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Category: Around the Industry

  • Consumer Group’s Pouch Tour Hits Belgium

    Last week, the international consumer group Considerate Pouchers brought its Protect Pouches campaign to Brussels, calling for an end to Belgium’s ban on nicotine pouches. Volunteers engaged citizens and policymakers, distributed fresh Jet Pack coffee, and collected postcards urging Members of the European Parliament to lift restrictions.

    The campaign said that Belgium, with one of Western Europe’s highest smoking rates, denies smokers access to safer alternatives shown to be more than 95% less harmful than cigarettes. Global spokesperson Juan Rafael Taborcía emphasized that over-taxation and bans drive consumers back to cigarettes, and that Brussels should lead Europe in harm reduction.

    The Brussels action is part of a broader European tour.

  • Jordan Aiming to Cut One of the World’s Highest Smoking Rates

    Jordan Aiming to Cut One of the World’s Highest Smoking Rates

    Experts in Jordan warn that the country’s reliance on tobacco revenue undermines long-term economic growth and public health, and as such, advocates are calling for policy reforms that prioritize prevention, strengthen enforcement, and protect health systems from the economic and societal costs of widespread smoking, according to Ammannet, the Community Media Network.

    Jordan, with 71.2% of its male population smoking, faces a stark financial and health paradox, according to Ammannet, with tobacco tax revenues providing the government JD 1 billion ($1.4 billion) annually, yet the cost of treating tobacco-related diseases alone exceeds JD 1.4 billion ($2 billion).

    The article said weak law enforcement compounds the problem, with widespread smoking reported in universities, government offices, and even health facilities. Despite 37% of smokers attempting cessation in the past year, government programs remain insufficient.

  • Posturing Continues as Indonesia Considers Scrapping Tobacco Excise Hike

    Posturing Continues as Indonesia Considers Scrapping Tobacco Excise Hike

    News that Indonesia’s Finance Ministry is considering canceling next year’s planned cigarette excise increase following consultations with the tobacco industry has drawn sharp backlash from health groups, academics, and child advocates, who warn it threatens public health and undermines anti-smoking efforts. Critics urge the government to instead pursue higher annual increases—at least 25%—along with reforms to simplify excise tiers, narrow tariff gaps, and reduce cigarette affordability.

    Last week, citing the current 57% rate as the legal tax ceiling under Law No. 39/2007, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said cleaning up the illegal tobacco market and protecting jobs was more prudent. Industry players agreed, arguing that further tax hikes would strain manufacturers, farmers, and workers.

  • 22nd Century Group Backs FDA’s Proposed Reduced Nicotine Standard

    22nd Century Group Backs FDA’s Proposed Reduced Nicotine Standard

    22nd Century Group, Inc. submitted public comments in support of the U.S. FDA’s proposed rule to mandate very low nicotine levels in cigarettes and other combusted tobacco products. CEO Larry Firestone said the evidence shows such a standard could save millions of lives and transform the market within two years, with the company’s VLNC technology already proven to deliver consumer-acceptable products.

    22nd Century criticized Big Tobacco’s stance as contradictory, arguing that support for a reduced nicotine mandate would align with industry claims of pursuing a “smoke-free future.” The company pledged to continue backing the rule, calling it a landmark public health measure.

    “The evidence is overwhelming that a reduced nicotine yield standard for combusted tobacco products has the potential to save millions of lives and trillions of dollars cumulatively in the U.S. alone,” said Firestone. “From both a public health and commercial standpoint, the only barrier left to the most transformative public health policy of a generation is the willingness to move forward with this mandate.”

  • Joya de Nicaragua to Take Over U.S. Distribution from Drew Estate

    Joya de Nicaragua to Take Over U.S. Distribution from Drew Estate

    Joya de Nicaragua will begin handling its own U.S. distribution starting January 1, 2026, ending its 17-year partnership with Drew Estate, the company said in a press release. Since 2008, Drew Estate’s national sales team has sold Joya’s cigars across the country.

    Dr. Alejandro Martínez Cuenca, chairman of Joya de Nicaragua, said the change reflects “taking ownership of the path ahead” while maintaining strong ties with Drew Estate, according to Halfwheel. Jonathan Drew, co-founder of Drew Estate, expressed admiration for Joya and emphasized that the companies’ friendship will continue despite the transition.

  • EU Tobacco Tax Plan Faces Fierce Pushback

    EU Tobacco Tax Plan Faces Fierce Pushback

    The European Commission’s plan to overhaul tobacco taxation has sparked sharp opposition from member states, farmers, and industry groups, who warn it could devastate rural economies, fuel illicit trade, and hand China greater leverage over Europe’s tobacco supply chain. The July 2025 proposals — the first major update to EU tobacco tax rules since 2010 — would harmonize excise duties on heated tobacco, e-liquids, and nicotine pouches, while also bringing raw tobacco under customs tracking. A new “TEDOR” mechanism would redirect 15% of national tobacco excise revenue to the EU budget, raising an estimated €11 billion annually.

