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Category: Around the Industry

  • Reynolds Files Complaint with ITC Over Illicit Products

    Reynolds Files Complaint with ITC Over Illicit Products

    R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and its subsidiaries have filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission seeking an investigation into alleged unlawful practices by Heaven Gifts International—the company behind Elf Bar and Geek Bar—along with its subsidiaries and nine U.S. distributors. According to Law360, the 247-page complaint accuses the respondents of selling flavored vaping products in jurisdictions where they are banned, selling products not listed in required state directories at the time of sale, and evading state and local excise taxes, conduct Reynolds frames as unfair competition under Section 337 of the Tariff Act and noncompliance with the PACT Act. The ITC has acknowledged receipt of the complaint and opened a public comment process.

    Reynolds argues that the alleged violations have enabled a large, illicit market that has significantly undercut lawful products such as its Vuse brand. The company pointed to FDA data showing that only 39 e-cigarette products and devices are currently authorized for sale in the U.S., including 16 from Reynolds and none from Heaven Gifts or its affiliates. Reynolds is seeking broad remedies, including a general or limited exclusion order blocking imports of the accused products, cease-and-desist orders against the named companies, and the imposition of a bond during the ITC’s 60-day presidential review period.

  • Barnes Named First Female GM of PMSA

    Barnes Named First Female GM of PMSA

    Philip Morris International appointed Buena Barnes as general manager of Philip Morris South Africa (PMSA), replacing Branislav Bibic, who is now the area vice president for Sub-Saharan Africa. Barnes, who is the first woman to hold the position, previously served as finance director for Sub-Saharan Africa and brings more than four years of local leadership experience as PMI continues its shift toward smoke-free products.

    Barnes played a key role in PMI’s transformation strategy, which has seen smoke-free products account for 41% of the company’s net revenues by Q3 2025, with PMI targeting more than 50% by year-end. Her background includes senior finance and strategy roles at GlaxoSmithKline South Africa and British American Tobacco South Africa. She has been a vocal supporter of PMI’s science-led alternatives, including IQOS, introduced in South Africa in 2017, followed by ZYN nicotine pouches in 2023 and VEEV e-vapor in 2025.

  • ATNF Releases Draft Agenda

    ATNF Releases Draft Agenda

    The American Tobacco and Nicotine Forum (ATNF) announced the draft agenda for its 2026 program set for April 20–22, at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia. ATNF is the nation’s leading annual conference focused on the future of the tobacco and nicotine industries, serving as a global forum for the exchange of ideas among public health experts, government officials, industry leaders, and investors. Formerly known as the TMA Annual Meeting, the conference has been held continuously for more than 110 years.

    ATNF 2026 plans to feature an innovation product showcase and a wide-ranging program examining science, regulation, litigation, and tobacco harm reduction. Agenda highlights include sessions on the use of artificial intelligence in product research, lessons from the FDA’s nicotine pouch pilot authorization program, pathways to meaningful PMTA reform, state and local policy impacts on harm reduction, enforcement and marketplace integrity, litigation affecting smoke-free products, and strategies for communicating harm reduction to adults who smoke. Additional panels will explore women’s leadership in tobacco and nicotine law, streamlining product reviews through smokefree standards, and the evolving role of advocacy in advancing tobacco harm reduction.

    Click here to register.

  • Calif. Court Denies Injunction for Cigar Companies in UTL Suit

    Calif. Court Denies Injunction for Cigar Companies in UTL Suit

    A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge denied a request by premium cigar manufacturers and trade groups to block enforcement of California’s Unflavored Tobacco List (UTL) requirements. On Monday, January 12, Judge Cherol J. Nellon rejected the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction in Rocky Patel Premium Cigars Inc. et al. v. Bonta, a state court case challenging emergency regulations tied to Assembly Bill 3218. The lawsuit was brought by Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, Cigar Rights of America, the Premium Cigar Association, and six other cigar manufacturers.

    The plaintiffs argued that the regulations impose duplicative and burdensome SKU-by-SKU submissions on premium cigars that they contend are already unflavored under federal law. Judge Nellon found the plaintiffs were unlikely to succeed on the merits and failed to show irreparable harm.

    The case stems from California’s creation of the UTL to enforce the state’s 2020 ban on most flavored tobacco products, requiring tobacco items to be approved for sale in the state. Plaintiffs sought to exempt “premium cigars” from the UTL, relying on a federal definition developed through FDA litigation, but the court held that the regulations lawfully apply to all tobacco products subject to the statute and do not exceed the attorney general’s authority. Nellon noted that the legislature chose a different approach to defining premium cigars and that the UTL rules are reasonably aimed at distinguishing unflavored products from prohibited flavored ones. This state ruling follows similar denials of relief in related proceedings and is separate from a parallel federal lawsuit involving the same parties and law but different legal claims.

  • Murder of Tobacco Company Owners Tied to $5.5M Fraud Case

    Murder of Tobacco Company Owners Tied to $5.5M Fraud Case

    The two owners of All-American Tobacco LLC, brothers Charles (age 67) and Richard (72) Geragi, were fatally shot inside their office Monday (January 12) in Boynton Beach, Florida. Authorities say they were having a meeting with Nesar Dawla, apparently discussing repayment of stolen funds linked to his brother, former company accountant Sadman Dawla.

