New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive budget proposes applying the state’s existing 75% wholesale tobacco tax to nicotine pouches. The proposal comes as state tobacco tax revenue declined from about $1 billion in 2021 to roughly $793 million last year, while cigarette smuggling — estimated to account for more than half of cigarettes consumed in New York — costs the state about $812 million annually, according to Tax Foundation data. State health data show nicotine pouch use among New York high school students increased from 1.5% in 2022 to 3% in 2025. The tax proposal is under consideration as part of budget negotiations.
Blog
-
Don Emmanuel Cigars Introduced in Panama
Don Emmanuel Cigars announced its expansion into Panama, continuing its international growth with an official market launch this week. The debut was marked by an event at Club Unión’s Muelle featuring a cigar-and-rum pairing with Ron Barceló and an appearance by founder Don Emmanuel, introducing the brand’s Anunnaki line to local consumers.
The company will be represented in Panama by Erick Villarreal, a banking professional and hospitality consultant with experience in Peru. The Anunnaki line, co-blended with master blender Eladio Díaz in the Dominican Republic, uses seven tobaccos including a Dominican wrapper and Mexican San Andrés binder. The Panama move follows recent expansion across the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa, as the brand builds its global presence.
-
Altria Revenue Down 3.1%, Forecasts Growth Amid Smoke-Free Push
Altria Group reported 2025 adjusted diluted EPS of $5.42, up 4.4% year over year, as the company highlighted momentum in its smoke-free portfolio and $8 billion in total shareholder returns through dividends and share repurchases. Full-year net revenues declined 3.1% to $23.3 billion, while revenues net of excise taxes fell 1.5% to $20.1 billion. In the fourth quarter, Altria repurchased $288 million in stock and paid $1.8 billion in dividends. The company also noted recent FDA marketing authorizations for additional on! PLUS nicotine pouch variants and continued progress under its multi-year Optimize & Accelerate cost-savings initiative.
Altria expects 2026 adjusted diluted EPS in a range of $5.56 to $5.72, representing projected growth of 2.5% to 5.5%. Guidance assumes continued investment in smoke-free products, limited enforcement impact from illicit e-vapor products, and that NJOY ACE will not return to the market in 2026. The company reaffirmed its long-term strategy of building an FDA-authorized smoke-free portfolio while maintaining leadership in traditional tobacco, targeting mid-single-digit earnings and dividend growth through 2028.
-
Malaysian Health Groups Challenge Legality of Moot Nicotine Exemption
Counsel for several Malaysian public health organizations told the High Court that former health minister Dr. Zaliha Mustafa acted unlawfully in 2023 when she removed liquid nicotine from the Poisons Act list, arguing the move was made without meaningful consultation with the Poisons Board. A lawyer for the Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control, the Malaysian Green Lung Association, and Voice of the Children, said the exemption left vape products effectively unregulated and accessible to minors for nearly 17 months, until the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 took effect in October 2024.
Government counsel argued the case is now academic because the 2024 law regulates vaping and smoking products, and said the minister acted within powers granted under Section 6 of the Poisons Act after consultation with the board. Opposing attorneys countered that the issue remains live because the court must determine whether the minister erred at the time, adding that consultation must be substantive rather than procedural. The applicants are seeking declarations that the 2023 exemption order was irrational, unlawful, and beyond ministerial authority. The court set May 15 for its decision.
-
Boveda Changes Name to Vivi in Cannabis Sector
Boveda announced that its two-way humidity controls designed specifically for the cannabis market will now be branded as Vivi, though materials, construction, and performance remain unchanged. The new brand will anchor a broader cure-to-storage system for cannabis, and Boveda said a dedicated Vivi team will support customers as the company expands its long-term presence in the industry.
The company—which caters to “moisture sensitive” niches such as cigars, guitars, and medical devices—said the move is designed to better serve cultivators, homegrowers, and consumers with branding tailored specifically to cannabis, while keeping the same humidity-control technology that has been used in the sector since 2007.
-
Oettinger Davidoff Transfers Ownership to Next Generation
Oettinger Davidoff AG announced that ownership of the privately held Swiss company has been passed to the next generation of the Schneider family, according to Halfwheel. Lilian Schaffner-Schneider and Christine Ryhiner-Schneider, daughters of longtime owner Dr. Ernst Schneider, have transferred the company’s entire share capital to their direct descendants.
