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Category: Around the Industry

  • EPP Accused of Being Tobacco ‘Mouthpiece’ Ahead of Vote

    EPP Accused of Being Tobacco ‘Mouthpiece’ Ahead of Vote

    An article published by Euractiv today (June 16) reports that the European People’s Party (EPP), the largest group in the European Parliament, is facing criticism from public health organizations and political opponents ahead of a key vote on EU tobacco policy, with critics accusing the party of advancing positions aligned with the tobacco industry. The dispute centers on the European Commission’s ongoing review of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), including potential new rules for nicotine pouches, vaping products and other reduced-risk alternatives.

    According to Euractiv, health advocates argue the EPP has opposed stricter restrictions on newer nicotine products, while the EPP maintains that regulation should be evidence-based and account for harm reduction. The debate comes as the EU considers significant revisions to tobacco and nicotine regulations that could affect product availability, taxation and market access across the bloc.

  • NACS Calls for Fact-Based Approach in EU Tob. Directive Review

    NACS Calls for Fact-Based Approach in EU Tob. Directive Review

    The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) urged European Union policymakers to conduct a comprehensive socio-economic assessment before revising the Tobacco Products Directive, warning that poorly assessed regulatory changes could increase illicit trade, reduce tax revenues, and harm small retailers. The group noted that Europe’s convenience retail sector comprises more than 684,000 outlets generating more than €250 billion in annual revenue, while an estimated 38.9 billion illicit cigarettes are consumed across the EU each year, resulting in approximately €11.6 billion in lost tax revenue.

    NACS called for greater consideration of impacts on small- and medium-sized enterprises, employment, and supply chains, and urged policymakers to fully evaluate illicit trade risks before implementing further tobacco regulation changes.

  • ABF Announces $1.3M Illicit Tobacco Seizure

    ABF Announces $1.3M Illicit Tobacco Seizure

    The Australian Border Force released details of a major illicit tobacco and vape seizure in Darwin that confiscated 433,400 illicit cigarettes, 686 kg of loose-leaf tobacco, and 50,200 disposable vapes, preventing an estimated A$1.8 million ($1.3 million) in evaded duty and disrupting potential criminal proceeds valued at A$3.7 million ($2.6 million). Officers executed warrants on May 28 as part of Operation GOALFENCE.

    The operation, supported by the Detector Dog Unit, follows another Northern Territory seizure earlier this month involving more than 100,000 cigarettes and 39 kg of loose-leaf tobacco intercepted through the international mail stream. The ABF said the action targeted organized criminal supply chains linked to the illicit tobacco and vape market.

  • LA Passes Two Tobacco, Vape Bills

    LA Passes Two Tobacco, Vape Bills

    Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed two tobacco and vapor product bills that strengthen retail restrictions and supply-chain oversight. House Bill 302 prohibits the issuance of vapor product retail permits within 300 feet of schools, while allowing regulators flexibility in how the distance is measured.

    House Bill 623 establishes a new three-tier permitting system separating manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers of tobacco and vapor products, limiting cross-ownership between tiers and requiring retailers to source products only from licensed Louisiana wholesalers. The law also mandates that tobacco and vapor products move through a regulated manufacturer-to-wholesaler-to-retailer supply chain, restricts direct-to-consumer shipments by out-of-state sellers without a Louisiana wholesale permit, and creates a digital chain-of-custody tracking system to monitor product transfers, tax compliance, and product movement throughout the market.

  • Man Arrested in Indonesia for Running Labubu Vape Ring

    Man Arrested in Indonesia for Running Labubu Vape Ring

    Authorities in Indonesia arrested a Singaporean national in Medan, Indonesia, for allegedly operating an illicit vape production and distribution network that generated an estimated 10 billion rupiah ($565,000) in profits since 2025. Police said the suspect coordinated production of vape products packaged with Labubu branding from Thailand, supplied raw materials from China, and used cryptocurrency transactions to conceal financial flows. A raid on the operation’s production site in Medan resulted in the seizure of 862 vape cartridge tubes, dozens of vape liquid bottles, and more than 10,500 branded vape packages. One Indonesian accomplice was arrested, while a third suspect remains at large.

