Category: News This Week

BAT Announces Management Board Changes
Photo: adragan
BAT has announced management board changes. Kingsley Wheaton will be appointed as chief corporate officer, a newly created role. Wheaton’s current role of chief strategy and growth officer will cease to exist.
As chief corporate officer, Wheaton will have overall responsibility for the strategy and execution of the group’s sustainable future pillar, including:
Establishing broad acceptance of BAT’s tobacco harm reduction (THR) agenda, working with BAT’s director of research and science, James Murphy, to ensure the scientific basis for harm reduction and encouraging a fact-based discussion on nicotine among key stakeholders;
Shaping the landscape through responsible and transparent dialogue with regulators, policymakers and other relevant stakeholders; and
Enhancing BAT’s leadership in sustainability and integrity.
Paul McCrory, director of corporate and regulatory affairs, will continue to report to Wheaton in this role. Donato Del Vecchio, chief sustainability officer, will also continue to report to Wheaton.
Luciano Comin, marketing director for combustibles and new categories, will be appointed chief marketing officer, reporting directly to Tadeu Marroco, CEO.
James Barrett, director of business development, will report to Soraya Benchikh, chief financial officer.
All changes are effective immediately.
“We will be taking an important step later today in our journey to encourage THR acceptance with the launch of a compelling science and evidential case for THR in the form of ‘The Omni: Forward Thinking for a Smokeless World,’” said Marroco.
“I would like to thank Kingsley for all that he has done as chief strategy and growth officer. He has stepped into the role at a critical time for BAT and has helped shape the strategy and establish new functional capabilities. In all of these areas, BAT is now stronger and more robust.”
“I feel honored to take up this new challenge,” said Wheaton. “As BAT moves forward toward ‘A Better Tomorrow,’ the focus on this area of the strategy will be all-important. I am looking forward to bringing my experience and understanding of both BAT and the external environment and making a real difference.”
September 17, 2024
EU Wants to Ban Outdoor Smoking and Vaping

The European Commission will propose extending smoking bans to outdoor areas, such as cafe terraces, bus stops and zoos. The proposal will also include nicotine-free products, according to leaked documents.
The recommendations include “heated-tobacco products and electronic cigarettes, whether containing nicotine or nicotine-free.” The commission also wants to include “tobacco surrogates and any other smoke and/or aerosol emitting products, according to the documents.
“The evidence on the use of emerging products as a cessation aid is inconclusive,” the documents said. The recommendations follow growing evidence that secondhand exposure to “aerosols from electronic cigarettes, both with and without nicotine, expose bystanders to quantifiable levels of particulate matter and key toxicants and contaminants.”
“The level of coverage of smoke-free rules varies greatly based on the type of smoke-free environments, and the general level of coverage of outdoor spaces in smoke-free policies is low,” the commission said.
The new guidelines would include outdoor or semi-outdoor, meaning partially covered or enclosed spaces like rooftops, balconies, porches and patios, associated with service establishments such as restaurants, bars and cafes. Public transport hubs like bus stops and airports and outdoor areas linked to workplaces, hospitals and nursing homes would also be included. Recreational areas where children are present would also be covered, including public playgrounds, amusement parks, swimming pools and zoos as well as educational premises ranging from preschool childcare to university.
The new recommendations are expected to be announced Sept. 17.
The leaked proposal has already received backlash from the World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA). “The commission is making a disastrous mistake by lumping vaping with smoking,” said Michael Landl, director of the WVA. “This sends a dangerous message to millions of smokers who need vaping to quit. This falsely equates vaping with smoking, misleading millions into believing vaping is just as harmful when it’s actually 95 percent less harmful. There is virtually no secondhand vaping, and it is way less harmful than smoking. These recommendations will keep more people smoking and put public health at greater risk by equating vaping with smoking.”
“The commission is outright misleading smokers by claiming vaping and smoking are the same,” said Alberto Gomez Hernandez, policy manager at the WVA. “This blatant disregard for science and consumer choice ignores the facts. Allowing vaping in smoke-free areas could drive more smokers to switch, cutting smoking deaths across Europe. Instead, they’re blocking a proven harm reduction tool and putting lives at risk.”
September 17, 2024
New Zealand Cracks Down on Illegal Nicotine Sales

Image: mehaniq41
New Zealand has started sentencing for repeat violators of its cigarette and vape laws, according to the ministry of health.
Christchurch tobacco retailer Canteros received a fine of NZD28,000 for eight breaches of the Smoke-free Environments and Regulated Products Act. The violations related to the selling, labeling and advertising of cigars.
The owner and an employee of Discount Specialist were fined a total of NZD8,000 for repeatedly selling single cigarettes and allowing tobacco products to be visible to the public inside the store.
While infringement notices with fees of NZD500 are routinely issued for sales of regulated products to minors, this chain of prosecutions is among the strongest action to be taken against illegal vape and cigarette sales to date.
In August, a Christchurch dairy owner was fined NZD56,000 under the act.
“A significant majority of retailers comply with the law and do not sell restricted products to young people, though it’s disappointing to see some retailers fail to abide by the law and sell cigarettes or vapes to children and young people,” said Jo Pugh, compliance manager at the national public health service.
“This compliance work is a high priority for the health agencies. We will continue to monitor and identify retailers who are not complying with the law.”
September 17, 2024
Tax Hike Sparks ‘Chaos’ in Jordan Market

