South Korea’s Postal Service launched a nationwide e-cigarette recycling program in partnership with Philip Morris Korea, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, and the Environment Foundation. Consumers can place used e-cigarette devices in special postal collection bags and drop them at post office counters or mailboxes, after which the devices are sent to recycling companies for safe processing. The initiative, which also collects waste medicines and disposable coffee capsules, aims to reduce environmental pollution, improve recycling rates, and leverage the postal network to provide an accessible, nationwide resource recovery system.
Category: Around the Industry
-
CAPHRA Urges Review of FCTC Following U.S. WHO Exit
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) is calling on governments across the region to reassess the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) following the United States’ withdrawal from the WHO and criticism of the agency from New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters. CAPHRA argues that while the FCTC formally recognizes harm reduction under Article 1(d), current policy implementation has not consistently supported reduced-risk alternatives such as vaping and nicotine pouches.
CAPHRA representatives say restrictions on safer nicotine products risk slowing smoking decline and expanding illicit markets. The group pointed to New Zealand’s smoking rate, which has fallen to 6.8%, as evidence that regulated harm reduction strategies can accelerate public health gains. CAPHRA is also urging greater transparency in FCTC Conference of the Parties proceedings and broader engagement with independent scientists and consumer groups, arguing that future tobacco control policy should be measured by reductions in smoking prevalence and disease outcomes rather than product bans.
-
Anti-Tobacco Group Alarmed that PMI, BAT Spending $40M on F1 Sponsorships
Anti-tobacco advocacy group STOP (Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products) is increasing scrutiny of nicotine brand marketing in Formula 1, arguing that partnerships between teams and companies linked to tobacco firms risk exposing younger audiences to nicotine products. The watchdog group claims the growing presence of products such as nicotine pouches and other smoke-free alternatives in motorsport sponsorship represents a regulatory gap that allows continued brand visibility despite historic restrictions on tobacco advertising.
STOP highlighted recent sponsorship activity believed to be a combined $40 million by Philip Morris’ Zyn nicotine pouch products on Ferrari race teams and BAT’s Velo brand appearing in F1 team partnerships. Jorge Alday, director of STOP at Vital Strategies, said the organization is concerned given Formula 1’s expanding and increasingly youthful global fanbase. The group is urging regulators and sports governing bodies to consider tighter oversight of nicotine product marketing in international sporting events, while industry stakeholders maintain that such products fall within existing legal frameworks governing reduced-risk or non-combustible nicotine alternatives.
-
Florida Moving Toward Taxing HTPs Differently
A Florida House panel advanced legislation that would establish a separate tax structure for heated tobacco products (HTPs), distinguishing them from traditional cigarettes under state law. The bill (HB 377), introduced by Rep. Chase Tramont, reinforces an existing Department of Business and Professional Regulation interpretation that classifies HTPs as “other tobacco products” rather than cigarettes. The change would allow HTPs to be taxed at a lower rate than cigarettes, which are currently taxed at approximately $1.34 per pack. The measure cleared the House Industries and Professional Activities Subcommittee with bipartisan support, though some lawmakers raised concerns about offering tax incentives for products that still pose health risks.
The legislation defines HTPs as tobacco-containing products used in electronic devices that heat, rather than burn, tobacco to produce an inhalable aerosol. Supporters, including Florida TaxWatch, argue that differentiated taxation could encourage smokers to transition away from combustible cigarettes. The bill now heads to the Commerce Committee, while a companion Senate measure (SB 754) continues moving through committee review.
-
Smuggling Convictions Upheld by Lithuanian Court
The Lithuanian Court of Appeal upheld convictions against two former Lithuanian customs officers and two Belarusian nationals for smuggling more than 3 million packs of Belarusian cigarettes into the country, confirming the lower court’s ruling and rejecting appeals. The case, investigated by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, found the defendants operated as part of an organized criminal group that bypassed customs inspections using insider assistance, causing an estimated €10 million in damages. The court also upheld a civil claim requiring the defendants to repay more than €9.7 million, although total fines were reduced from €300,000 to about €266,000 following criminal code amendments. The defendants have three months to appeal to Lithuania’s Supreme Court before the ruling becomes final.
-
PCA and Partners With Honduran Cigar Festival
The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) announced a partnership with Honduras’ Festival del Puro y el Café, an annual event in Danlí, El Paraíso, a key hub for Honduran tobacco production. The agreement aims to expand international collaboration, increase visibility for PCA members and festival stakeholders, and strengthen engagement between retailers, manufacturers, and enthusiasts. The festival, launched in 2021, celebrates Honduras’ premium cigar and specialty coffee industries and has quickly grown into a major industry event.
Under the partnership, PCA will support festival branding and member awareness, while festival organizers will provide registration opportunities for PCA staff. PCA CEO Joshua Habursky said the agreement expands the association’s international partnerships following similar collaborations in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, reflecting Honduras’ growing influence in the global premium cigar sector.
-
Korean Insurer Appeals to Supreme Court in Tobacco Fight
South Korea’s National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) appealed to the Supreme Court in its ongoing lawsuit seeking to hold cigarette manufacturers liable for smoking-related healthcare costs, challenging an appellate ruling that rejected key liability claims. The NHIS argues the lower court erred in concluding that the health risks and addictive nature of smoking were widely understood in the 1960s and 1970s, contending that tobacco companies concealed scientific evidence and operated in a period of limited regulatory oversight. The case focuses on recovering medical expenses tied to smoking-related cancers, including lung and laryngeal cancers, with the insurer asserting that cigarette manufacturers knowingly sold harmful and addictive products without adequately disclosing risks. The NHIS is requesting a full Supreme Court bench review and public hearing, citing the case’s broad public health and financial implications.
-
Filtrona Acknowledged for Environmental Practices
Filtrona was awarded an EcoVadis Gold Medal for sustainability performance, placing the specialty filter manufacturer “in the top 5% of companies globally for environmental, social, and governance standards,” while also securing validation from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for its greenhouse gas reduction goals. The company’s targets include cutting Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 58% by 2030 and 95% by 2040, alongside reducing Scope 3 emissions by 63% by 2035 and 90% by 2050. Filtrona said the externally verified targets, developed using data from its nine global manufacturing sites, build on a previously reported 50% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and form part of broader ESG objectives, including expanded renewable energy use, supplier decarbonization initiatives, and increasing sustainable product development.
-
Altria to Present at Consumer Analyst Group of NY Conference
Altria Group announced it will webcast a business presentation at the annual Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference in Orlando on February 18 at 1 p.m. ET. The presentation will feature CEO Billy Gifford and CFO Sal Mancuso and will be listen-only, with pre-event registration required. An archived version will be available on Altria’s website.
-
Dutch Survey Suggests 7% of ER Visits Nicotine-Related
A nationwide Dutch study led by researchers at Leiden University Medical Center said that 7% of emergency department patients had symptoms directly attributable to “nicotine use,” based on survey responses from 2,061 patients across 67 hospitals during a 24-hour period in November 2025. Researchers estimate that equates to 26,000 emergency visits directly related to nicotine, and 193,000 overall cases in which nicotine “played a role,” including lung irritation and breathing problems. Cigarette smoking accounted for 86% of nicotine use among the respondents, while the survey also asked about e-cigarettes, snus, and nicotine pouches.