Response from UKVIA

    Glasgow Vape Shop Fire Draws Attention, Response from UKVIA

    The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) reached out to fire authorities across the UK following a major fire in Glasgow that originated in a retail outlet selling vapes. UKVIA emphasized that vape retailers are being advised on immediate steps to ensure proper fire safety measures and are encouraged to review risk assessments and liaise with local fire services for guidance. Director General John Dunne described the incident as isolated but underscored the importance of proactive safety compliance, noting that responsible retailers play a crucial role in keeping vaping products accessible for adults seeking to quit smoking.

    UKVIA welcomed the opportunity to work with fire services to learn from the incident and reiterated its long-standing advocacy for a robust licensing scheme to ensure the highest safety and compliance standards, now under consideration as part of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The association also highlighted that illicit vapes pose heightened fire risks due to high-energy batteries, which burn hotter and faster than conventional fires, potentially explaining the intensity of the Glasgow blaze.

    The fire drew attention to regulatory gaps, as the store involved was not listed on the Scottish Government’s Register of Tobacco and Nicotine Vapour Product Retailers and had not paid business rates. A manual count of the government’s Register of Tobacco and Nicotine Vapour Product Retailers found that 80% of 1,252 registered shops are “registered and compliant,” but listed as lacking current information.

  • Philippine Farmers Hail Illicit Tobacco Crackdown

    Philippine Farmers Hail Illicit Tobacco Crackdown

    Farmers in the Philippines and local business groups welcomed the government’s intensified crackdown on illicit tobacco manufacturing and smuggling, following a series of enforcement operations. Organizations, including the Federation of Free Farmers, Federation of Philippine Industries, and the British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines said recent raids and factory shutdowns send a strong signal that authorities are serious about protecting legitimate businesses, government revenues, and farmers’ livelihoods. The comments followed law enforcement actions that uncovered several abandoned illegal cigarette factories in Pampanga and seized equipment and materials valued at about ₱400 million ($6.8 million).

    Officials said the illegal facilities were capable of producing cigarettes worth up to ₱160 million per day. Authorities estimate that illegal cigarette production and smuggling cost the Philippine government around ₱30 billion ($510 million) in lost excise taxes in 2025 alone. Department of the Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla warned that some illicit operations may have political or institutional backers, while enforcement agencies continue investigations to identify financiers and operators behind the networks.

  • Azerbaijan Sets Fines for E-cigarette Violations

    Azerbaijan Sets Fines for E-cigarette Violations

    Azerbaijan introduced fines targeting e-cigarette use and commerce under amendments to the Administrative Offenses Code signed by President Ilham Aliyev, AzerNEWS reported. Individuals using e-cigarettes in prohibited public areas, including streets, face a 30 manat ($17.60) fine, while violations involving import, export, production, wholesale, retail sale, or storage of e-cigarettes and components carry steeper penalties. Fines range from 350–500 manat ($205–$294) for individuals, 1,650–2,200 manat ($970–$1,294) for officials, and 4,000–5,000 manat ($2,352–$2,941) for legal entities, with any contraband products subject to confiscation.

  • PHANZ and CAPHRA Clash Over Oral Products

    PHANZ and CAPHRA Clash Over Oral Products

    The Public Health Association of New Zealand (PHANZ) recently urged the government to reject oral nicotine and tobacco products, citing limited evidence and concerns over youth uptake, addiction, and unintended harms. PHANZ argued that introducing these products could pose risks to public health and recommended a cautious approach.

    In response, the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates called for strict, adult-only regulation rather than outright prohibition, emphasizing that adults who smoke deserve access to lower-risk alternatives. CAPHRA Executive Coordinator Nancy Loucas stressed that safeguards such as R18 sales, ingredient disclosure, marketing restrictions, and strong enforcement should accompany access, noting that blanket bans ignore evidence from Sweden and Norway where low-combustion oral products have coincided with major declines in cigarette use.

    CAPHRA also criticized New Zealand’s current patchwork of import restrictions, advocating for a clear legal category and risk-proportionate regulations that protect youth while giving adults credible alternatives to combustible tobacco.

  • Kuwait Bans Nicotine Sales Through Digital, Delivery Platforms

    Kuwait Bans Nicotine Sales Through Digital, Delivery Platforms

    Kuwait’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry has issued a Ministerial Resolution banning the sale of tobacco, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and related “consumption tools” via home delivery or any digital platforms. Effective March 15, the resolution empowers the ministry to enforce penalties for violations, including warnings, temporary business closures, and license revocation for repeated offenses. The ministry highlighted its commitment to the strict regulation of tobacco sales and ensuring adherence to the new rules.

