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Category: Around the Industry

  • Boutique Cigar Association to Dissolve

    Boutique Cigar Association to Dissolve

    The Boutique Cigar Association (BCA) filed for dissolution November 19, with its volunteer board stepping back to focus on their own businesses. Founded in 2017, the BCA represented small cigar makers producing under 500,000 cigars annually and advocated on regulatory issues, including FDA regulations.

    BCA founder Dr. Gaby Kafie emphasized the importance of industry unity and encouraged its supporters “to get behind the other industry trade associations: Cigar Association of America (CAA), Cigar Rights of America (CRA), and the Premium Cigar Association (PCA). “This is not an end. This is a new chapter, one built on unity, clarity, and shared purpose,” Kafie said.

  • FDA Schedules TPSAC Review of ZYN Applications

    FDA Schedules TPSAC Review of ZYN Applications

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a January 22, 2026, virtual meeting of the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) to review modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) applications submitted by Swedish Match USA for 20 ZYN nicotine pouch products. These products—already authorized for sale through the PMTA pathway in January 2025—include flavors such as Cool Mint, Citrus, Coffee, Peppermint, and Wintergreen, each in 3 mg and 6 mg strengths. The company is seeking permission to market the pouches with the claim: “Using ZYN instead of cigarettes puts you at a lower risk of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.”

    Under federal law, MRTP applications must demonstrate that a product, as actually used by consumers, reduces individual health risks and benefits overall population health. TPSAC’s review will focus on scientific evidence regarding ZYN’s relative health risks, consumer comprehension of the proposed claim, and the potential public health impact of granting a modified risk order. The meeting will be held virtually, open to the public, captioned, and recorded.

    Public comments may be submitted to Docket No. FDA-2025-N-0835 through January 21, 2026, with comments received by January 7 provided directly to TPSAC. The FDA is also inviting individuals to request oral presentation slots during the meeting’s public comment period. Redacted MRTP application materials are available on the FDA’s website, and the agency will consider all public input and TPSAC recommendations before issuing a final decision.

  • AIR Launches ‘Crown Switch’ in Germany

    AIR Launches ‘Crown Switch’ in Germany

    AIR Limited announced today (November 20) that its flagship Al Fakher brand has officially moved into the portable vape category with the launch of its Crown Switch device in Germany. Sold online via shisha-world.com, “Crown Switch is Al Fakher’s first rechargeable pod-based vape system using disposable pods and designed without ceramics or heavy metals, differentiating it from traditional coil-and-wick devices.”

    The product is powered by Greentank Technologies’ Quantum Vape platform and Coldstream cooling system, developed through a strategic partnership formed earlier this year. AIR says the technology delivers a colder, smoother, and more flavor-forward vapor experience aligned with Al Fakher’s hookah heritage.

    CEO Stuart Brazier said the launch reflects Al Fakher’s push to modernize its portfolio as hookah use expands in Western markets. The company plans a broader international rollout of Crown Switch in the coming months and anticipates accelerating new product development into 2026.

  • CAPHRA Releases White Paper on THR in Asia Pacific

    CAPHRA Releases White Paper on THR in Asia Pacific

    The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) unveiled a new white paper, Harm Reduction Denied in Asia Pacific, during the “Asia Day” event at Good Cop 2.0 in Geneva, coinciding with FCTC COP11. The paper examines inconsistencies in WHO’s tobacco control approach across the SEARO and WPRO regions, drawing on official WHO data such as the Global Report on Trends in Tobacco Use 2000–2030 and the Global Health Observatory. It calls for reform in the application of harm reduction under the FCTC, proposing evidence-based policy solutions that align with public health objectives while respecting human rights principles. Among its recommendations are regulation rather than prohibition of safer nicotine products, inclusion of consumers and independent scientists in policymaking, and greater transparency and accountability in FCTC processes.

    CAPHRA emphasizes that denying harm reduction perpetuates preventable disease, encourages illicit trade, and undermines trust in public health systems. The white paper urges WHO member states at COP11 to reaffirm Article 1(d) of the FCTC by recognizing harm reduction as a key pillar of tobacco control and to adopt pragmatic, science-driven policies that protect lives. The full report is available here.