    France and the Netherlands have seen illicit trade soar, with untaxed products making up nearly 40% of consumption in France. Sweden, Portugal, and southern European producers are leading resistance, citing threats to tens of thousands of farming jobs.

    The Commission insists the reforms are vital to protect public health and modernize the single market, but unanimity in the Council will be required to push the package through by 2028.

  • Malaysian Think Tank Warns Vape Bans Will Fuel Black Market

    Malaysian Think Tank Warns Vape Bans Will Fuel Black Market

    Policy think tank Datametrics Research and Information Sdn Bhd (DARE) cautioned that state or nationwide vape bans in Malaysia could backfire by boosting the illicit market, undermining investor confidence, and costing the government tax revenue and jobs.

    The warning follows a survey by the Malaysian Vapers Alliance showing 74% of consumers fear bans will drive illegal sales, while 80% worry about unsafe, unregulated products. DARE Managing Director Pankaj Kumar said prohibition “has never worked” and argued that enforcement of existing law under Act 852 is a more effective solution.

    Malaysia’s vape market, once worth RM3.48 billion ($835 million) and supporting 31,500 jobs, has sharply contracted since new regulations took effect, with registered brands plunging from 3,200 to 390. DARE stressed that demand remains strong, but inconsistent state and federal policies are pushing consumers to untaxed and unsafe products.

  • FDA Posts New Materials for IQOS Renewal Applications

    FDA Posts New Materials for IQOS Renewal Applications

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that its Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) will convene October 7, to evaluate the renewal applications of Philip Morris Products S.A. for its IQOS 2.4 and IQOS 3.0 heated-tobacco systems and associated HeatSticks. These devices were originally granted Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) orders in 2020 and 2022, allowing the marketing of reduced-exposure claims—specifically, that heating (not burning) tobacco significantly lowers exposure to harmful chemicals.

    The renewal will hinge on whether PMI can demonstrate that post-market evidence continues to support those claims under section 911(g)(2) of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.  The FDA has republished redacted application materials and opened a public comment period; speakers at the TPSAC meeting may submit data supporting or critiquing PMI’s dossier.

    “A vital mission of FDA is to make tobacco-related disease and death a part of America’s past,” officials from PMI said in a statement. “Smoke-free products, like IQOS, play a critical role in helping achieve that mission and provide adults who smoke with a real opportunity to change. IQOS, when marketed with the reduced-exposure claim, promotes complete switching and reduction in cigarette consumption.”

    Should the renewal be approved, PMI would retain authority to market IQOS with MRTP claims; if rejected, those claims could expire, undermining the company’s “reduced-exposure” positioning in the U.S. market.

    The outcome will not only be of interest for PMI, but for the broader heated tobacco and smoke-free sectors looking for regulatory precedents.

  • BAT France Points to Anti-Smoking Policy Failure

    BAT France Points to Anti-Smoking Policy Failure

    BAT France told lawmakers today (September 24) that France’s reliance on over-taxation and outright bans risks fueling the illicit nicotine market while failing to cut smoking rates, which remain stubbornly above 30%. “This excessive tax policy has, above all, encouraged criminal, structured, and industrial smuggling,” said Sébastien Charbonneau, director of public and regulatory affairs. He added that the government’s planned ban on tobacco-free nicotine pouches would repeat past mistakes, driving consumers to the black market without advancing public health or protecting minors.

    Instead, BAT France urged a pragmatic approach focused on strict but balanced regulation. The company called for a framework that prohibits sales to minors, limits nicotine content and flavorings, enforces retail controls, and applies substantial penalties for violations.

    “The State has a moral duty to adopt the principle of harm reduction related to smoking to allow adult smokers to have access to alternatives to tobacco, and to do so legally,” Charbonneau said. “All we are asking is to look at the scientific data and regulations that have enabled many countries to achieve their public health objective.”

  • South Korea Moving Toward Regulating Vapes Like Cigarettes

    South Korea Moving Toward Regulating Vapes Like Cigarettes

    South Korea is moving to classify synthetic nicotine as tobacco under the Tobacco Business Act, subjecting e-cigarettes to the same regulations and taxes as traditional cigarettes for the first time. A subcommittee of the National Assembly’s Strategy and Finance Committee approved the revision on Monday, expanding the definition of tobacco from “tobacco leaf” to “tobacco or nicotine.”

    If passed in the main session, the measure would generate an estimated 930 billion won ($646 million) annually in new tax revenue, lawmakers said. Synthetic nicotine has until now been treated as an industrial good, free from tobacco levies and restrictions. The bill, which includes a two-year grace period on retail restrictions, marks the first change to the act’s tobacco definition since its enactment in 1988.