The Canada Border Services Agency said officers at the Point Edward port of entry in Sarnia, Ontario, seized over CAD 4.5 million ($3.2 million) in illegal tobacco and nicotine vapes over a seven-day period. The contraband was reportedly coming across from Port Huron, Michigan, in the United States. The CBSA emphasized that the seizures are part of ongoing measures to prevent illicit products from entering Canada and combat criminal networks, though no additional details were provided.
Category: News This Week
-
22nd Century Debt-Free in Announcing 2025 Results
22nd Century Group, Inc. reported its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results, highlighting strategic growth and a strengthened financial position. The company emphasized expansion of its VLN and Partner VLN product lines, increased retail distribution, and progress toward profitability. CEO Larry Firestone noted that 2025 saw a shift to higher-margin branded products, partnerships with major retailers, and the development of a tobacco harm-reduction category. The company ended 2025 debt-free with $7.1 million in cash and eliminated over $8 million in legacy debt, also receiving a $9.5 million insurance settlement from its 2022 Grass Valley facility fire.
Financially, fourth-quarter net revenues were $3.5 million, down from $4 million in Q3, while net loss improved to $2.8 million versus $3.8 million previously. Adjusted EBITDA loss narrowed to $2.4 million. For the full year, net revenues were $17.6 million, down 28% from 2024, with a net loss of $13.1 million. Product-wise, cigarette sales increased slightly to $2.6 million in Q4, VLN product sales continued to grow with 8,800 cartons shipped, and Pinnacle VLN expanded to nearly 1,500 stores in a top-5 convenience chain.
Looking ahead, 22nd Century plans to expand retail availability, increase consumer awareness, scale VLN distribution globally, and maintain active engagement with FDA regulators and public health stakeholders.
-
Belgium Health Minister Wants EU to Tighten Vape Regs
Belgium’s Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke called on the European Union to tighten regulations on vaping, citing rising health risks and accusing the e-cigarette industry of targeting young people. Speaking during a visit by EU Consumer Protection Commissioner Michael McGrath to Sciensano in Brussels, Vandenbroucke urged stricter EU-wide limits on substances in e-cigarettes, a ban on disposable vapes, and restrictions on flavors, mirroring measures already in place in Belgium and the Netherlands.
McGrath emphasized the scale of the issue and the need for stronger coordination and the use of scientific research across member states. The European Commission is expected to propose updated market surveillance rules later this year.
-
S. Africa Trying to Flip ‘Inadequate’ Illicit Tobacco Response
South Africa’s response to illicit tobacco remains inadequate, with legislative gaps, weak enforcement, and entrenched criminal networks that have been flourishing since the Covid-19 cigarette ban, Stefano Betti of the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade said at the EMEA Security Conference in Cape Town. He said illicit cigarettes may now account for between 50% and 75% of the market, driven largely by local under-declaration of production to evade taxes, creating severe price distortions between legal and illegal products and fueling money laundering risks.
While acknowledging progress such as the creation of the Border Management Authority, efforts by the National Prosecuting Authority, and South Africa’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force grey list, Betti stressed that political commitments must translate into operational results. Echoing the call for stronger action, Kobus Lategan of the South African Police Service said authorities are preparing a large, intelligence-led national operation under direction from Cyril Ramaphosa to target illicit trade and counterfeit goods through coordinated enforcement across agencies and with private-sector support.
-
EG America and RJR’s Reconfigured Planogram Paying Off
EG America’s said its backbar optimization strategy is driving significant results, with modern oral nicotine products achieving double-digit volume growth in 2025 and outpacing industry trends in the segment. Operating more than 1,500 locations, the retailer partnered with R.J. Reynolds to expand its VELO Plus synthetic nicotine pouch line, using analytics and supplier collaboration to optimize space and assortment. By reallocating underperforming areas and adding new facings without disrupting category balance, EG America created a planogram designed for growth, supporting top-selling segments while maintaining overall visibility.
-
Australia Moving to Ban R&D Tax Credits on Tobacco, Gambling
Australia is moving to block tax incentives for research tied to the gambling and tobacco industries under new legislation introduced in the Lower House today (March 25). Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino said the measure would prevent taxpayers from subsidizing research that could worsen addiction and other health harms. The exclusion applies to all types of gambling- and tobacco-related R&D, though a carve-out ensures that studies aimed at harm reduction — such as addiction prevention or cessation strategies — remain eligible for R&D tax offsets.
-
Virginia Enacts ‘Vape Enforcement Act’
Virginia passed the Vape Enforcement Act (House Bill 308 and Senate Bill 620), giving regulators new authority to enforce existing laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco and vaping products to anyone under 21. Oversight of retail sales shifts from the state tax department to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, which will conduct unannounced buyer operations on licensed retailers at least once every 24 months.
Retailers will now require ABC permits to sell tobacco or liquid nicotine products and must maintain detailed records subject to auditing. Penalties for selling to minors include fines escalating from $1,000 for a first offense to $10,000 for a third, along with potential license revocation. The law also targets the sale of unapproved vaping products listed by the Attorney General, imposing fines for noncompliance. Legislators say the measure addresses rising youth vaping rates and ensures enforcement tools are in place to protect public health.
-
JT Takes $710M Dividend, Little Impact on Consolidated Results
Japan Tobacco Inc. announced that its consolidated subsidiary, JT International Holding B.V., will distribute a dividend of approximately JPY 110.1 billion ($710 million) to Japan Tobacco, with receipt planned for March 26. The dividend will be recorded as non-operating income in JT’s non-consolidated financial statements for FY2026, but it is not expected to materially affect the company’s consolidated financial results for the year.
-
Philippines Bust Seizes $23M in Illicit Vape Products
The Philippines Department of Trade and Industry and the Bureau of Customs seized P1.4 billion ($23.3 million) worth of illegal vaporized nicotine products in a warehouse raid in San Rafael Village, Navotas City, confiscating over 3.2 million vape devices and pods along with branded promotional items. The shipments lacked Philippine Standard Licenses and Import Commodity Clearance, violating Republic Act 11900 and related Customs regulations, and are now subject to forfeiture and condemnation proceedings to prevent reentry into the market. Authorities warned that violators may face substantial fines, imprisonment, revocation of licenses, and recall of noncompliant products.
-
Tasmania’s New Bill Aims at Illicit Tobacco, Vapes
Days after retailers called on the government to change tactics that it said were largely ineffective, Tasmania introduced new legislation to crack down on illegal tobacco and vaping products. The Public Health Amendment (Prohibited Tobacco and Other Products) Bill 2026, introduced in Parliament by Health Minister Bridget Archer yesterday (March 24), creates new offences and increases penalties for selling illicit products, grants authorities powers to close non-compliant businesses, bans vending machine sales and public displays of smoking paraphernalia, and strengthens enforcement against sales to minors.
Police Minister Felix Ellis emphasized the need for tough action to prevent organized crime linked to illegal tobacco, while calling for a coordinated national approach to complement Tasmania’s measures.