TobaccoReporter logo

Category: Around the Industry

  • VOOPOO Unveils “Futuristic” ARGUS Matrix

    VOOPOO Unveils “Futuristic” ARGUS Matrix

    VOOPOO launched what it calls the company’s most advanced pod device yet: the ARGUS Matrix, “a bold leap into the future of vape design and performance.”

    VOOPOO says the ARGUS Matrix features the “world’s first curved full-screen display on a pod system, creating a cyber-futuristic visual experience that’s as immersive as it is stylish,” using enhanced IML film technology and dynamic lighting that mimics circuit boards.

    According to the company, the Matrix delivers substance through iCOSM CODE 2.0 technology in the ARGUS Top Fill Cartridge V2, “ensuring leak-proof usage and up to 30 days of consistent flavor delivery. With a 100 mL e-liquid endurance capacity, it’s designed for convenience and longevity.” Vapers can fine-tune their experience with adjustable wattage (up to 30 W), a 1350 mAh battery, and a three-level precision airflow system that caters to both MTL and RDL users.

    Fully compatible with the ARGUS Pod Family, the Matrix offers seamless cartridge switching, blending style with versatility.

  • Ireland’s Crackdown on Vape Sales to Minors Sees Few Consequences

    Ireland’s Crackdown on Vape Sales to Minors Sees Few Consequences

    Nearly 15% of retailers across Ireland have been caught violating laws banning the sale of vapes to children, with only a fraction facing legal consequences, according to new figures from the Health Service Executive (HSE). Enacted in December 2023, the law makes it illegal to sell nicotine-inhaling products to those under 18 years old. Since then, the HSE’s National Environmental Health Service has carried out 699 test-purchase inspections and found 102 to be non-compliant.

    Of the 52 cases of non-compliance recorded in 2024, just 19 resulted in court proceedings to date. Only 12 led to convictions and fines, while six were resolved under the Probation Act, and one was dismissed.

    Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly said the low number of prosecutions undermines the law’s credibility: “A law is only as strong as its enforceability. We have to make sure retailers are complying.”

  • PAX Launches New Premium Flower Vaporizer

    PAX Launches New Premium Flower Vaporizer

    Cannabis tech leader PAX unveiled its latest innovation, the Pax Flow, a “high-performance dry herb vaporizer designed for modern consumers seeking a combustion-free smoking experience.”

    “Featuring a hybrid heating system, up to six times more airflow, and a sleek, compact design, Flow delivers smoother, more flavorful vapor and easy maintenance,” the company said. The device also supports USB-C fast charging and offers customizable heat modes for personalized sessions.

    Retailing at $350, Flow is now available globally in Onyx and Greenstone at pax.com and select retailers.

  • Senators Demand Answers from FDA Over Juul Approval

    Senators Demand Answers from FDA Over Juul Approval

    A coalition of Democratic U.S. senators is pressing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for answers after it issued marketing granted orders (MGOs) for Juul e-cigarettes. Led by Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, the group—also including Senators Richard Blumenthal, Tammy Baldwin, Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, Jack Reed, Ron Wyden and Elizabeth Warren—sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Marty Makary last week expressing deep concern over the agency’s reversal of prior marketing denial orders (MDOs) issued to Juul Labs Inc. in 2022.

    The lawmakers cited potential conflicts of interest, pointing to ties between former Trump administration officials and Juul’s lobbying efforts. They also highlighted Juul’s $1.1 billion settlement with 48 states over allegations of youth-targeted marketing.

    “We are deeply troubled by the appearance of conflicts of interest between the Trump administration and the e-cigarette industry in the United States,” the senators wrote, requesting detailed responses to their questions by August 22.

    The FDA has not yet responded publicly to the letter.

  • Australia’s Illegal Tobacco Trade Surges to 50%

    Australia’s Illegal Tobacco Trade Surges to 50%

    “Australia’s illegal tobacco problem has made the proverbial transition from tragedy to farce,” wrote Alan Kohler for ABC Radio New Zealand, commenting on a new report that suggests Australia’s crackdown on tobacco through high excise taxes and strict regulations has backfired, with illegal cigarettes now making up half of all the nation’s sales.

    A study published earlier this year by FTI Consulting said 39.4% of cigarettes sold in the country were illicit in 2024, up from 14% six years ago. However, the firm updated its numbers in June and put the new figure at 50%.

    “We can now conclude that the strategy of taxing and banning nicotine addiction out of existence is a complete failure,” Kohler wrote. “The result is that organized crime is making about A$10 billion ($6.5 billion) a year in revenue. Who needs narcotics? With them, you risk lengthy jail time; with smokes and vapes, it’s a fine, but only if you’re very unlucky.”

    The federal government has seen tobacco excise revenue collapse from A$16 billion ($10.4 billion) in 2019 to just A$7.4 billion ($4.8 billion) this year. Experts blame excessive taxation, menthol bans, and the lack of coordinated enforcement. Only 1% of shipping containers are inspected, and selling illegal tobacco often isn’t even a criminal offence.