Chairman Domenico Scala said the handover is intended to preserve and build on the legacy of Dr. Ernst Schneider and Zino Davidoff while ensuring the 150-year-old company remains an independent, family-owned business. The Schneider family will retain two seats on the six-member board, and the company emphasized that there will be no changes to the current management team. Oettinger Davidoff owns the Davidoff, AVO, Camacho, and Zino cigar brands, operates factories in the Dominican Republic and Honduras, and runs a global retail network that includes 65 Davidoff of Geneva stores, more than 170 Wolsdorff Tobacco shops in Germany, and 25 A. Dürr & Co. locations in Switzerland.
-
AIR Study Finds New Hookah Lowers Indoor Toxicants
AIR Limited said a newly published, peer-reviewed study found significantly lower levels of indoor air pollutants from its OOKA electronic waterpipe and from e-cigarettes compared with conventional hookah and combustible cigarette use. The research, published in December 2025 in Contributions to Tobacco & Nicotine Research, was authored by cardiovascular researcher Dr. Ian M. Fearon and based on testing commissioned by AIR and conducted by Al Futtaim Element Materials Technology Dubai LLC in an unventilated facility.
According to the study, conventional charcoal-heated waterpipes and cigarettes generated the highest increases in carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), and other toxicants. By contrast, AIR’s OOKA device, which does not use charcoal, produced negligible carbon monoxide and roughly 40% lower particulate matter than conventional hookah in single-user scenarios, while e-cigarettes produced the lowest particulate levels overall. In multi-occupant scenarios, elevated volatile organic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were observed primarily during cigarette smoking.
AIR CEO Stuart Brazier said the findings support the view that electronic delivery systems may reduce secondhand exposure risks in indoor environments while maintaining social smoking traditions. The study comes as AIR prepares for a proposed business combination with Cantor Equity Partners III, which would take the company public on Nasdaq under the ticker “AIIR” in the first half of 2026, pending regulatory approvals.
-
Vietnam Tightens School Accountability in Vape Crackdown
Vietnam introduced fines of up to VND10 million ($380) for school principals if students are caught using e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products on campus, under Decree 371 issued by the Ministry of Health. The measure, the first to assign direct legal responsibility to school leaders, comes as youth vaping among ages 13–17 rose sharply from 2.6% in 2019 to 8.1% in 2023. Students face fines of VND3–5 million ($114 to $190), with all products confiscated and destroyed, while large-scale illegal production or trade may trigger criminal penalties of up to VND1 billion ($38,000) or five years in prison.
The enforcement framework supports Vietnam’s nationwide ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products starting in 2025, with early data showing declines in vaping-related cases and hospitalizations, signaling increased regulatory pressure on alternative nicotine products.
-
Natura Cigar Co. Tabs City of Palms as U.S. Distributor
Dominican cigar maker Natura Cigar Co. appointed City of Palms Distribution as its new U.S. distributor, marking a key step in the brand’s international growth strategy. The agreement follows several weeks of discussions and is expected to strengthen Natura’s footprint in the American market while laying the groundwork for broader global expansion, said Dary Munoz, the company’s international sales director, in a press release.
According to Halfwheel, Natura Cigars was founded in 2020 by Jacob Yfrach, and has a unique tobacco-growing operation in Constanza, Dominican Republic, a high-altitude, cool-climate region that allows for an extended growing season. The company emphasizes slow, temperature-controlled aging to preserve sugars and oils in its tobacco. City of Palms, based in Fort Myers, Florida, distributes nearly two dozen cigar brands.
-
South Africa’s Tobacco and Vaping Bill Still Likely a Year Away
South Africa’s Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill is unlikely to become law for at least another year, with further delays expected for implementing regulations, according to Professor Lekan Ayo-Yusuf of the University of Pretoria. The bill, first drafted in 2018 and reintroduced in 2022, has faced prolonged parliamentary delays that he attributes to disinformation, political distraction, and a lack of urgency.
Ayo-Yusuf warned that the slow pace benefits the tobacco and vaping industry by leaving a regulatory vacuum as vaping and other nicotine alternatives gain popularity among young people. While acknowledging the need to address illicit cigarette trade, Ayo-Yusuf stressed that tobacco regulation is fundamentally a public health issue, not a trade-off between health and the economy. The bill has recently gained vocal support from the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, which described it as pro-poor and pro-development, arguing that strong tobacco control reduces healthcare burdens and protects public welfare, while illicit trade should be tackled through enforcement rather than weakened health laws.