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  • Article Examines Move Toward Higher-Strength Pouches

    Article Examines Move Toward Higher-Strength Pouches

    An article published today (Aug. 27) by Financial Times reports that major tobacco companies are accelerating their push into higher-strength nicotine pouches as competition intensifies in the U.S. market, valued at about $5.2 billion. Higher-strength products now account for 17% of U.S. pouch volumes, according to Stifel analyst Matt Smith, with Philip Morris International’s 11mg Zyn Ultra becoming the highest-strength nicotine pouch cleared by the FDA. BAT plans to launch Velo Max in 8mg and 12mg strengths, while Altria is preparing a national expansion of its 12mg On! Plus.

    Nearly 21 billion pouches were sold in the U.S. last year, according to Euromonitor, while smokeless nicotine product sales increased more than 8% in the first half of 2026 as cigarette sales declined 2.4%, according to NielsenIQ and Goldman Sachs. The companies are also expanding strength and format options as consumers develop preferences for stronger and higher-moisture products, with the FDA’s recent regulatory changes facilitating faster product introductions.

  • Vietnam Health Official Backs ID Checks for Tobacco Sales

    Vietnam Health Official Backs ID Checks for Tobacco Sales

    Vietnam’s Ministry of Health is proposing age verification for tobacco purchases, allowing retailers to ask customers who appear under 18 to show an identity card, passport, or verify their age through the VNeID national digital identification app. Dr. Duong Huy Luong, deputy director of the ministry’s Department of Medical Services Administration, said at an Aug. 26 seminar that the measure is reasonable and should be supported by effective enforcement and communication. He also called for the revised tobacco-control law to cover emerging nicotine products based on their characteristics rather than specific product names or technologies, while Hoang Duc Nam of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union said controls should extend to online sales and social media marketing, where young people increasingly encounter nicotine products.

  • Riot Labs Cites Cochrane Review Against UK Vape Packaging Plans

    Riot Labs Cites Cochrane Review Against UK Vape Packaging Plans

    British e-liquid manufacturer Riot Labs is citing a new Cochrane review showing that nicotine e-cigarettes produce higher six-month quit rates than nicotine replacement therapy. The review analyzed 80 randomized trials involving nearly 30,000 smokers and found high-certainty evidence that nicotine vapes outperform patches and gum, according to the company.

    Riot CEO Ben Johnson said the findings highlight a gap between evidence and public perceptions of vaping, while warning that proposed UK restrictions on vape packaging, appearance and displays could undermine switching from cigarettes. The company noted that the review’s authors specifically advised consumers seeking to quit with e-cigarettes to use products tested and approved by their country’s regulator.

    Riot said it will cite the Cochrane findings in its response to the Department of Health and Social Care’s consultation on vape packaging, which closes Oct. 2. The company is calling for a three-tier retailer licensing system that would include enhanced requirements for shops accessible to children and a separate category for age-restricted specialist vape retailers.

  • Scandinavian Reports Stable First-Half Sales

    Scandinavian Reports Stable First-Half Sales

    Scandinavian Tobacco Group reported net sales of DKK 4.19 billion ($670 million) for the first half of 2026, down 3% year over year, including a 3% negative impact from currency movements. Organic sales at constant currencies declined 0.3%, while handmade cigars grew 6%. Machine-rolled cigars and smoking tobacco declined 4%, while the company said its XQS nicotine pouch business continues to expand into new markets and menthol products.

    EBITDA before special items rose 2% to DKK 835 million ($133.6 million), while EBIT before special items fell 2% to DKK 581 million ($93 million). Free cash flow before acquisitions increased 53% to DKK 422 million ($67.5 million). The company said its strategic Focus2030 program is progressing and expects the planned DKK 1.3 billion ($208 million) divestment of the BREAK and Moro fine-cut tobacco brands to close before year-end.

    Scandinavian Tobacco Group maintained its 2026 guidance, forecasting constant-currency net sales growth of -2% to 2%, an EBIT margin before special items of 13% to 14.5%, free cash flow before acquisitions of DKK 950 million ($152 million) to DKK 1.2 billion ($192 million), and adjusted EPS of DKK 9 to DKK 11 ($1.44 to $1.76).

  • AIR Shareholders Approve $52.5M Share Repurchase

    AIR Shareholders Approve $52.5M Share Repurchase

    AIR Global announced that its shareholders approved all proposals at an Aug. 24 extraordinary general meeting, including a $52.5 million repurchase of 5 million ordinary shares from Harraden Circle Investors and related entities at $10.49 per share.

    The meeting also approved amendments to the company’s articles of association concerning notices of general meetings.

    Shareholders also authorized the company to conduct future share repurchases through off-market transactions and open-market purchases. AIR said it has no additional repurchases currently planned beyond the Harraden transaction.