    Investigators say Sadman Dawla admitted to embezzling more than $5.5 million from the tobacco importing business between 2016 and 2022 and was convicted last year on grand theft and money laundering charges, with sentencing scheduled this week. Police said Nesar Dawla shot the brothers, fled the scene in an SUV, led officers on a brief pursuit, and died by suicide before the vehicle crashed into a tree. Court filings show All-American Farms (the parent company of All-American Tobacco) had sued both brothers and others over the fraud, alleging Nesar Dawla received nearly $47,000 in stolen funds; the civil case was settled in mid-2024.

  • Korea Health Insurance Loses Appeal Against Tobacco Cos.

    Korea Health Insurance Loses Appeal Against Tobacco Cos.

    South Korea’s National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) lost its appeal seeking compensation from major tobacco companies after the Seoul High Court upheld a lower court ruling in favor of KT&G, Philip Morris Korea, and British American Tobacco Korea today (January 15). The court agreed that NHIS lacked legal standing to claim damages, ruling that insurance payouts made to smokers with cancer merely fulfilled statutory obligations and did not constitute a legally protected interest that could support a compensation claim.

    The lawsuit, originally filed in 2014, sought 55.3 billion won ($37.6 million) to recover health insurance costs for smoking-related lung and laryngeal cancer patients, arguing tobacco firms should be held liable for the financial burden imposed on the public health system. Both the lower and appellate courts rejected claims that cigarettes were defectively designed or misleadingly marketed, and found that smoking was not the sole cause of cancer. While acknowledging the growing medical costs linked to smoking—estimated at 3.8 trillion won ($2.6 billion) annually by 2023—the appellate court ordered NHIS to bear appeal costs. NHIS said it plans to take the case to the Supreme Court, framing the issue as one of public health accountability and constitutional social rights.

  • PCA’s Tips for Posting Industry-Related Material on Social Media

    PCA’s Tips for Posting Industry-Related Material on Social Media

    The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) published an article focused on posting tobacco-related content on social media, saying Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) has intensified enforcement around content linked to regulated industries, increasingly limiting the reach and visibility of posts even when they do not clearly violate written policies. Much of this tightening, the article says, is driven by automated and AI-based moderation systems and evolving internal standards, resulting in reduced feed placement, recommendation blocks, or suppressed exposure without clear warnings. While this creates challenges, accounts are still able to post if they adapt their approach to align with Meta’s enforcement environment.

    The PCA advised shifting away from direct product promotion toward lifestyle, educational, and community-focused content, while avoiding explicit sales language, pricing, or calls to purchase. Using neutral captions, lifestyle imagery, and modest hashtags can help reduce enforcement risk, though inconsistencies remain common. Given the unpredictability of social platforms, businesses are also encouraged to diversify communication by strengthening owned channels such as websites, email newsletters, SMS lists, and in-store engagement, with storytelling and education proving most effective for sustaining audience connection.

  • IQOS Curious X Debuts at Zamna

    IQOS Curious X Debuts at Zamna

    Philip Morris International (PMI) launched its global collaboration between IQOS and the Zamna music festival last week, according to Marvin magazine, with its IQOS Curious X platform debuting at Zamna 2026 in Tulum, Mexico. The engagement platform featured a dedicated IQOS experience zone aimed at adult smokers and adult nicotine users, aligning music and immersive environments with PMI’s smoke-free positioning.

    Leonardo de Alencar, director of smoke-free products at Philip Morris Mexico, said festivals such as Zamna provide a space to engage adult audiences and support the transition away from cigarettes, while Zamna executives described the partnership as part of a broader push for creative and cultural innovation. Zamna originated in Tulum, and this year will host additional music festivals in Egypt, Malta, and Türkiye.  

    PMI said IQOS now has more than 34 million adult users globally, including over 140,000 in Mexico.

  • OK Rules Replacing Tobacco Trust Members Unconstitutional

    OK Rules Replacing Tobacco Trust Members Unconstitutional

    The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that a 2025 state law allowing elected officials to replace members of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) board at will is unconstitutional, affirming the voter-approved independence of the trust and safeguarding its authority to allocate tobacco settlement funds free from political interference. Established by constitutional amendment in 2000, TSET manages most of Oklahoma’s payments from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement. The court’s decision preserves the original intent of voters to insulate TSET from political influence and ensures the continuation of its public health mission, a position supported by leading medical and public health organizations that filed an amicus brief backing the trust.

  • Dutch Insurance to Cover Three Attempts to Quit Smoking per Year

    Dutch Insurance to Cover Three Attempts to Quit Smoking per Year

    New health insurance guidelines in the Netherlands that took effect January 1 allow smokers to receive reimbursement for up to three quit attempts per year, a move public health advocates say could significantly boost long-term cessation rates. Data show smokers enrolled in support programs are six times more likely to remain smoke-free for a year, with success rates rising to nearly 30% in the most intensive programs. Despite decades of decline, smoking still affects about 18% of the population—rising to 30% among those with lower education levels—and experts note it takes an average of six attempts to quit for good. While stop-smoking courses cost around €400 per attempt, campaigners argue the expense is outweighed by potential healthcare savings, with studies estimating billions in avoided medical costs and tens of thousands of cancer cases prevented if smoking rates fall sharply over the next decade.