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  • West Virginia Begins Implementing Vape Safety Act

    West Virginia Begins Implementing Vape Safety Act

    West Virginia will begin implementing its Vape Safety Act today (June 11), introducing new labeling requirements for vapor products sold by vape and smoke shops statewide. Under the law, products must display health warnings, age restrictions, manufacturer information, and ingredient disclosures. The legislation also establishes a licensing framework for retailers, with businesses required to obtain a state license before July 1 for the 2026–27 licensing period. Unlicensed operators face penalties of up to $10,000 and one year in prison.

    The measure is the first phase of a broader regulatory regime aimed at reducing youth vaping and increasing oversight of nicotine products. Additional restrictions taking effect in 2027 will prohibit packaging and marketing that references candy, uses cartoons or mimics consumer products, while new advertising rules will sharply limit retailer promotions and storefront signage. State officials said the law responds to concerns over youth-oriented vape marketing, noting that 27.5% of West Virginia high school students report current e-cigarette use, well above the national average.

  • PMI Declares $1.47 Quarterly Dividend

    PMI Declares $1.47 Quarterly Dividend

    The board of directors of Philip Morris International Inc. today (June 11) declared a regular quarterly dividend of $1.47 per common share, payable on July 20, to shareholders of record as of June 25. The ex-dividend date is June 25. For more details, visit www.pmi.com/dividend.

  • Mass. Officials Drummed Up ‘Fake Support’ for Generational Bans: Report

    Mass. Officials Drummed Up ‘Fake Support’ for Generational Bans: Report

    Based on public-records emails reviewed in a recent report, the Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program (MTCP) has been accused of using “fake support” in coordinating a statewide effort to manipulate “Nicotine-Free Generation” (NFG) policies through local boards of health, according to an article from Reason. According to the report, MTCP-funded tobacco program managers identified municipalities as targets for generational tobacco bans, tracked policy adoption as a program goal, and connected local officials with advocates, volunteers, and supportive organizations to help push proposed regulations. Emails cited in the report show tobacco program staff encouraging testimony at hearings and monitoring the passage of new tobacco policies across Massachusetts.

    The report further alleges that the strategy relied on securing local NFG ordinances to build momentum for broader statewide legislation. It claims that public health officials, municipal health boards, and advocacy groups — such as The Public Health Advocacy Institute — worked closely to coordinate messaging, recruit supporters, and share model regulations, with some local officials expressing confidence that bans would pass before public hearings were held.

    “The Public Health Advocacy Institute is the leading pressure group pushing generational tobacco bans,” Reason wrote. “The institute reported total revenue of $741,000 in fiscal year 2022; the following year, that figure soared to $21.2 million. Whatever the source of that sudden increase, public or private, it’s an eye-popping amount of money for a small policy shop offering free legal defense to municipalities that adopt NFG.”

    Supporters view the approach as a public-health initiative aimed at preventing future nicotine use, while critics characterize it as a state-funded campaign to restrict future adult access to tobacco and nicotine products through local policymaking channels.

  • Report Accuses Trump of Cashing in on FDA Changes

    Report Accuses Trump of Cashing in on FDA Changes

    A report by KFF Health News accuses President Donald Trump of expanding his personal investments in major tobacco companies and benefiting from substantial political donations from industry interests as his administration simultaneously pursued policies favorable to the tobacco and nicotine industry. The report alleges that Trump increased his holdings in several tobacco companies, including Philip Morris International and Altria Group, as his administration pushed the FDA for regulatory changes, drawing criticism from public health advocates and former regulators who argue the measures benefit tobacco companies at the expense of tobacco-control efforts.

    The report also highlights more than $20 million in contributions from tobacco and vaping interests to Trump-aligned political groups and inauguration activities since late 2023, including multimillion-dollar donations from industry players such as Reynolds American. While the White House rejected suggestions of improper influence and said its nicotine-related policies are based on scientific evidence supporting harm reduction for adult smokers, critics cited in the report contend that the administration’s actions represent one of the most industry-friendly tobacco policy shifts in recent years.

  • Dutch Health Minister Dismisses Generational Ban

    Dutch Health Minister Dismisses Generational Ban

    The Netherlands’ Minister of Public Health, Welfare, and Sport, Sophie Hermans, said that a generational smoking ban based on a fixed birth year would not be effective in the Dutch context. She pointed to persistently high youth nicotine use and widespread reliance on illegal vaping products as key enforcement challenges that would undermine such a policy.

    In a letter to the Dutch parliament’s lower house, Hermans argued that generational bans may work more effectively in countries with lower youth smoking rates, such as the United Kingdom, but warned that fragmented EU nicotine rules could lead to cross-border purchasing and illicit trade. She also cited research suggesting that a large majority of vape products used in the Netherlands are obtained through illegal channels, complicating efforts to control nicotine consumption through stricter age-based restrictions.