Photo: Rodworks
Jordan’s recent tobacco tax hike has sparked turmoil in the market, reports Roya News.
Smokers reported price differences of JOD1 ($1.41) or more for the same brand across various shops. Some suspect traders have been exploiting the tax increase to boost their profits.
Critics are urging the government to standardize prices.
On Sept. 12, the government approved an amended special tax system for 2024, adjusting tobacco taxes to align with the national strategy to discourage tobacco use.
The revision aims to curb the spread of electronic smoking devices, particularly among children, and to address the disparities in taxes between traditional cigarettes and their alternatives.
September 17, 2024
‘Vapes Lacking Health Labels on Social Media’

Photo: Nattakorn
Many synthetic nicotine brands on social media lack the required health labels, according to a Boston University study published in JAMA Network Open.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration passed a requirement in 2022 that says health warnings need to take up 20 percent of the advertising and appear in the upper portion of the advertisement for e-cigarettes that contain synthetic nicotine.
“When synthetic nicotine started appearing in products, we really wanted to know how it was being received and how it was being promoted,” says Traci Hong, a Boston University College of Communication professor of media studies.
The researchers studied more than 2,000 Instagram posts from 25 different synthetic nicotine brands, identified whether an image posted on Instagram included the required health warning and, if it did, whether it took up the right amount of space.
The Instagram posts were analyzed using a custom-built AI algorithm, which uses computer vision to detect if health warnings follow the FDA rules. The team found that only 13 percent of the analyzed posts complied with FDA health warning requirements.
They also discovered that the posts with health warnings received fewer likes and comments than posts without the warnings. According to the paper, the larger the warning label, the less comments the posts received. According to the paper’s authors, this suggests that having health warning labels could reduce how many social media users, especially young adults, are seeing and engaging with this content.
“These are brands that I think have a legitimate responsibility to inform their potential consumers that there are health risks and you need to be aware of them,” said Hong in a statement.
September 16, 2024
Cigarette Seizures up in the Netherlands

Photo: think4photop
The number of illegal cigarettes seized in the Netherlands to date this year has already reached the volume confiscated in all of 2023, reports DutchNews.
Customs and finance ministry investigators seized 120 million illegal cigarettes since the start of 2024. The biggest haul so far this year was made in Rotterdam, where officials found 27 million cigarettes, which would have generated €6 million in tax had they been legal.
In July, customs officials confiscated 8 million illegal cigarettes in Someren. That same month, they seized 6 million cigarettes and 4.5 tons of rolling tobacco in Rotterdam.
Critics attribute the increase in seizures to rising prices. In April, the price of a packet of 20 cigarettes rose to around €11 in the Netherlands, encouraging more smokers to source their tobacco abroad.
In a 2023 empty pack survey, a quarter of cigarettes had avoided Dutch tobacco duties, up from 15 percent in 2021.
While nearly 19 percent of the cigarettes had been bought abroad, 4 percent were either fake branded cigarettes or had been smuggled. Two years previously, just 1 percent were either fake or illegal.
Research by the public health institute RIVM indicates that smokers buy around 10 percent of their tobacco abroad.
September 16, 2024
Malawi Tobacco Earnings up Despite Drought

Photo: Taco Tuinstra
Malawi earned 40 percent more from tobacco sales in the 2024 marketing season than it did the previous year, despite an El Nino-induced drought, reports Reuters, citing the Tobacco Commission.
The Tobacco Commission said that leaf sales increased to $396.28 million, up from $283.76 million the previous season. Over the same period, volumes increased to 133.1 million kg from 120.5 million kg.
“This represents a substantial surge,” the Tobacco Commission wrote in its final season report. “The increase in sales volume, revenue and the average price per kilogram indicates a strong and positive performance compared to the previous year.”
Despite the drought, which hit most of Malawi’s agricultural output, especially the staple food maize, the tobacco crop proved resilient, helping the country to profit from a surge in global demand.
“Global demand is high due to consecutive calamitous weather impacts in major producing countries,” said Limbani Kakhome, a spokesperson for Japan Tobacco Leaf, one of the commodity’s top buying companies in Malawi.
September 16, 2024
New Zealand Urged to Rethink Disposables Ban

