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Category: News This Week

  • PMI Launches Five-City Tour as Part of America250 Initiative

    PMI Launches Five-City Tour as Part of America250 Initiative

    Philip Morris International announced a nationwide America250 initiative through its U.S. business this week, combining community investment, innovation programs, manufacturing expansion, and brand marketing tied to the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations. The initiative builds on PMI U.S.’s previously announced $1 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing, operations, and workforce development, alongside continued expansion of its smoke-free product portfolio, including Zyn nicotine pouches and IQOS heated tobacco products.

    The program includes a $250,000 Community Futures Challenge for entrepreneurs and civic innovators, a five-city innovation tour across Phoenix, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Nashville, and Stamford, Connecticut, and expanded volunteer and charitable activities. Since 2022, PMI U.S. said it has contributed more than $35 million to charitable organizations and plans to mobilize its 3,300-person workforce for community service initiatives focused on food insecurity, housing support, and essential services.

    PMI U.S. also highlighted ongoing investments in modern nicotine manufacturing and commercialization, including preparations for future product launches and expansion of its Aurora, Colorado, facility. As part of the campaign, the company plans to release limited-edition America250-themed Zyn and IQOS products for adult nicotine consumers, with broader promotional activity continuing through 2026 ahead of a planned Next.Now Summit in Phoenix in early 2027.

  • Scientist reveals nail salons are worse than “second-hand vaping”

    Scientist reveals nail salons are worse than “second-hand vaping”

    Public confusion should not drive vape policy, says Dr Marina Murphy

    As the UK government considers extending smoke-free legislation to create new vape-free areas in England, experts are warning that vaping policy must be based on evidence—not public misunderstanding.

    Proposals to restrict vaping in areas such as playgrounds, school grounds and outside hospitals are intended to protect the public from second-hand exposure. However, the scientific evidence does not support treating vaping like smoking.

    Here, Dr. Marina Murphy, Director of Scientific Affairs at Northerner, sets out the current scientific understanding of “second-hand vaping” and highlights the need for policy to be based on evidence.

    Is there such a thing as second-hand vapour?

    While often described as “second-hand vapour,” passive exposure to vape aerosol is not comparable to second-hand smoke. Vapes do not contain tobacco, involve no combustion, and produce no side-stream smoke, which is the smoke produced when a cigarette is not being actively smoked, the primary source of harmful passive smoking exposure. 

    UK health authorities, including the NHS and Cancer Research UK, state there is no good evidence that passive vaping is harmful to bystanders.

    What do the public think about second-hand vaping?

    New research commissioned by Northerner highlights widespread public misunderstanding about vaping and health risks. The survey found that 43% of respondents believe exposure to vape aerosol is as harmful as exposure to cigarette smoke, despite this not being supported by the evidence. Only 32% correctly identified the statement as false, while 25% were unsure.

    Almost half (46%) also incorrectly believe vaping involves exposure to more chemicals than smoking. These findings suggest public perceptions are increasingly out of step with the evidence.

    Is secondhand vaping harmful?

    When we talk about public exposure, it’s important to keep the science in perspective. Exhaled vape aerosol generally raises PM₂.₅ levels only slightly above background levels, often in the 1–10 µg/m³ range, and contains no carbon monoxide because there is no combustion. To put this into perspective, many everyday environments generate far higher air-quality impacts:

    • Frying or gas cooking can produce particulate matter₂.₅ peaks above 500 µg/m³
    • Nail salons and beauty products can push particulate levels above 200 µg/m³
    • Urban roadside pollution often ranges 10–50 µg/m³

    Does vaping expose users to more chemicals than smoking?

    No. Cigarette smoke contains around 7,000 chemicals, many of them toxic or carcinogenic. Vape aerosol contains significantly fewer harmful substances and is widely recognised as substantially less harmful than smoking. Claims that vaping exposes users to more chemicals than cigarettes are simply false.

    Should vaping be banned outdoors?