  • Korea Signals Tobacco Policy Overhaul, Price Increases

    Korea Signals Tobacco Policy Overhaul, Price Increases

    South Korean Health Minister Jung Eun-kyeong signaled a broader review of tobacco control policies, citing relatively low cigarette prices, growing use of e-cigarettes, flavored tobacco products and synthetic nicotine, and the need for both price and non-price measures. Cigarette prices have remained at 4,500 won ($2.97) per pack since 2015, well below the OECD average level of 9,869 won ($6.51) referenced in the government’s 2026–2030 National Health Promotion Plan.

    While Jung stressed that an immediate tax increase is not under active consideration, she said tobacco pricing, advertising restrictions, and other regulatory measures would be reviewed as part of a new anti-smoking strategy aligned with changing market conditions and public health objectives.

  • Philippines Hosting Third International Tobacco Summit

    Philippines Hosting Third International Tobacco Summit

    The Philippines will convene the Third International Tobacco Summit on June 18 in Pasig City with the stated goal of strengthening coordination against the illicit tobacco and nicotine trade. Citing an EU–ASEAN Business Council and Euromonitor study, officials estimate the country lost about ₱141 billion ($2.4 billion) in revenue from illicit tobacco between 2024 and 2025, with 85.6% of e-vapes sold in the Philippines classified as illegal.

    The summit will focus on enforcement gaps, taxation issues, regulatory coordination, and regional cooperation among ASEAN states, alongside a planned joint commitment by government agencies to intensify action against illicit operators. The Department of Agriculture and the National Tobacco Administration, along with the Bureau of Customs, Philippine National Police, Department of Justice, and other agencies, are expected to participate.

  • Pakistani Farmers Slam 11 Different Tobacco Taxes

    Pakistani Farmers Slam 11 Different Tobacco Taxes

    Tobacco growers and exporters in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have criticized what they describe as a “tax upon tax” regime on tobacco, claiming the sector is subject to 11 separate taxes from cultivation to sale. They say provincial charges include a Tobacco Cess of Rs 27.50 ($0.10) per kg and an additional Rs 50 ($0.18) per kg levy, alongside federal and other taxes that they argue reduce export competitiveness.

    Industry representatives claim tobacco supports thousands of families and is a key provincial crop, but say it is being disproportionately taxed compared with other agricultural sectors, with calls for the removal of what they describe as discriminatory levies affecting production and exports.

  • Article Examines S. Africa’s Intentions vs Consequences in Tobacco Control

    Article Examines S. Africa’s Intentions vs Consequences in Tobacco Control

    A new article by Mukundi Budeli, recently published by TheCommonSense, warns that South Africa’s proposed Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill could unintentionally strengthen the illicit tobacco market by introducing plain packaging and other restrictive measures without adequate enforcement capacity. While acknowledging the public health objectives behind the legislation, Budeli argues that South Africa risks repeating mistakes seen during the 2020 tobacco sales ban, which he says failed to curb smoking and instead boosted illegal trade.

    “On its own terms, the public health rationale is coherent,” Budeli wrote. “The disagreement is not about whether that goal is worthy. It is about whether this instrument, in this country, at this moment, is likely to achieve it.”

    The article contends that plain packaging may make counterfeit products easier to produce in a market already plagued by weak enforcement, limited cigarette seizures, and the absence of a functioning track-and-trace system. Budeli urged policymakers to consider South Africa’s enforcement realities and the potential economic and fiscal consequences before adopting regulations modelled on measures implemented in countries with stronger regulatory infrastructure. “Policies designed in Geneva or Canberra do not automatically produce good outcomes in Johannesburg or Limpopo,” he said. “Good intentions, poorly calibrated to local conditions, have a habit of serving neither the public health goals they were designed to advance nor the broader fiscal and social interests of the country.”  

  • 10% of Korean Teenagers Say Smoking Looks ‘Cool’

    10% of Korean Teenagers Say Smoking Looks ‘Cool’

    A new South Korean study found that nearly one in 10 teenagers view characters who smoke in TV shows, films, and online videos as attractive, highlighting concerns about the influence of media depictions on youth attitudes toward smoking. The survey of 3,384 middle and high school students found that 9.2% considered smoking characters appealing, while 44.3% reported frequently seeing smoking scenes in media.

    Researchers identified a strong link between exposure to smoking content, perceiving smokers as attractive, and greater tolerance toward smoking, with 12.2% of respondents saying teenage smoking should be allowed. The study concluded that smoking is often portrayed as “cool” or rebellious in entertainment content, potentially shaping positive perceptions of smoking among young people in South Korea.