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Category: News This Week

  • Spain Probes Tobacco Smuggling Via Drones

    Spain Probes Tobacco Smuggling Via Drones

    Spanish authorities have launched an investigation into drone-led tobacco smuggling in La Línea after several devices were spotted near Gibraltar Airport, disrupting flights and forcing an RAF aircraft to divert to Portugal. According to Europa Sur, Spanish agencies have detected a sharp rise in smuggling groups using drones to bypass both the land frontier and traditional maritime routes. Customs officials say they are now coordinating with multiple enforcement bodies to counter the tactic.

    In London, Gibraltar representative John Cortes raised the issue with UK Minister of State for Defence Lord Coaker, highlighting the airport’s increasing exposure to drone incursions. The Royal Gibraltar Police, the MOD, and local aviation authorities have been investigating illegal drone activity for several months, as cross-border smuggling operations evolve.

  • India Proposes New Taxes on Tobacco and ‘Sin Goods’

    India Proposes New Taxes on Tobacco and ‘Sin Goods’

    India’s government introduced two new tax bills today (December 1) aiming to maintain high levies on tobacco and other “sin goods” after the Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation cess expires next year. The Central Excise (Amendment) Bill 2025, proposes excise duties of 60–70% on such products, with cigarette taxes calculated by length and filter type. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the GST compensation cess on tobacco will end once all related loan and interest obligations are cleared. A second bill would impose a fixed monthly levy on pan masala and other notified goods.

    The revenue is expected to fund health programs and national security while keeping high-risk products expensive to discourage consumption and reduce under-reporting. Both bills require manufacturer registration, including for small-scale and handmade producers.

    The legislation is part of a broader tax realignment and will next go to parliamentary panels for review before a likely vote in 2026.

  • PM Japan Launches Sentia Icy Red for IQOS

    PM Japan Launches Sentia Icy Red for IQOS

    Philip Morris Japan introduced a new heated tobacco product, Sentia Icy Red, for its IQOS ILUMA i device and the IQOS ILUMA-exclusive “SENTIA” sticks. The product will be available in Japan beginning today (December 1) at four IQOS stores nationwide, select Yamada Denki and Bic Camera locations, and IQOS corners in some Don Quijote-affiliated stores. Online sales begin December 4, with availability at tobacco and convenience stores nationwide from December 8.

    According to the company, Sentia Icy Red features a strong cold menthol sensation combined with delicate fruity red berry and floral aromas, expanding the Sentia portfolio to 17 brands. The product is priced at 530 yen ($3.39) for 20 sticks.

    This launch reflects Philip Morris Japan’s ongoing strategy to diversify flavors and experiences for heated tobacco consumers while promoting its IQOS ILUMA platform.

  • CAPHRA Says WHO Allowing Prohibitionists to Dominate Agenda

    CAPHRA Says WHO Allowing Prohibitionists to Dominate Agenda

    The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) criticized the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Secretariat for allowing what it called “Bloomberg-funded prohibitionist NGOs to dominate the policy agenda” at COP11. CAPHRA said the “Dirty Ashtray Award” given to New Zealand reflects a corrupted process in which countries are shamed for not aligning with an ideological, prohibition-driven narrative rather than evidence-based public health outcomes.

    New Zealand, CAPHRA said, has one of the world’s lowest smoking rates at 6.8%, alongside sharply declining youth vaping and minimal youth smoking—developments credited to its harm-reduction framework. Despite this success and strengthened penalties for youth access violations, New Zealand was targeted while countries with far higher smoking rates received positive recognition. Supportive COP11 delegations, including Canada, Sweden, and Germany, likewise emphasized transparency, consumer input, and independent science, highlighting widening divisions within the treaty process.

    CAPHRA executive coordinator Nancy Loucas condemned the Secretariat’s approach, saying evidence-based harm-reduction advocates are wrongly portrayed as industry-aligned. CAPHRA is urging the FCTC to uphold its mandate, arguing that countries must be free to craft policies suited to their own contexts.

    Source: CAPHRA

  • Zimbabwe Nears $1.1B From Tobacco Exports

    Zimbabwe Nears $1.1B From Tobacco Exports

    Zimbabwe earned $1.1 billion from 201.4 million kg of semi-processed tobacco exported between January and November, according to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board. This compares with $1 billion from 208.4 million kg during the same period last year.

    The Far East remained the top buyer, taking 89.1 million kg worth $630.7 million at an average $7.08/kg. Africa followed with 33 million kg valued at $154.6 million, while the Middle East bought 30 million kg for $88 million. The EU imported 27.2 million kg at $5.83/kg, and Europe purchased 12.8 million kg at $5.09/kg. The Americas bought 9.1 million kg, and Oceania, though a small buyer, paid the highest price at $8.45/kg.

    Tobacco remains Zimbabwe’s top agricultural export and key foreign currency earner, generating $1.3 billion in 2024 and contributing roughly 30% of total exports.