  • Georgia Tobacco Tax Reform Protects Domestic Production

    Georgia Tobacco Tax Reform Protects Domestic Production

    Georgia’s excise tax will increase by 85 tetri ($0.31) per pack for imported cigarettes, reaching 2.75 GEL ($1.02) per 20-cigarette pack beginning January 1, 2026. Outlined in a draft law proposed by Georgian Dream MPs, taxes on locally produced cigarettes will be reduced to 1.30 GEL ($0.48) per 20-cigarette pack for the first 35 million packs annually, and 2.75 GEL thereafter. Also, the ad valorem component for local production drops from 30% of retail price to 15% for the first 35 million packs, and 20% for production exceeding that amount.

    The legislation aims to protect and promote local tobacco production, increase competitiveness, and stabilize market share while maintaining fiscal and public policy objectives. Officials highlight that the new structure is expected to create a healthier competitive environment, support domestic producers, and sustain budget revenues.

  • JTI No Longer Sponsoring The British Museum

    JTI No Longer Sponsoring The British Museum

    The British Museum told The Guardian that it did not renew its 15-year sponsorship deal with Japan Tobacco International after government officials raised concerns that the partnership could breach the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which prohibits promotion of smoking products. The deal expired in September and JTI’s name was removed from the museum’s website.

    The move follows years of criticism from campaigners, including a 2016 open letter signed by 1,000 people calling the sponsorship “morally unacceptable.” A report by the University of Bath’s Tobacco Control Research Group described the deal as part of JTI’s lobbying strategy, which still sponsors the Royal Academy of Arts and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Critics, including Labour MP Dr Simon Opher, said cultural institutions should not “legitimize an industry that profits from harm.”

    The museum said it was grateful for JTI’s support, noting sponsorship helps secure financial stability and accessibility. However, the decision underscores ongoing controversies over corporate funding in UK cultural institutions, with the museum’s £50m deal with BP in 2023 still drawing protests from climate activists and scrutiny from the sector’s new code of ethics. Members of the Museums Association, an industry body, voted last month to adopt a code of ethics that expects museums to transition away from sponsorship by “organizations involved with environmental harm (including fossil fuels), human rights abuses, and other sponsorship that does not align with the values of the museum.”

  • Opinion: WHO Wants 9x More Money to Control Tobacco. Don’t Pay!

    Opinion: WHO Wants 9x More Money to Control Tobacco. Don’t Pay!

    In an opinion piece published today (November 19) by The Kingston Whig Standard in Canada titled The WHO Wants Nine Times More Money to Control Tobacco. Don’t Pay!, economics professor Ian Irvine criticizes the World Health Organization’s COP11 for pursuing what he calls “nicotine authoritarianism” and seeking an 800% budget increase to eliminate nicotine use.

    “The WHO’s tobacco budget is just over $1 billion, much of it provided by a normally wonderful philanthropist, Michael Bloomberg,” Irvine writes. “But the WHO has been advertising it really needs $9 billion to do its job properly: eliminate nicotine use.

    “The WHO does not need this money. Regarding nicotine, it is a reactionary organization. It refuses to recognize the benefits of ‘new generation products’: e-cigarettes, oral pouches, and heated tobacco products.”

    The piece contends that WHO and many advocacy groups wrongly demonize NGPs, treating them as dangerous as cigarettes, while smoking rates are already plummeting in developed countries. Irvine urges harm-reduction strategies instead of prohibition,

    Irvine, who has had research funded by Global Action to End Smoking, concludes that empowering adults to choose reduced-risk products would accelerate declines in smoking, save lives, and expose the WHO’s restrictive approach as more about sustaining bureaucracy than advancing public health.

    “The challenge for scientists is twofold: speaking up for harm reduction at COP11, even at the risk of verbal bludgeoning by the sinecured interest groups,” Irvine wrote, “and continuing the struggle domestically against a dominant culture policed by self-appointed moral guardians whose harassment of all forms of nicotine serves primarily to delay more smokers’ transition to low-toxicity products.

    “As smoking declines dramatically … we could start distributing pink slips at the WHO.”