Photo: Evgeniy Vershinin
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) is urging New Zealand to reconsider its proposed vaping regulations, which include a ban on closed systems, tighter limits on displays in retail shops and new flavor restrictions.
“This amendment will make it more difficult for adults who smoke to access vaping products, potentially pushing them back to smoking,” said CAPHRA Executive Coordinator Nancy Loucas. “It’s a step backward in our journey toward a smoke-free New Zealand.”
The CAPHRA submission highlights several concerns. According to the advocacy group, the ban disproportionately affects older adults and those with dexterity issues who rely on simpler closed systems. The proposed display restrictions, says CAPHRA, may deter smokers from switching to less harmful alternatives. Meanwhile, the focus on further display restrictions in retail shops ignores the real issue of social supply to youth, according to the organization, while flavor restrictions could hinder successful smoking cessation efforts.
“Consumers have the right to make informed choices about their health. This amendment proposes to restrict consumer autonomy and may hinder harm reduction efforts,” said Loucas.
“Even the Ministry of Health suggested that the regulations, as they are, are fit for purpose, and the ASH Year 10 survey has shown that youth vaping has declined from the peak a couple of years ago.
“CAPHRA calls for a more balanced approach, focusing on education and transparent risk communication. By highlighting the facts about vaping, who it is for and what it is, we can combat misinformation and support public health,” said Loucas.
September 16, 2024
Korea Urged to Regulate Vapes as Tobacco

Photo: Teo
Health advocates are calling on South Korea to regulate e-cigarettes as tobacco products, reports the Maeil Business Newspaper.
The current law does not classify vapes as cigarettes, which means they are exempt from many of the regulations that apply to tobacco products. For example, vaping companies do not have to print graphic health warnings on their products or charge their customers tobacco consumption tax.
Article 2 of the Tobacco Business Act defines “cigarettes” as products suitable for smoking, sucking, inhaling, chewing or smelling.
The calls for expanding the legal definition follow concern about the growth of unmanned e-cigarette stores in Seoul, which are said to have inadequate age-verification procedures.
A survey by the Seoul metropolitan government revealed that the number of unmanned e-cigarette stores has quadrupled since April.
According to data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, three out of 10 youth smokers started smoking e-cigarettes from 2019 to 2023. Six out of 10 teenagers who started with e-cigarettes are currently smoking regular cigarettes, the center said.
Bills to regulate e-cigarettes were tabled in the 20th and 21st National Assembly but failed to cross the plenary session threshold in each instance.
September 15, 2024
Industry Groups Push Back on Plain Packaging

Photo: Taco Tuinstra
More than 20 industry organizations signed a joint statement against Indonesia’s plans to require plain packaging for tobacco and vaping products, reports The Jakarta Post. The signatories included groups representing manufacturers, tobacco and clove farmers, labor unions, traders/retailers, creative industries, broadcasters and advertisers.
Franky Sibarani, vice chairman of the Indonesian employers’ association Apindo, noted that, given the significance of the tobacco business in Indonesia, the regulatory pressures were likely be felt in other sectors as well. The tobacco industry, he pointed out, supports millions of jobs, including farmers, workers, traders and retailers, along with professionals working in the creative industry.
“Policymakers should be cautious in issuing regulations that could threaten prolonged contractions,” said Sibarani.
Henry Najoan, chairman of the Indonesian kretek cigarette manufacturers association Gappri, emphasized that the tobacco industry is not just a business but a significant economic and cultural chain.
“The proposal for plain packaging […] will have serious impacts, as it exacerbates already excessive policies and could lead to a contraction in state revenue and employment,” he said. “Therefore, we firmly reject this regulation.”
Benny Wachjudi, chairman of the Indonesian white cigarette producers association Gaprindo, highlighted the tobacco industry’s contributions to the national economy. The industry, he said, accounts for up to 10 percent, or more than IDR200 trillion ($12.99 billion), of Indonesia’s annual excise duty collections. Plain packaging, Wachjudi warned, would boost the illicit cigarette trade.
Kusnasi Mudi, secretary-general of the National Tobacco Farmers Association, noted that tobacco cultivation alone supports 2.5 million livelihoods in Indonesia. “Tobacco is one of the national strategic commodities, but our existence is continually suppressed,” he said. “We request government protection for the 2.5 million farmers who are also struggling for their livelihoods and facing various other issues.”
Tutum Rahanta, chairman of the advisory council of the Indonesian Retailers and Shopping Center Tenants Association, said that the plain packaging proposals are impractical for all parties involved. “This regulation seriously undermines the tobacco industry at a time when the sector, from upstream to downstream, has adhered to previous regulations,” he said. “The government should focus on combating illegal cigarettes rather than interfering with legal cigarettes that comply with the law.”
Fabianus Bernadi, chairman of the Indonesian outdoor media association AMLI, said the proposed legislation would significantly impact his members’ economic viability. A recent survey suggested that in some regions, the organization’s companies derived up to 79 percent of their business from tobacco products.
September 13, 2024