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Category: News This Week

  • Harm Reduction ‘Should be Wake-Up Call’ for Policymakers

    Harm Reduction ‘Should be Wake-Up Call’ for Policymakers

    At the 2025 Asia Forum on Nicotine, Prof. Dr. Rohan Sequeira, Consultant Cardio Endocrinologist, warned that Asia remains the epicenter of the global tobacco epidemic, home to over half of the world’s 1 billion smokers and responsible for 4 million tobacco-related deaths each year. He said traditional control measures—taxation, warning labels, and public campaigns—have done little to reverse rising smoking rates in South and Southeast Asia. What the region needs, he argued, is not more prohibition but a science-based harm reduction approach that recognizes medical evidence.

    “It’s the combustion of tobacco or the use of unprocessed tobacco which causes 7,000 toxic chemicals,” Dr. Sequeira said, emphasizing that nicotine, though addictive, is not the chief cause of tobacco-related disease. “Most of the policies for tobacco harm reduction have been based on good medical science behind it.”

    Presenting data-driven projections, Dr. Sequeira called for urgent policy reform, stating that if China alone were to adopt a national harm reduction framework, up to 30 million lives could be saved over 30 years. He urged policymakers and the medical community to see harm reduction as a moral and scientific imperative. “This should be a wake-up call to policymakers,” he said. “We are fighting the good fight. We’re looking at harm reduction, and we’re looking for people to have a better quality of life.”

  • Altria Drops Suit as Elf Bar Exits California Market

    Altria Drops Suit as Elf Bar Exits California Market

    Elf Bar’s parent company, iMiracle, agreed to cease sales of flavored disposable vapes in California, effectively ending a protracted legal battle with Altria’s e-cigarette unit NJOY. Under a joint motion, iMiracle will accept a permanent injunction preventing it from selling or shipping flavored vape products into California and will also refrain from shipping to other jurisdictions if the products are likely destined for California.

    The lawsuit, initially filed in late 2023, alleged that iMiracle’s flavored products competed unfairly with NJOY’s FDA-authorized devices and violated California’s flavored tobacco ban and federal regulations. Most defendants in the original suit were dropped; iMiracle remained the principal target.

    Though iMiracle denies liability, it agreed that violation of the injunction would be treated as contempt of court. The settlement is conditioned on California maintaining its current flavor ban; if the law is repealed or amended substantially, the injunction may no longer apply.

  • Gap Growing Between EU’s Public-Health Ambitions, Economic Concerns

    Gap Growing Between EU’s Public-Health Ambitions, Economic Concerns

    The European Commission’s plan to overhaul the EU’s tobacco taxation directive has met resistance from numerous Member States, revealing deep divisions over how far and how fast the bloc should go in taxing nicotine products. The proposal, first unveiled on July 16 and discussed for the first time at the Ecofin Council in Luxembourg last week, would sharply raise minimum excise duties on cigarettes and extend taxation to new categories such as vaping and heated tobacco.

    Commissioner for Climate and Clean Growth Wopke Hoekstra defended the reform as long overdue. “Europe ranks among the highest in the world for the number of smokers,” he said. “Moreover, there are new products deliberately designed for young people, 15-year-olds, which create a new addiction to nicotine. We cannot allow the industry to reverse the narrative, spreading lies as it has already done with traditional cigarettes.”

    Under the Commission’s plan, the minimum duty on cigarettes would rise from 60% to 63% of the weighted average retail price (WAP) and from €90 to €215 per 1,000 pieces. Rolling tobacco would see its threshold climb from 50% to 62% of WAP and from €60 to €215 per kilo. The reform also introduces EU-wide minimum rates for heated tobacco and e-cigarettes, starting in 2028 at 45% of WAP or €88 per 1,000 pieces and increasing through 2032.

    While most governments support the goal of improving public health, at least 12 Member States voiced objections. Italy, Bulgaria, and Romania warned that higher taxes on traditional cigarettes could fuel illicit trade. “We have to examine the interaction between increased tax thresholds and the trafficking of illegal cigarettes,” said Italy’s economy minister Giancarlo Giorgetti.

