TobaccoReporter logo

Category: News This Week

  • Sesh Secures $40M to Accelerate U.S. Growth

    Sesh Secures $40M to Accelerate U.S. Growth

    Sesh, an Austin-based, tobacco-free nicotine pouch maker, says it has raised more than $40 million in funding to scale its U.S. business. The financing round, led by 8VC and Jack Link’s CEO Troy Link, included participation from Electric Feel Ventures and a slate of investors spanning retail, entertainment, and manufacturing, including Post Malone, Diplo, and Zac Brown.

    Launched in 2020, Sesh has rapidly expanded into major national retailers such as Buc-ee’s, Sheetz, Quiktrip, AMPM, Circle K West, and Pilot. The company says it is anchored by a patented, pH-balanced formulation from Thomas Ericsson, inventor of Zyn, and that its Ohio-made pouches incorporate MCT oil to enhance mouthfeel and address dryness concerns common in the category.

    “We’re really trying to raise the standard in nicotine,” said founder and CEO Max Cunningham. “It’s important for emerging brands like Sesh to exist in the category, and for it not to be just dominated by Big Tobacco.”

    Cunningham told Fortune magazine the company has 30 full-time employees, availability in more than 5,000 stores across the U.S. and Canada, and is on track to grow 5,000% year over year. “We’re building for the long term,” he said. “This is about quality, trust, and building a nicotine brand that reflects where the market is going — not where it’s been.”

    A PMTA for the 72 Sesh SKUs has been accepted and under review by FDA since 2023.

  • JTI: Mayfair Gold Strengthens Market Position in UK

    JTI: Mayfair Gold Strengthens Market Position in UK

    JTI says its Mayfair Gold continues with strong momentum in 2025, and is the UK’s fastest-growing low-price ready-made cigarette brand. With a 4.4% market share, the brand has established itself as a key player among independents and symbols, driven by strong demand for high-quality products at ultra-value prices since its launch in September 2024, JTI said. The company also said Mayfair Gold’s rolling tobacco is on track to exceed £200 million in retail sales within its first year, underscoring the brand’s rapid ascent in both the RMC and RYO categories.

    The growth comes alongside a series of retailer engagement initiatives on JTI360, including the Mayfair Gold Super Competition, which recently rewarded Salim Patel of The Swan Service Station, Mirfield, England, with a VIP cricket experience at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.

  • Defiance ETFs Launches 2X Philip Morris Fund

    Defiance ETFs Launches 2X Philip Morris Fund

    Defiance ETFs introduced the “Defiance Daily Target 2X Long PM ETF,” an exchange-traded fund (ETF) under the NYSE symbol ZYN. The company clarified that the investment was not a purchase of Philip Morris International (PMI) stock, but an investment in a fund that offers investors twice the daily exposure to PMI. The leveraged product uses swaps and options to achieve its objectives, giving retail investors access to amplified PMI performance without the need for margin accounts.

    PMI, Defiance said, is positioning itself for a future beyond combustible cigarettes, and that the launch reflects investor appetite for targeted exposure to global tobacco majors as they expand their portfolios into smoke-free categories. Defiance said ZYN is designed for sophisticated investors who understand the risks of daily leveraged funds.

  • Malaysian Customs Seize 300K Illicit Vapes Bound for Singapore

    Malaysian Customs Seize 300K Illicit Vapes Bound for Singapore

    Malaysian Customs officers in Selangor’s Port Klang seized 300,000 e-vaporizers and components hidden in containers falsely declared as furniture, in what investigators believe was a smuggling attempt to supply Singapore’s black market. The shipment, which arrived from China on July 30, contained vapes branded “Salthub,” without mandatory Malaysian health warnings.

    A source close to the case told The Straits Times the devices were packed in green polythene bags, a common tactic used by smuggling syndicates. While vaping is legal in Selangor, legal products must meet strict packaging, labelling, and excise requirements.

    The UN Office on Drugs and Crime had previously warned that Malaysia is becoming a key maritime hub for drug and vape trafficking, with smugglers receiving illicit goods at the port and driving them to such places as Singapore.

  • Thai Survey Finds Youth Vaping on the Rise

    Thai Survey Finds Youth Vaping on the Rise

    A nationwide survey by Thailand’s Department of Health Service Support that e-cigarette use among young people is growing, with the youngest reported new user just 6 years old. Conducted online earlier this year with more than 40,000 participants, the survey found the average age of initiation was 13.

    A previous survey found a sharp rise in e-cigarette use among Thai youth, increasing from 3.3% in 2022 to 17.6% in 2025. Of those users, 37.6% are aged 19–25, followed by 16–18-year-olds at 29.3%, and 13–15-year-olds at 22.4%. Peer pressure emerged as the leading factor driving uptake, with 45.6% of respondents saying they tried vaping because of friends. Social media was also cited as a major influence, with Facebook (27.9%) and TikTok (27.6%) named as the main platforms exposing youth to e-cigarette advertising.

