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Category: Around the Industry

  • Asia Forum on Nicotine Pushes for Harm Reduction Ahead of COP11

    Asia Forum on Nicotine Pushes for Harm Reduction Ahead of COP11

    The inaugural Asia Forum on Nicotine (AFN25) was hailed as a success by its host, the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA), which gathered experts and advocates urging the adoption of tobacco harm reduction across the Asia-Pacific, home to 781 million smokers.

    Speakers criticized the WHO FCTC for rejecting safer alternatives like vaping and heated tobacco, despite evidence that they are 95% less harmful than cigarettes. They warned that bans drive black markets and stall progress, citing successes in Sweden, Japan, and New Zealand.

    With COP11 approaching in November, CAPHRA cautioned that excluding THR voices risks condemning millions to preventable deaths.

  • U.S. Judge Grants Recognition to $23B Canadian Tobacco Settlement

    U.S. Judge Grants Recognition to $23B Canadian Tobacco Settlement

    A New York bankruptcy judge yesterday (August 26) approved U.S. recognition of Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd.’s restructuring plan, a key step in a landmark C$32.5 billion (US$23.6 billion) settlement resolving decades of Canadian tobacco litigation. Judge John P. Mastando III granted Chapter 15 approval without objection, clearing the way for the settlement, one of the largest restructurings in Canadian history, to take effect across both jurisdictions.

    The deal, approved by an Ontario court in March, involves Imperial, JTI-Macdonald Corp., and Rothmans Benson & Hedges Inc. It will be funded over 20 years, beginning with a C$12 billion (US$8.7 billion) upfront payment, followed by profit-sharing contributions.

    The agreement resolves more than a trillion Canadian dollars in claims from class actions and provincial governments over smoking-related health costs.

  • Dutch Doctors Say Snapchat a Gateway for Illegal Vape Sales to Teens

    Dutch Doctors Say Snapchat a Gateway for Illegal Vape Sales to Teens

    Dutch doctors say teenagers can still buy banned nicotine products via Snapchat, despite the platform’s pledge to crack down on vape dealers. Stichting Rookpreventie Jeugd, an anti-tobacco foundation, tested Snapchat after the company announced new detection tools earlier this month, but found illegal sales thriving under slang terms. “Snapchat is extremely popular among teenagers and is being misused by dealers to promote vapes,” said lung doctor Wanda de Kanter.

    The group asked the consumer watchdog ACM to intervene, warning the platform is breaching the EU’s Digital Services Act, which requires stricter protections for minors and carries fines of up to 6% of global turnover.

    Doctors warn Snapchat is fueling a worsening teen addiction crisis. Flavored disposable vapes have been banned in the Netherlands since 2024, yet surveys show rising youth use, with 14.3% of 12–16-year-olds vaping monthly.

  • Nicotine Pouch Use Surges as Cannabis, Vaping Hit Record Highs in U.S.

    Nicotine Pouch Use Surges as Cannabis, Vaping Hit Record Highs in U.S.

    Use of nicotine pouches among U.S. adults has doubled in the past year, while cannabis consumption, vaping, and psychedelic drug use remain at or near record highs, according to the University of Michigan’s latest Monitoring the Future Panel survey.

    The 2024 survey, based on data from over 20,000 adults, found 9.5% of 19–30-year-olds used nicotine pouches in the past year, up sharply since the measure was first tracked in 2023. Cannabis use and daily vaping of both cannabis and nicotine reached historic highs across all adult age groups, with midlife users (35–50) reporting the steepest growth over the past decade.

    Researchers warned that the findings reflect shifting substance-use patterns and urged continued monitoring to inform public health priorities.

  • PMI to Broadcast CEO’s Fireside Chat Live at Barclays

    PMI to Broadcast CEO’s Fireside Chat Live at Barclays

    Philip Morris International Inc. announced it will host a live webcast of a fireside chat session with Jacek Olczak, Chief Executive Officer, at the 2025 Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference on September 2, at approximately 11:15 a.m. ET. An archived copy of the webcast will be available for six months post-event.

    The webcast may also be accessed on mobile devices by downloading PMI’s free Investor Relations Mobile App.

  • PCA, FIU Launch Luxury Marketing Program on Premium Cigars

    PCA, FIU Launch Luxury Marketing Program on Premium Cigars

    The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) and Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management announced a luxury marketing and experiences program focused on premium cigars, being held November 19-21, in Miami.