  • Experts Urge South Korea’s Government to Raise Cigarette Prices

    Experts Urge South Korea’s Government to Raise Cigarette Prices

    Anti-smoking experts are calling on South Korea’s new government to double cigarette prices and strengthen tobacco regulations to curb smoking rates and protect public health. In a new report, Professor Cho Hong-joon of Ulsan University and Lee Sung-kyu of the Korea Tobacco Control Research Education Center outlined seven key policy recommendations, including raising cigarette prices to 10,000 won ($7.20), enforcing plain packaging, and banning tobacco advertising in convenience stores.

    South Korea currently sells cigarettes at around 4,500 won ($3.24) per pack—less than half the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development average. The researchers argue the price hike is overdue and would bring Korea in line with international standards, noting that cigarette prices are significantly higher in other countries, like Australia’s 45,000 won ($32.40) and France’s 20,000 won ($14.40).

    The report also highlights the widespread presence of tobacco ads in stores, including near schools, and urges stricter enforcement of existing laws.

  • Pakistan’s National Assembly Panel Calls for Reforms to Support Tobacco Growers

    Pakistan’s National Assembly Panel Calls for Reforms to Support Tobacco Growers

    Pakistan’s National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food Security met last week to address challenges facing tobacco growers, urging immediate reforms and greater inclusion of farmers in policymaking. Committee Chairman Syed Tariq Hussain emphasized the need to modernize agriculture and expand tobacco cultivation, citing global advances like drone technology.

    Officials revealed that general sales tax is applied to cigarettes but not raw tobacco, and that Rs949 million ($3.3 million) in research funds remain unused due to a key vacancy at the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB). The committee demanded swift appointments to all vacant PTB posts to unblock stalled development projects.

    Lawmakers also criticized the exclusion of tobacco growers from PTB committees overseeing local tax funds, corporate social responsibility programs, and crop development. The committee directed the ministry to ensure growers are included, calling their involvement essential for meaningful reform.

  • Portugal Latest to Reject EU Tobacco Tax Hike Proposal

    Portugal Latest to Reject EU Tobacco Tax Hike Proposal

    This weekend, Portugal formally announced its opposition to the European Union’s tobacco tax proposals, warning the changes could cost the country up to €1.5 billion in lost revenue. The objection targets both the Tobacco Excise Duty Own Resource (TEDOR)—a proposed 15% EU tax to help fund the €2 trillion 2028–2034 EU budget—and the plan to hike cigarette taxes across the bloc. In Portugal, the price of a pack of cigarettes would rise by €1.22 under the proposal.

    Portugal is also challenging the EU’s plan to tax alternative nicotine products, like e-cigarettes and heated tobacco, the same as traditional cigarettes, arguing this contradicts public health goals.

    “Less harmful products should face lower taxes to encourage switching,” the government stated, warning that equal taxation could deter smokers from moving to reduced-risk alternatives and boost black market activity.

    The European Commission proposed a 139% increase in excise duties, from €90 to €215 per 1,000 cigarettes. While 15 countries, including France, Ireland, and the Netherlands, already back the plan, others, particularly Bulgaria, Greece, and Italy, have been vocal in opposing the hikes, warning of growing black markets and financial strain on consumers.

    The EU, aligning with WHO guidance, maintains that all tobacco and nicotine products carry health risks and should be taxed uniformly to discourage use and prevent cross-border trade distortions.

    The proposed revision to the Tobacco Excise Duty Directive must receive unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states to move forward.

  • CAPHRA Slams Global Public Health Failures, Urges Policy Reform

    CAPHRA Slams Global Public Health Failures, Urges Policy Reform

    The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) released a scathing report this weekend, calling out governments for failing to uphold basic human rights in public health policy, particularly in their handling of tobacco control.

    Titled “The Right to Health and Public Health Policy,” the report criticizes the continued overregulation or banning of safer nicotine alternatives like vaping, while combustible cigarettes remain widely accessible. Authors Nancy Loucas and Clarisse Virgino argue this contradicts international human rights laws guaranteeing the right to health.

    “Governments are demonstrating extraordinary hypocrisy in their approach to tobacco control,” said Loucas. “They simultaneously tax tobacco products, creating reliance on tobacco revenue, whilst claiming to fight tobacco use.”

    The report calls for urgent reform, demanding public health systems prioritize accessibility, scientific integrity, and harm reduction. Without accountability and transparency, CAPHRA warns, global health inequalities will only worsen.

    Read the entire position paper here. 

  • Pakistani Officials Restrained from Interfering in Tobacco Processing Unit

    Pakistani Officials Restrained from Interfering in Tobacco Processing Unit

    This weekend, Pakistan’s Peshawar High Court (PHC) stopped government officials from interfering in the work of a tobacco processing unit in Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, following a petition by business owner Mujeebur Rehman.

    Rehman claimed his legally registered unit, which employs hundreds and supplies raw tobacco for cigarette manufacturing, was facing harassment despite tax compliance. His legal team argued that the deployment of Inland Revenue officers and Rangers, as well as the forced installation of surveillance equipment, violated constitutional rights and disrupted business operations during peak tobacco threshing season.

    The PHC asked government respondents, including the Revenue Department and Federal Board of Revenue, to submit their replies while temporarily halting security personnel deployment at the site.