  • UWELL Launches Gamified Caliburn G4 Pro Koko

    UWELL Launches Gamified Caliburn G4 Pro Koko

    UWELL unveiled the Caliburn G4 Pro Koko, introducing touchscreen controls and a gamified vaping experience with five unlockable user interface themes. The device features a 2000mAh battery, up to 35W output, three vaping modes, and a 2-inch shatterproof HD screen. Compatible with GPP and G3 cartridges, it incorporates leak-proof technology and a customizable interface, aiming to blend performance with interactive design.

  • Pakistan Tobacco Board Criticized over Multinational Quota

    Pakistan Tobacco Board Criticized over Multinational Quota

    Leaders of the Ittehad Kashthkaran Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (IKKP) said a multinational tobacco company was instructed by the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) to purchase 1.5 million kg of flue-cured Virginia (FCV) from Swabi growers, guaranteeing a minimum price of Rs743 ($2.60) per kg, according to an article published today by the local e-paper Dawn.

     “An official of a multinational national company said on condition of anonymity that the quota which was given to Philips Morris International (PMI) Pakistan was actually agreed with the Swabi growers under the agreements executed with them as it was purchased by the PMI in Shergar, Mardan district, but the PTB officials bound them to buy the 1.5 million kg tobacco in Swabi,” the article credited to an unnamed correspondent said.

    In the article, IKKP leaders criticized government inaction and PTB policies, urging that remaining tobacco be purchased promptly to prevent financial losses for farmers, who rely heavily on this crop for their yearly income. They said with a large quantity remaining unpurchased, the PTB should also oblige other companies to buy the crop from the farmers on time and give up the policy of declaring the remaining tobacco surplus to be purchased from the farmers at low price.

    “The PTB has not played its due role,” Daud Jan Khan, central vice-chairman of the IKKP, was quoted. “The companies have also left no stone unturned to cause as much financial damage to tobacco growers as they could.”

  • Levity Delivers Innovative Packaging Design for Cohiba’s 2025 Spectres 

    Levity Delivers Innovative Packaging Design for Cohiba’s 2025 Spectres 

    Levity, branding specialists for consumer packaged goods,partnered with Cohiba to unveil a new packaging design for the company’s 2025 Spectre edition. The six-part packaging system blends high-end craftsmanship with precision engineering, including a sculpted wooden case, precision-crafted metal cigar tubes, a travel humidor, and a bespoke analog coreset mechanism that creates a slow, cinematic reveal.

    Matt Wilson, senior brand manager at Scandinavian Tobacco Group, said the collaboration was about “creating something exceptional, unexpected and truly luxurious.” Levity’s executive creative director, Theo van Blyenburgh, added that every detail, “from the packaging’s aesthetic to the way it moved in the hand, had to deliver on that promise.”

    Limited to just 750 units, this year’s Spectre features 10 hand-rolled cigars crafted with a rare, limited-edition blend, making it one of the most anticipated launches in the premium cigar market.

  • Bhutan Raises Taxes on Tobacco, Alcohol to “Fight Health Crisis”

    Bhutan Raises Taxes on Tobacco, Alcohol to “Fight Health Crisis”

    Bhutan’s government announced it will roll out a revised tax framework on alcohol, tobacco, and related products early next year as part of efforts to curb non-communicable diseases. The changes include steep excise duties to nicotine products, including Nu 10 ($0.11) per cigarette stick, Nu 40 ($0.44) per cigar, and Nu 1,500 ($16.50) per kg of chewing tobacco. E-cigarettes and vapes will face a 100% excise tax along with customs and GST charges. The government will also tighten regulations by revising the Tobacco Control Rules to explicitly cover newer products like heated tobacco and vapes.

    Health Minister Lyonpo Tandin Wangchuk said the move is part of a multisectoral strategy involving education, trade, law enforcement, and civil society. Alongside taxation, the ministry is planning stricter advertising controls and public campaigns to discourage harmful consumption.

  • Macau Considers Full Ban on E-Cigarette Possession

    Macau Considers Full Ban on E-Cigarette Possession

    The Macau Health Bureau is considering a full ban on e-cigarette possession, expanding current rules that already prohibit their sale, manufacture, and import/export. Lam Chong, head of the bureau’s Office for the Prevention and Control of Smoking and Alcohol, said authorities are also reviewing regulations on shisha and herbal cigarettes.

    The bureau plans a one-year trial of designated smoking areas in busy locations, including the Ruins of St. Paul’s and Border Gate Square, focusing first on public education before penalties are enforced. Rising youth usage is a concern, with reports showing e-cigarette use among students overtaking traditional smoking.