    There is no clear evidence-based justification for broad outdoor vaping bans. Vaping is widely recognised as a lower-risk alternative to smoking and remains one of the most effective tools available to help adults quit cigarettes. Treating vaping like smoking risks sending the wrong message to smokers. If policymakers blur the distinction between the two, they risk reinforcing misinformation, discouraging switching, and undermining tobacco harm reduction. The evidence is clear: vaping is not smoking, and regulating it as though it were is neither scientific nor proportionate.

  • USSTC Moving Facilities from Tennessee to Kentucky

    USSTC Moving Facilities from Tennessee to Kentucky

    U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company LLC announced plans to consolidate manufacturing operations as part of a long-term strategy to modernize production and improve operational efficiency. The Altria subsidiary will gradually transition manufacturing from its 800,000-square-foot Nashville, Tennessee, facility to a new 270,000-square-foot plant to be built on its existing campus in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, with Nashville operations expected to conclude in early 2028. The move is intended to centralize processing, production, and finishing activities for major smokeless tobacco brands, including Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky.

    USSTC said the consolidation is expected to reduce fixed-cost inefficiencies, generate operational savings, and improve manufacturing resilience as market conditions evolve. The company plans to sell its more than 30-acre downtown Nashville campus, which currently employs over 300 workers, while encouraging employees to apply for positions in Hopkinsville or Richmond, Virginia. Employees not relocating will be offered severance and transition support. Hopkinsville, where the company already employs roughly 200 full-time workers, will become the primary production hub for USSTC’s smokeless tobacco operations using tobacco sourced primarily from Tennessee and Kentucky growers.

  • FDA Releases Environmental Review for Oral Nicotine Products

    FDA Releases Environmental Review for Oral Nicotine Products

    Today (May 21), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration published a programmatic environmental assessment covering nicotine pouches and other oral nicotine products reviewed through the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) process. The assessment applies to products categorized as “other,” including nicotine pouches, lozenges, tablets, gums, discs, dissolvable tobacco products, and nicotine-infused products, while excluding traditional smokeless tobacco products such as snus, dip, and chewing tobacco.

    The FDA concluded that the environmental impact of these products is generally minimal, citing the absence of airborne emissions during use and relatively limited environmental contamination from product waste. According to the agency, these products reduce or eliminate secondhand and thirdhand exposure risks compared with combustible products, while the waste generated contains comparatively fewer harmful chemicals that persist or bioaccumulate in the environment.

    The agency said the assessment is intended to support transparency and may be referenced by FDA reviewers evaluating individual product applications. However, the FDA emphasized that authorization decisions will continue to be made on a case-by-case basis based on the specific scientific evidence submitted for each product.

  • NYT Report Draws Attention to RJR Donation and FDA Policy Shift

    NYT Report Draws Attention to RJR Donation and FDA Policy Shift

    Reynolds American is under scrutiny following a The New York Times report linking a $5 million donation to a pro-Donald Trump super PAC with recent shifts in U.S. Food and Drug Administration policy on flavored vaping products. The report said Reynolds executives met with Trump shortly before the FDA issued guidance that could ease market access for certain flavored vape and nicotine pouch products, potentially benefiting major tobacco companies in the growing U.S. e-cigarette market.

    The White House denied any connection between the donations and policy decisions, stating that FDA actions are based on scientific evidence and public health considerations.

  • EU Requests Feedback on New Tobacco Control Rules

    EU Requests Feedback on New Tobacco Control Rules

    The European Commission launched a public consultation on plans to update the EU’s tobacco control framework, reflecting changing market dynamics, evolving consumption trends, and the growing role of digital marketing in nicotine product promotion. The proposed directive aims to strengthen public health protections, improve the functioning of the EU internal market, and support implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in line with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. The feedback period for the initiative runs from May 18 to June 15, and is expected to inform future regulatory changes affecting traditional tobacco products as well as emerging nicotine categories.

  • ITC Posts 32% Increase in Cigarette Revenue

    ITC Posts 32% Increase in Cigarette Revenue

    ITC Limited reported a marginal rise in quarterly adjusted profit as pricing gains in its cigarette business helped offset the impact of higher excise duties and rising input costs. Profit before exceptional items and tax increased 4.3% year-on-year to 66.9 billion rupees ($669.2 million), while total revenue rose 17% to 217 billion rupees ($2.2 billion). Cigarette revenue, which remains the company’s primary earnings driver, climbed about 32% to 110.66 billion rupees ($1.1 billion), supported by price increases across key brands and a shift in product mix.