    Croatia, Greece, Luxembourg, Malta, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary described the proposed thresholds as too high. Hungary fears for its cigarillo sector, while Luxembourg rejects the Commission’s plan for automatic adjustments based on purchasing power.

    Sweden and Finland objected to taxing snus, with Swedish finance minister Elisabeth Svantesson insisting that “taxes should reflect the degree of harm, not the product type.”

  • Europe Risks Becoming Another Australia, BAT Boss Says

    Europe Risks Becoming Another Australia, BAT Boss Says

    Kingsley Wheaton, BAT’s Chief Commercial Officer, warned that Europe’s planned sharp tax hikes on cigarettes and alternative nicotine products risk fueling illicit trade similar to the crisis that has been created in Australia. Similar to his remarks last week at GTNF 2025 in Brussels, Wheaton told Euractiv that high excise taxes and strict regulations have pushed 80% of Australia’s tobacco market underground, resulting in taxpayer losses of AUD 9 billion ($5.9 billion) since 2019 and flourishing organized crime responsible for extortion, fire bombings, and murder.

    The warning comes as the European Commission pursues a revision of the Excise Tax Directive, proposing a 139% increase in cigarette taxes and steep rises for e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches. The EU aims to become smoke-free by 2040, targeting tobacco and nicotine consumption below 5%. While BAT acknowledges that smokeless products are not risk-free, Wheaton argued they are far less harmful than smoking and should remain accessible and affordable even as cigarette prices rise.

    Wheaton urged policymakers to focus on progressively taxing cigarettes while maintaining access to safer nicotine alternatives, alongside responsible packaging, retail licensing, and nicotine ceilings, however, the Commission continues to repeatedly reject any warning that comes from cigarette-producing companies.

  • Another Top China Tobacco Regulator Under Investigation

    Another Top China Tobacco Regulator Under Investigation

    Han Zhanwu, deputy director and Party Leadership Group member of China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA), is under investigation for suspected “serious violations of Party disciplinary rules and laws,” the country’s top anti-graft bodies announced yesterday (October 12). The probe is being conducted by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission. Han, 59, has been out of the public eye for nearly a month, with his last public appearance during a research trip to Jiangsu province in early September.

    Han, the highest-ranking deputy director at STMA, has previously held senior positions including Director and Party Secretary of the China National Machinery & Equipment Tendering Corporation and leadership roles within the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. He took up his current post at the STMA in April 2020. The administration, directly under the State Council, regulates China’s vast tobacco sector.

    Han’s investigation continues a broader anti-corruption campaign in China’s tobacco system that began in 2021. More than 10 officials have been probed to date, including six current or former STMA leaders. Notably, Ling Chengxing, former Party Secretary and Director, received a 16-year sentence in May 2025 for bribery and abuse of power, while Deputy Director Xu Lin was reported under investigation in May this year.

  • Portugal Expects $2B from Tobacco, Alcohol, Sugar Consumption 

    Portugal Expects $2B from Tobacco, Alcohol, Sugar Consumption 

    Portugal’s government expects to collect an additional €79 million from tobacco and alcohol taxes in 2026, driven by higher consumption, according to the proposed State Budget. Revenue from the Tobacco Tax (IT) is projected to rise 4.4%, or €71 million, to €1.7 billion, while the Tax on Alcohol, Alcoholic Beverages, and Drinks with Added Sugar (IABA) is expected to increase by €8 million, or 2.5%, reaching €328 million.

    Combined, the two levies are estimated to generate €2 billion, accounting for 5.3% of indirect tax revenue and just under 3% of total tax revenue. The budget notes that IABA-related state fiscal expenditure will rise 2.2% to €72.2 million, largely due to exemptions for “alcohol for therapeutic and sanitary purposes” and, to a lesser extent, non-alcoholic beverages. These exemptions are projected to represent 86.7% of IABA tax expenditures in 2026.

    By contrast, the tobacco tax is expected to generate revenue without incurring any tax expenditure, reflecting its role as a net contributor to the state budget. The government cites continued private consumption as the key driver behind the anticipated growth in tobacco and alcohol tax receipts.