  • Russian Deputies Call for Complete National Vape Ban

    Russian Deputies Call for Complete National Vape Ban

    A group of State Duma deputies proposed amendments to completely ban the sale of vapes and e-liquids in Russia, while also introducing stricter penalties for illegal trafficking and involving minors in nicotine use. The amendments, prepared by deputies led by Yaroslav Nilov, Yana Lantratova, and Nina Ostanina, have been submitted for consideration to relevant working groups and reviewed by RBC.

    The proposal is linked to the second reading of a bill on licensing the retail trade in tobacco and nicotine products. Deputies highlighted that the ban aligns with President Vladimir Putin’s call for radical measures to protect children and young people from vaping risks. The amendments were sent to multiple inter-factional working groups focusing on public health, moral education, and the protection of traditional Russian values.

    The initiative has been framed as a long-overdue measure to safeguard public health, according to Lantratova, who emphasized that partial restrictions are insufficient. The current bill, submitted by the government in September 2025, sets a licensing framework for retail sales of tobacco and nicotine products, with unlicensed sales prohibited from September 1, 2026, and a transition period until September 1, 2027. The Ministry of Finance has also proposed giving regional authorities the power to impose local bans on vape sales, notifying the Federal Service for Alcohol Tobacco Control accordingly.

  • Korean Lawmakers Advance Bill to Reclassify Synthetic Nicotine

    Korean Lawmakers Advance Bill to Reclassify Synthetic Nicotine

    South Korea’s National Assembly Judiciary Committee on November 26 approved an amendment to the Tobacco Business Act that would classify liquid and synthetic-nicotine e-cigarettes as tobacco, closing long-criticized regulatory gaps. The measure heads to a plenary vote on November 27 after nearly a decade of debate.

    The bill expands the definition of cigarettes to include products “manufactured from nicotine,” while excluding pharmaceutical nicotine products. To protect existing vape retailers from abrupt shutdowns, it grants a two-year suspension of distance rules for newly designated tobacco shops and urges government support for workers transitioning out of the sector.

    Lawmakers also recommended considering temporary tax relief as the new classification takes effect. Revisions made in committee shorten the rollout period to four months, require risk assessments for existing inventory, and set the taxable moment at manufacture or import.

    Finance Minister Koo Yoon-cheol said the government will begin risk assessments ahead of implementation to minimize disruption.

  • Geneva Meeting Boosts Action Against Illicit Tobacco

    Geneva Meeting Boosts Action Against Illicit Tobacco

    The fourth session of the Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products wrapped up in Geneva on November 26, with 60 Parties agreeing to strengthen international cooperation and enforcement. Decisions include compiling and analyzing tobacco seizure data, forming working groups on research and best practices, and improving licensing fee monitoring. Illicit trade is estimated to account for 11% of the global tobacco market, costing governments billions.

    The meeting also welcomed Vanuatu as the Protocol’s 71st Party, reinforcing global efforts under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

  • Luxembourg Snus Law Draws Criticism as ‘De Facto Ban’

    Luxembourg Snus Law Draws Criticism as ‘De Facto Ban’

    Luxembourg-based snus producer Heintz Van Landewyck criticized the country’s new anti-tobacco legislation, which effectively removes snus from the domestic market despite not explicitly banning it. The law, approved in late October, limits nicotine in snus pouches to just 0.048 mg per pouch—roughly the amount naturally found in two aubergines (eggplants)—making the product unappealing to consumers seeking nicotine.

    Georges Krombach, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer, warned that the legislation will push consumers to buy snus online, fueling the black market. He described the situation as an “industrial nightmare,” noting that the company had recently invested over €1 million in tax-compliant machinery for domestic production.

    Heintz Van Landewyck had supported age restrictions, warning labels, a nicotine range of 6–16 mg per pouch, and excise taxes, but the new limits force the company to relocate domestic production abroad, with a new factory planned in Trier, Germany.

    While the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR) and Pirate Party echoed concerns about market disruption, other lawmakers, including CSV MP Françoise Kemp, stressed that nicotine is addictive and warned that flavored products pose risks to youth.

    Krombach expressed hope that Luxembourg might reconsider the nicotine limit to allow legal domestic sales, rather than driving consumers to foreign online sources.

  • Imperial Offers Video Series to Battle Public Misconceptions

    Imperial Offers Video Series to Battle Public Misconceptions

    Imperial Brands launched a new video series aimed at addressing the common misunderstandings associated with next-generation nicotine products (NGP) like vapes and pouches. The company’s Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) survey shows widespread confusion about the risks of NGP)s, with 63% of young people and 53% of adult smokers wrongly believing vaping is as harmful or more harmful than smoking.

    Imperial Brands Science says such misconceptions weaken the public-health potential of NGP and offers the series to tackle claims that vapes are unregulated, cause “popcorn lung,” or are as harmful as cigarettes, and clarifies differences between passive vaping and passive smoking.

    Dr. Thomas Nahde, Imperial’s Head of Harm Reduction and Engagement, said misinformation is discouraging some smokers from switching to potentially less harmful alternatives. The videos aim to make the science more accessible and promote evidence-based discussion.

    Find out more about NGP myths and misconceptions on the Imperial Brands Science website’s dedicated page.