  • PM India Calls to Disrupt Illicit Tobacco Ecosystem

    PM India Calls to Disrupt Illicit Tobacco Ecosystem

    A new industry update from the EU-ASEAN Business Council highlights the continued scale of illicit tobacco trade in India and across Southeast Asia, underscoring growing concerns over smuggling, counterfeit products, and unregulated nicotine markets. According to the Tobacco Institute of India (TII), illicit cigarettes account for nearly one-quarter of India’s domestic cigarette market, resulting in estimated annual revenue losses of around Rs. 23,000 crore ($2.4 billion). The report coincides with World Anti–Counterfeiting Day remarks from Philip Morris India, which reiterated calls for stronger enforcement and industry collaboration to combat illegal tobacco flows.

    Broader regional data from EU-ABC and Euromonitor International show the illicit tobacco market across ASEAN-6 generated an estimated $12.6 billion over 2024–2025, with illicit cigarette volumes rising 14% and illicit e-vape sales increasing 24% in the past year. Additional intelligence cited in the update points to a rapidly expanding global illicit nicotine ecosystem, including a multi-billion-dollar illegal e-cigarette market, alongside continued enforcement actions in India such as large-scale seizures of prohibited vaping devices and cigarette shipments. PM India said the findings reinforce the need for stronger track-and-trace systems, cross-border enforcement, and coordinated policy responses to curb the growing black market.

  • Pakistan Taps into Industry for Proposals to Stop Illicit Trade

    Pakistan Taps into Industry for Proposals to Stop Illicit Trade

    Pakistan’s commerce ministry reviewed proposals from the tobacco industry focused on taxation and illicit cigarette trade ahead of the country’s federal budget announcement scheduled for June 12. The discussions with Pakistan Tobacco Company representatives took place as the government seeks to expand its tax base, strengthen revenue collection, and reduce undocumented economic activity under its IMF-backed reform program.

    Industry stakeholders emphasized the impact of illicit cigarette sales on tax compliance and market competition, while government officials reiterated priorities around improving enforcement and formalizing the economy. The review comes as Pakistan prepares new fiscal measures aimed at balancing revenue generation with investment and growth objectives in the upcoming budget cycle.

  • Indonesia Health Pushing for Plain Packaging

    Indonesia Health Pushing for Plain Packaging

    Indonesia’s Health Ministry is drafting a new regulation that would require plain packaging for tobacco products and electronic cigarettes in an effort to reduce their appeal to young people and curb smoking rates, The Jakarta Post reported. The proposed rule would standardize pack colors and design while retaining brand names and mandatory pictorial health warnings, and is intended to prevent cigarette packaging from serving as a marketing tool.

    Health officials say the measure is designed to shift consumer attention toward warning labels and align Indonesia with countries such as Australia, Canada, and Singapore, which have implemented similar policies. The proposal has been welcomed by public health advocates as a tobacco control measure, while drawing criticism from business and consumer groups who argue it could affect branding and market competition.

  • Hong Kong Sees Historic Drops in Smoking, Vaping

    Hong Kong Sees Historic Drops in Smoking, Vaping

    Hong Kong’s vaping population dropped 32% to about 7,900 daily users in 2025, down from 11,600 in 2023, amid tighter tobacco controls and a broader decline in smoking rates, Acting Secretary for Health Cecilia Fan Yuen-man told lawmakers. According to the latest Thematic Household Survey by the Census and Statistics Department, overall smoking prevalence in Hong Kong has dropped to a historic low of 8.5%, with 538,100 daily cigarette smokers consuming an average of 10.9 sticks per day.

    Officials attributed the decline partly to the 2022 ban on import, manufacture, and sale of e-cigarettes and related products, followed by expanded enforcement, including more than 4,000 inspections and 51 fixed penalty notices issued after a public possession ban took effect in April. The Department of Health (Hong Kong) reported continued seizures of alternative smoking products, reinforcing the city’s tightening stance on tobacco and vaping as youth smoking rates remain at “extremely low” levels.

  • Thailand Busts Illicit Vape Factory Supplying Buyers Nationwide

    Thailand Busts Illicit Vape Factory Supplying Buyers Nationwide

    Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation, in coordination with multiple agencies including the Royal Thai Police and Customs Department, dismantled a large illegal e-cigarette manufacturing operation in Chonburi’s Nong Pla Lai subdistrict. Authorities said the raid uncovered a warehouse allegedly converted from a licensed cannabis cultivation site into a vape production facility supplying buyers nationwide, following expanded intelligence-sharing and investigation efforts.

    Officers seized about 65,000 finished e-cigarette devices and materials capable of producing roughly 30,000 more, along with machinery, packaging, and raw supplies. One suspect was arrested and admitted to acting as a driver transporting products to distribution networks, while investigators continue probing wider supply chains, financiers, and cross-border links.