  • Philippines Says 93% of Vape Brands Unregistered

    Philippines Says 93% of Vape Brands Unregistered

    The Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said 292 of 313 vape brands (93%) identified in the market are not registered with the agency. DTI Assistant Secretary Marcus Valdez II disclosed the figures during an Aug. 25 House Ways and Means Committee hearing on tobacco and vapor excise taxes.

    Lawmakers and government agencies are considering a single excise tax rate for nicotine salt and freebase vapor products, arguing the current two-tier system contributes to tax leakage and illicit trade. “They will not register because the tax is too high,” committee chairman Miro Quimbo said. The Bureau of Internal Revenue reported 6,196 tobacco and vape enforcement operations in 2026, generating an estimated P1.7 billion ($27 million) in excise taxes.

    The Bureau of Customs reported 253 tobacco seizures worth P10 billion ($160 million) and 18 vapor-product seizures worth P1.6 billion ($25.6 million) this year, compared with P1.87 billion and P649 million ($29.9 million and $10.4 million), respectively, in 2025. Lawmakers cautioned that excessive taxes could drive more consumers toward illicit products, with Rep. Roberto Nazal saying authorities should avoid “overtax[ing] to the point that we will promote further smuggling.”

  • Australian Party Calls for 80% Tobacco Tax Cut

    Australian Party Calls for 80% Tobacco Tax Cut

    Australia’s federal opposition is calling for tobacco excise to be cut by up to 80% to undermine organized crime networks that it says now control much of the country’s tobacco market. A coalition task force report released today (Aug. 26) said as much as 80% of tobacco consumed in 2025 was illicit, up from 12% in 2017.

    Sen. Richard Colbeck and Monash MP Mary Aldred said high tobacco taxes have helped fuel an underground market linked to firebombings and arson attacks. “Criminals had taken ‘almost complete control of Australia’s tobacco market,’” the report said. Colbeck said the issue is no longer simply about smoking but “who controls a billion-dollar market in our economy: the Australian government or organized crime?”

    The report said tobacco excise revenue fell from about A$16 billion ($11.2 billion) in 2019-20 to A$8 billion ($5.6 billion) in 2024-25 and is projected to fall to A$4 billion ($2.8 billion) in 2025-26 and A$2 billion ($1.4 billion) by 2029-30. One Nation has proposed a 75% cut, while the Nationals and NSW Premier Chris Minns have also backed lower taxes. The Albanese government has opposed reducing the excise.

  • Value of Seized Tobacco in Philippines Quadruples

    Value of Seized Tobacco in Philippines Quadruples

    The Philippines’ Bureau of Customs (BOC) said it seized nearly P11.68 billion ($186.9 million) worth of illegal cigarettes and vape products from January through July 2026, up 464% from the P2.52 billion ($40 million) seized during all of 2025, according to Enforcement and Security Services data presented to the House Ways and Means Committee. Cigarette and tobacco seizures accounted for most of the total, with major confiscations at the ports of Surigao, Manila, Zamboanga, and Cebu, while vape seizures were valued at about P1.65 billion ($26.4 million), primarily at the Manila International Container Port. BOC said confiscated products are destroyed and do not enter the market.

  • Fla. Moves to Block Benefits for Tobacco, Vape Products

    Fla. Moves to Block Benefits for Tobacco, Vape Products

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the state will restrict Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits from being used to purchase tobacco and vaping products, along with video games, theme park tickets and several other goods and services.

    DeSantis directed the Florida Department of Children and Families to amend the state’s TANF plan. The program already prohibits benefits from being used for alcohol, gambling, and adult entertainment. The new restrictions also cover adult content, tattoos, spa services, tanning, and psychic readings.

    “Taxpayer-funded assistance should help families put food on the table, keep the lights on, purchase clothing, provide for their children, and overcome barriers on the path toward independence,” DeSantis said. He said the changes are intended to ensure taxpayer-funded assistance is focused on essential needs and support families’ path toward self-sufficiency.

  • Marijuana Use Hits High, Cigarette Low: Gallup

    Marijuana Use Hits High, Cigarette Low: Gallup

    Seventeen percent of U.S. adults say they smoke marijuana, matching Gallup’s record high, while cigarette smoking remains at a record-low 11%. The July 1-19 Gallup Consumption Habits poll also found that 15% consume marijuana edibles, 9% vape, and 4% use nicotine pouches. This is the first time Gallup included nicotine pouch use in its survey.

    Marijuana use is highest among younger adults, with 23% of those ages 18 to 29 and 25% of those 30 to 49 reporting smoking marijuana. Cigarette smoking is highest among adults ages 30 to 49 at 16%, while vaping reaches 17% among 18- to 29-year-olds. Nicotine pouch use is highest among adults ages 30 to 49 at 7%.

    Coffee remains the most popular nonalcoholic beverage, with 49% of adults drinking it daily. Tea and caffeinated soda each are consumed daily by about 20%, while 9% drink energy drinks daily. Gallup also found that 5% of Americans identify as vegetarian and 2% as vegan.