    The three-day executive course will cover event marketing, celebrity collaborations, retail strategies, and regulatory challenges, with speakers from the cigar, spirit, and luxury sectors. PCA CEO Joshua Habursky said the initiative aims to professionalize the premium cigar industry within the broader hospitality field. Graduates will earn a certificate of completion.

    Enrollment is open through November 5 at hospitalityexed.fiu.edu.

  • Bavaria Moves to Regulate Vape and Hookahs Like Traditional Cigarettes

    Bavaria Moves to Regulate Vape and Hookahs Like Traditional Cigarettes

    The Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) parliamentary group is pushing to extend strict tobacco regulations to e-cigarettes, e-hookahs, and tobacco heaters, all of which currently occupy a regulatory gray area. The proposed changes to the Bavarian Health Protection Act would eliminate that, having them treated like cigarettes and cannabis vaporizers, thereby banning them in restaurants, bars, schools, hospitals, sports facilities, and airports.

    The proposal reflects growing concern in Bavaria over the popularity of vaping and alternative nicotine products among youth and the need to align all inhaled nicotine products under the same safety and usage restrictions. The Greens have welcomed the initiative, calling for stronger protections for minors and support for comprehensive public health measures.

  • 22nd Century Touts VLN Growth, FDA Regs in Shareholder Letter

    22nd Century Touts VLN Growth, FDA Regs in Shareholder Letter

    22nd Century Group, Inc. is doubling down on its push for very low nicotine (VLN) products, highlighting new partnerships, regulatory momentum, and expanded product development in a shareholder letter released yesterday (August 19). CEO Larry Firestone said the company’s VLN cigarettes, the first FDA-authorized combustible products designed to reduce smoking harms, are gaining traction through stocking orders with Smoker Friendly and Pinnacle, with more partners expected.

    A looming FDA proposal, set for September 15, could mandate a cap of 0.7 mg/g nicotine yield in cigarettes, a standard built on 22nd Century’s own clinical trials. Firestone said the move “could be the most groundbreaking and effective tobacco regulation in a generation.”

    Beyond cigarettes, 22nd Century is developing VLN filtered cigars, 100mm formats, and international variants, supported by ongoing FDA filings. The company is also studying whether its low-nicotine genetics reduce cancer-causing TSNAs.

    With a growing IP portfolio in plant genetics, the company said it is aiming to cement its position as the leader in tobacco harm reduction. Firestone framed the mission as both business and public health: “Our technology and products have the capability to dramatically improve public health and the welfare of smokers worldwide – hopefully even save lives.”

  • Study: Korean Tobacco Tax Hikes Lose Impact Within Four Months

    Study: Korean Tobacco Tax Hikes Lose Impact Within Four Months

    Cigarette tax hikes in South Korea only curbed smoking briefly, with sales rebounding to normal levels within four months, a new study found. The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs reported yesterday (August 18) that demand for cigarettes is “highly inelastic,” with a 10% price rise cutting consumption by just 4.2–4.4%. Researchers said non-price measures like warning labels or e-cigarettes had little measurable impact.

    “Sudden hikes result in hoarding and brief behavioral change, but smokers adapt,” the report said. “Incremental increases aligned with inflation are more likely to gradually shift consumption patterns and reinforce anti-smoking behavior.”

  • Gibraltar Moves Toward Generational Tobacco Ban

    Gibraltar Moves Toward Generational Tobacco Ban

    The Gibraltar government is pressing forward with draft legislation that would prohibit the sale of tobacco products to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009. If passed, the law would take effect on January 1, 2027, the date that age group turns 18. Health Minister Gemma Arias-Vasquez, who launched a consultation period in March, said the government received feedback from around 28 to 30 respondents, including retailers and industry stakeholders. Concerns focused on the economic impact for small and medium businesses.

    The proposal would not criminalize smoking itself, but rather the sale or transfer of tobacco products to those covered by the ban. Retailers who break the rules could face fines of up to £10,000, or £20,000 and licence revocation for repeat offences. The bill also includes a ban on single-use vapes, regardless of age, and prohibits the sale of vending-machine tobacco, as well as sweets, snacks, or toys imitating tobacco products.