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Category: Around the Industry

  • 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.”

  • ITGA Marks 20 Years of Advocacy at WHO FCTC, Calls for Grower Inclusion

    ITGA Marks 20 Years of Advocacy at WHO FCTC, Calls for Grower Inclusion

    The International Tobacco Growers’ Association (ITGA) reaffirmed its commitment to representing millions of tobacco growers worldwide as the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) celebrates its 20th anniversary. In a statement, the organization said that for two decades, ITGA has engaged in the FCTC process, emphasizing the social and economic impacts of tobacco control policies on growers. The organization participated in the FCTC’s first public hearing and has attended every Conference of the Parties (COP), advocating for transparency and the inclusion of growers’ voices.

    As COP11 convenes, ITGA calls for continued dialogue, evidence-based policymaking, and policies that consider the livelihoods of families dependent on tobacco cultivation.

  • Cigarette Butts, Winter Months Increase Korean Fire Risk

    Cigarette Butts, Winter Months Increase Korean Fire Risk

    South Korea’s National Fire Agency reported that fires started by discarded cigarette butts caused 154 billion won ($104.7 million) in property damage over the past five years, highlighting the growing risks as winter fire season begins. From 2020 to 2024, the country recorded 191,510 fires, 743 of which were linked to discarded cigarettes. Nearly 40% of fires with casualties occurred from December to March due to heavy use of heating equipment and dry conditions.

    Authorities also said that cigarette-related fires, along with electrical faults, were among the leading causes of large-scale factory and warehouse fires, involving losses of over 10 billion won ($6.8 million).

  • Ispire, IKE Tech Applaud FDA’s Illicit Vape Market Mandate

    Ispire, IKE Tech Applaud FDA’s Illicit Vape Market Mandate

    Ispire Technology Inc. and IKE Tech LLC issued statements welcoming the U.S. FDA’s newly funded mandate to crack down on the illicit vape market, following the passage of a continuing resolution signed by President Trump. The legislation directs the FDA to allocate at least $200 million toward electronic nicotine delivery system enforcement, including $2 million for a multi-agency task force with the DOJ and DHS to block illegal imports.

    IKE Tech President John Patterson called the strengthened enforcement a critical response to a market where “nine out of 10 vapes on shelves are illegal.” He said current border controls and tracking systems are failing, and highlighted the company’s development of blockchain-secured authentication tags and AI-driven age-verification tools to help regulators and manufacturers instantly verify product legitimacy.

    Ispire co-CEO Michael Wang said enforcement must be paired with proactive technology to protect consumers and level the playing field for compliant companies. He noted that Ispire and IKE Tech have submitted a blockchain-enabled age-verification System-on-a-Chip to the FDA as part of a PMTA, offering a potential framework for secure, verifiable, and interoperable compliance across the U.S. vape market.