  • FDA Releases Raw NYTS Data Without Comment

    FDA Releases Raw NYTS Data Without Comment

    Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released the raw data from the 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), an annual, school-based survey that collects data on tobacco use among students in grades 6 through 12 across the country. Unlike previous years, the FDA released the data without comment, leaving industry members to interpret it independently.

    The survey tracks students’ tobacco behaviors, attitudes, and exposure to pro- and anti-tobacco messaging, providing nationally representative data. First conducted in 1999, it has guided youth tobacco policy and was jointly run by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since 2012, before moving fully under FDA oversight in 2025. 

    “Youth use of tobacco and nicotine has been the FDA’s sole focus in its policy and decision making for so many years, with adult education programs centered on the risk continuum of these products seemingly still far off,” said Laura Leigh Oyler, VP of Regulatory Affairs at Nicokick.com. “It’s been a big question throughout the industry as to why they’ve chosen to release this data with no fanfare, and with no guidance on how to interpret it. The FDA has essentially left the industry and other stakeholders to analyze and determine the use rates on their own.”

    Altria Client Services released a “high-level” summary of the data, finding overall tobacco usage by middle and high school students declined for the third straight year, dropping to 7.5%, the lowest rate since the study became annual in 2011, and down from the all-time high of 23.3% in 2019.

    Cigarette usage remained steady at 1.4%, while all other categories dropped from 2024, with e-cigarettes going from 5.9% to 5.2%, pouches from 1.8% to 1.7%, smokeless tobacco going from 1.2% to 0.6%, and heated tobacco products going from 0.8% to 0.7%.

    “With the continued low youth use rates, we think this is something worth celebrating,” Oyler said. “The data shows that targeted public‑health interventions, combined with thoughtful regulation like raising the legal age for nicotine purchases, can make a meaningful difference.”

    “The law is clear: tobacco and nicotine products are strictly for adults 21 and older,” said Matthew T. Sheaff, director of U.S. regulatory communications for Philip Morris International. “At PMI U.S., we are committed to guarding against underage access to our products, while continuing to provide adults 21 and older with better alternatives to smoking and traditional tobacco.

    “For example, we direct our marketing to adult nicotine consumers and do not pay social media influencers to endorse our products in the U.S. This is a shared responsibility—regulators, policymakers, retailers, and manufacturers all have an important role to play.”

    With the news generally positive in terms of youth usage, Oyler suggested emphasis be given to adults 55 and older, whose smoking rates have remained mostly steady, dropping from 18.7% in 2016 to 16.7% in 2023.

    “If anything, this data raises questions less about youth access and more about what we can do to educate adults on the differences between nicotine and tobacco products, and how they can reduce their risk,” Oyler said. “This is the population most at risk of smoking-related disease. This is the population with the most to gain from moving away from cigarettes. And this is the population that has been historically underserved by cessation efforts and innovation.

    “To drive the next major improvement in public health, we must accelerate support for adults who smoke and ensure that they have access to better alternatives, and ultimately, better outcomes.”

  • UK’s Generational Smoking Ban Moves Closer  

    UK’s Generational Smoking Ban Moves Closer  

    Both Houses of the UK Parliament have backed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill at its third reading, aiming to create a smoke-free generation by preventing anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, from ever purchasing cigarettes, tobacco, herbal smoking products, or cigarette papers. The proposed law also penalizes adults who attempt to buy vaping or nicotine products on behalf of those underage, while granting ministers new powers to regulate flavors, ingredients, and packaging of smoking and vaping products. Health minister Baroness Merron emphasized the legislation’s public health focus, framing the bill as a measure to protect youth from nicotine addiction.

    Industry and political voices have highlighted the need for balanced implementation. Conservative shadow health minister Lord Kamall called for evidence-based regulations that do not unduly burden retailers or restrict adult smokers’ access to products that aid cessation, while warning that permanent restrictions could drive some consumers to black-market sources. Jamie Strachan, operations director at VPZ, a national vaping retailer, echoed the importance of clear standards and strong enforcement, noting that the success of the legislation will rely on regulating high-capacity disposable devices and ensuring responsible retail practices to both protect young people and maintain access to safer alternatives for adults.