  • BAT Malaysia Adjusts Prices, Eyes Market Stability

    BAT Malaysia Adjusts Prices, Eyes Market Stability

    British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Bhd announced new cigarette prices ranging from RM12.40 to RM18.40 per pack, effective November 21, following the government’s Budget 2026 excise duty increase. The move, approved by the Ministry of Health, marks the first excise adjustment in a decade and comes at a critical time for the company’s market positioning.

    BAT Malaysia managing director Nedal Salem said the moderate increase was a “step in the right direction” given Malaysia’s economic environment, but warned that steep hikes in the past have fueled the tobacco black market, which now accounts for 54% of total cigarette consumption. With illicit trade eroding legitimate sales, BAT Malaysia’s ability to maintain market share hinges on balancing affordability with regulatory compliance.

    Industry analysts note that while higher prices could pressure consumer demand, BAT Malaysia stands to benefit from stronger enforcement against contraband. Government crackdowns saved RM15.5 billion ($3.7 billion) in lost revenue over the past two years, and a new RM700 million ($168 million) allocation for enforcement in 2026 is expected to further curb illegal trade. Salem emphasized that BAT Malaysia fully supports these initiatives, positioning the company to protect its sales base and stabilize market share despite the excise-driven price adjustment.

  • Nationwide Pushes Back on Cannabis Coverage, Raising Industry Concerns

    Nationwide Pushes Back on Cannabis Coverage, Raising Industry Concerns

    A Nationwide insurance subsidiary told an Illinois federal court that a cannabis company is not entitled to coverage for a proposed class action accusing it of misrepresenting the safety and labeling of cannabis-infused products, according to ClassAction.org. The insurer argues that the cannabis company’s liability policies do not cover allegations of fraud, misrepresentation, or deceptive practices.

    The underlying lawsuits allege that certain cannabis products—including vape oils marketed as concentrates—were mislabeled to bypass Illinois’ stricter THC limits and misled consumers about potency and safety. Plaintiffs argue the practices violated state consumer protection laws and exposed buyers to unsafe products.

    The Nationwide filing underscores the growing challenges cannabis firms face in securing reliable insurance protection as litigation risks mount. If the court agrees, the cannabis company will be forced to bear defense costs itself, a potentially costly outcome in an industry already grappling with regulatory complexity.

  • COP11, Good Gop 2.0 Both Open in Geneva

    COP11, Good Gop 2.0 Both Open in Geneva

    The 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) began today (November 17) in Geneva, bringing together global health leaders and over 1,400 delegates from 183 countries for the week-long event. The conference “aims to strengthen international cooperation to combat tobacco use, rising nicotine addiction, and environmental harm caused by cigarette products.” Discussions are expected to revolve around familiar topics such as youth smoking, flavorings, and cigarette butt pollution. Delegates are also expected to address “aggressive marketing” of tobacco and nicotine products, youth vaping, and strategies to combat the illicit tobacco trade.

    Running parallel, and just steps away from COP11, is Good Cop 2.0, an event hosted by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, designed to be a rapid-response and fact-checking forum to counter discussions from the WHO. “The event aims to unite taxpayer-, free-market-, and harm-reduction organizations to challenge misinformation and present alternative, evidence-based perspectives. It is intended to be an open forum for consumers, independent scientists, and journalists who are often excluded from WHO’s closed-door sessions.”

    Speaking on one of the Good Cop panels today, Clive Bates, a public health consultant and director of Counterfactual Consulting, summed up WHO critics’ frustration that stems from having decisions that will influence global tobacco control and public health policies for years to come being made in secrecy, behind closed doors, with virtually no input from consumers or industry.

    “There’s no harm and having discussions about the frontier ideas of tobacco control,” said Bates. “[But COP11 is] a really graphic illustration of the weakness of expert groups. The experts that have been chosen to come up with these figures are [basically] fringe fanatics in the tobacco control world. In any normal conversation with users or consumers, a lot of these ideas would seem mad.

    “That’s the danger of getting away from the working groups. The working groups of parties have to think about the politics of actually delivering this to the actual public, whereas the expert groups are fanatics pushing forward an agenda to the extremes of what they think they can get away with.”