  • Korea: Male Smoking Prevalence Drops Drastically Since 2015

    Korea: Male Smoking Prevalence Drops Drastically Since 2015

    Cigarette smoking among young South Korean men has dropped sharply over the past decade, according to new data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). In 2024, 28.5% of men in their 30s and 22.6% of men aged 19 to 29 were cigarette smokers—declines of 19.5% and 16.1% respectively since 2015. Men in their 40s recorded the highest smoking rate at 36.9%, down from 45.8%.

    The study also found that about 40% of men in their 30s used some form of tobacco in 2024, down only 4.9% from 2019. For men in their 40s, total tobacco use increased slightly despite a small decline in cigarette smoking, reflecting the growing shift toward alternative products.

    Health officials attribute part of the trend to changing perceptions about harm. A September 2025 survey of students found that 32.2% believed e-cigarettes were less harmful—or not harmful at all—compared to cigarettes. While authorities welcome the decline in cigarette use, they warn that misconceptions about alternative products may slow broader tobacco harm-reduction progress.

  • Tanzania Gives Tobacco Buyers Three Weeks to Pay Farmers

    Tanzania Gives Tobacco Buyers Three Weeks to Pay Farmers

    Tanzania’s Agriculture Minister Hussein Mohamed Bashe ordered all tobacco-buying companies to settle more than $5 million in overdue payments to farmers by October 20. He further instructed companies to include interest as compensation for delayed payments and to submit written explanations to the police detailing the reasons for the arrears, along with payment schedules to ensure full settlement.

    “I am giving you 21 days, until the 30th of the month,” Bashe said during an Oct. 9 meeting with company executives, bankers, and buyers. “I don’t want to hear of any farmer complaining about unpaid dues. It is unacceptable that a new farming season starts while farmers are still waiting for payments from the previous one.”

    In support of the directive, Tabora Regional Commissioner Paul Chacha ordered companies still owing money to report regularly to the police “until they have paid everything,” warning that these companies “have been a constant source of trouble” for farmers.

    Bashe also called for creating a national digital farmer registry, jointly managed by tobacco buyers, banks, and the government, to record data on farm size, crop type, and output for greater transparency.

  • Tobacco Farmers Biometrically Registered in Zimbabwe

    Tobacco Farmers Biometrically Registered in Zimbabwe

    Zimbabwe has biometrically registered more than 113,000 tobacco farmers since the program began earlier this year, as part of the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB)’s drive to improve transparency and security in the sector. The initiative links each farmer’s unique grower number to their fingerprints, GPS coordinates, and demographic information, ensuring that only genuine growers participate in the market and helping protect farmers from exploitation.

    TIMB public affairs officer Chelesani Moyo Tsarwe said the biometric system will help eliminate fraud, curb side marketing, and enhance efficiency across the industry. “TIMB has rolled out a biometric grower management system to address the longstanding challenges within Zimbabwe’s tobacco sector,” she said. “The new system introduces biometric data capture, linking each farmer’s unique grower number to their fingerprints, GPS co-ordinates of their household and farm, and demographic data.”

  • Northern Ireland Busts ‘One of the Largest’ Illegal Tobacco Factories

    Northern Ireland Busts ‘One of the Largest’ Illegal Tobacco Factories

    Authorities in Northern Ireland dismantled what is believed to be one of the country’s largest illegal tobacco factories, following an October 5 raid by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) with support from the police. The operation uncovered a “state-of-the-art factory” equipped with expensive machinery, professional extraction equipment, and soundproofing insulation. Officers seized nine tons of tobacco and 1.3 million cigarettes, with an estimated value of over £3 million in unpaid duty. Seven men were arrested on suspicion of fraudulent evasion of duty, and investigations are ongoing.

    Dermot Clarke, operational lead in HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, described the site as “one of the most sophisticated tobacco factories we have ever uncovered in Northern Ireland,” warning that illicit trade harms public services, undermines legitimate businesses, and funds other criminal activity.