    The company said profitability was pressured by India’s excise duty hike on cigarettes and higher raw material costs, including edible oil, soap noodles, and packaging inputs, which rose due to supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions linked to the Middle East. Analysts noted that price hikes of 20%–40% across major cigarette brands were not sufficient to fully offset the tax increase, suggesting continued near-term margin pressure despite resilient demand.

    Performance across other segments was mixed, with the consumer goods division posting 15% revenue growth and an improvement in EBITDA margin to 11%, while the agri-business segment declined about 16% amid global trade disruptions affecting commodities such as rice, coffee, and leaf tobacco.

  • Japan Review Raises Questions Over HTP Risks

    Japan Review Raises Questions Over HTP Risks

    Health officials in Japan are reviewing whether to tighten regulations on heated tobacco products (HTPs) after a government panel claimed that some devices may produce higher levels of certain carcinogenic substances than conventional cigarettes. The review, which was led by Takeo Nakayama, an epidemiologist at Kyoto University, examined global scientific studies published between 2010 and 2025, and concluded that HTPs are strongly associated with nicotine dependence and cardiovascular disease, while evidence on risks related to cancer, respiratory illness, pregnancy complications, and secondhand exposure remains limited or inconclusive. Researchers also identified potentially harmful chemicals, including furfural and mercury, in some products.

    The findings are expected to inform a broader policy proposal on passive smoking measures later this year as regulators debate whether existing exemptions for heated tobacco products under Japan’s indoor smoking laws should be reconsidered. Japan remains one of the world’s largest markets for heat-not-burn tobacco products, with HTP users estimated to account for roughly 40% of all nicotine consumers.

  • EU Tobacco Scale Doesn’t Always Add Up

    EU Tobacco Scale Doesn’t Always Add Up

    The latest European Tobacco Control Scale released by public health researchers, ranked Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and France at the top, based on criteria such as taxation policies, broad smoking restrictions, comprehensive advertising bans, and greater investment in cessation and prevention programs. Mid-ranked countries such as Germany and Austria were docked for partial policy coverage across key tobacco control measures, while Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina were at the bottom, criticized for less strict regulations, tobacco industry influence, and not fully investing in World Health Organization best practices.

    However, the ranking does not always correspond directly with smoking prevalence outcomes across Europe. While the U.K. and the Netherlands earned their lofty rankings with smoking rates of 10.6% and 11% respectively, top-ranked Ireland has a smoking rate of 17%, with France checking in at 18.2%, both higher than last-ranked Bosnia and Herzegovina with an estimated smoking rate as low as 15.5% according to the Tobacco Atlas 2025 estimate. Switzerland’s smoking rate is 20%, Austria’s is as high as 21%, while Germany’s is as high as 24%.

  • South Australia Reports Record-Low Smoking, Rising Illicit Concerns

    South Australia Reports Record-Low Smoking, Rising Illicit Concerns

    South Australia reported record-low smoking rates as part of its Tobacco Strategy 2023–2027, with daily smoking falling to 7.5% in 2025 from 10.6% in 2020, according to the latest government progress report. Declines were also recorded among younger adults, middle-aged populations, and people living with mental illness, while the average age of smoking initiation increased to 17 years. State officials credited legislative reforms, public health campaigns, and expanded enforcement efforts for progress, while emphasizing ongoing investment in anti-vaping initiatives and illicit tobacco crackdowns.

    However, the report also highlights significant ongoing challenges for the tobacco and nicotine sector. Rising youth vaping rates remain a concern despite stricter regulations, and authorities estimate illicit tobacco and e-cigarette products now account for roughly 55% of Australia’s total market, underscoring the scale of illegal trade and enforcement difficulties. The government signaled that additional reforms targeting illicit supply chains and organized crime are under consideration, suggesting further regulatory pressure ahead for both legal tobacco and alternative nicotine product markets.