Category: Featured

  • Tobacco Production up in Bangladesh

    Tobacco Production up in Bangladesh

    Image: Swapan

    Tobacco production is up in Bangladesh’s Lalmonirhat District following last year’s good prices, reports The Financial Express. In 2022, the price of one “mound” of Virginia tobacco leaves was between BDT6,000 ($54.71) and BDT7,000.

    According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, farmers have cultivated tobacco on 7,600 hectares of land in the district this season. Farmers suspect the actual figure is higher, given the prices on offer.

    Critics expressed concerns about the social and environmental impact of tobacco production, citing excessive use of fertilizer and crop protection agents along with the impact on workers’ health.

    “We discourage farmers and tell them about the health risks of family members, but because of the high income, they are interested in tobacco cultivation,” said Hamidur Rahaman, deputy director of the Lalmonirhat Department of Agricultural Extension.

  • New Tobacco Tax Rates in Uzbekistan

    New Tobacco Tax Rates in Uzbekistan

    Photo: Golib Tolibov

    Uzbekistan has indexed excise tax rates for tobacco products for 2024.

    Local tobacco products were indexed by 12 percent, and imports were reduced by 5 percent.

    According to UZ Daily, the new excise rates on cigarettes, cigarillos, bidis and kreteks produced in the country are UZS250,700 ($20.31) per 1,000 pieces plus 10 percent. Import excises on these products are UZS325,000 per 1,000 pieces plus 10 percent. Cigar excises are UZS6,400 per piece. Other tobacco products, such as hookah, smoking tobacco, chewing tobacco, snuff, etc., also have new rates.

  • Oman Bans Shisha and Vaping Products

    Oman Bans Shisha and Vaping Products

    Credit: YTA

    The chairman of the Consumer Protection Authority states that a fine of up to OMR2,000 ($5,196) for multiple violations will be imposed on anyone who trades in e-cigarettes, shisha, and their accessories in the Sultanate of Oman.

    His Excellency Sulayem bin Ali Al-Hakmani issued Ministerial decision No. 756/2023 on Sunday, January 7, 2024, creating the ban, according to media reports.

    Article One stipulates that the circulation of e-cigarettes, shisha, and their accessories is prohibited.

    Article Two states that, “without prejudice to the penal penalties stipulated in the aforementioned Consumer Protection Law, an administrative fine not exceeding OMR1,000 shall be imposed on anyone who violates the provisions of this decision, and the fine shall be doubled in the event of a repeat violation.

    shisha hookah
    Credit: Helga Bragina

    “If this violation continues, an administrative fine of OMR 50 will be imposed for each day that the violation continues, provided that its total does not exceed OMR 2,000. The seized quantities of electronic cigarettes, shishas, ​​and their accessories will be destroyed in accordance with the controls in force at the Consumer Protection Authority.”

    The new bill also repealed an earlier Resolution (No. 698/2015), as well as any laws or rules that contravene the current resolution or conflict with its provisions.

    It also stipulates that the decision “shall be published in the Official Gazette, and shall be effective from the day following the date of its publication.”

  • Cuba Pushing Renewable Energy

    Cuba Pushing Renewable Energy

    TabaCuba the state-run arm of Cuban cigar production, announced that it would increase its use of renewable energy sources in several of its facilities in Pinar del Rio, Cuba’s largest tobacco leaf-producing province.

    All tobacco export factories should have this type of equipment in the first half of this year, TabaCuba’s president, Marino Murillo, told the Cuban News Agency.

    Artemisa, Villa Clara and the westernmost territory already have the type of equipment to increase productivity.

    According to the official, pre-industrial processes and irrigation to save energy carriers with submersible pumps are the priority.

    He also stated that they are betting on renewable energy sources so that the productive processes do not stop in the event of an interruption of electricity services.

  • Freebase Nicotine Safer than Salts: Study

    Freebase Nicotine Safer than Salts: Study

    A new University of Louisville study shows the nicotine in certain types of electronic cigarettes can increase the risk for an irregular heartbeat, according to a press release.

    Tests in mice showed that nicotine salts used in pod-based e-cigarettes led to heart arrhythmias and could trigger a fight-or-flight response in higher doses.

    “This suggests the nicotine is harmful to the heart and counters popular claims that the nicotine itself is harmless,” Alex Carll, an assistant professor in UofL’s Department of Physiology who led the study, said in a news release Thursday. “Our findings provide new evidence that nicotine type and concentration modify the adverse cardiovascular effects of e-cigarette aerosols, which may have important regulatory implications.”

    Researchers state that regulating nicotine salts could help mitigate the health risks of vaping.

    The research also suggests choosing e-cigarettes with freebase nicotine instead of nicotine salts, or using e-cigarettes with a lower nicotine content could reduce the risk of harm.

  • Copperman to Lead Cigar Rights of America

    Copperman to Lead Cigar Rights of America

    Credit: Thapana Studio

    The Cigar Rights of America (CRA), a cigar industry trade group, announced the promotion of Mike Copperman to executive director.

    Copperman, who serves as director of legislative and regulatory affairs, has been with the organization since 2011. Before that, he owned Bethesda Tobacco in Bethesda, MD, and once served on the board of the IPCPR, the organization now known as the Premium Cigar Association.

    He will continue to serve as director of legislative and regulatory affairs while also serving as executive director.

    “We are thrilled to welcome Mike as the new executive director of CRA. His wealth of experience and dedication to our cause make him the ideal leader to advance our mission and navigate the evolving landscape of premium cigar advocacy,” said Robert Levin, president of CRA and owner of Holt’s/Ashton, in a press release.

    The CRA’s executive director role has remained vacant for three years following the departure of Glynn Loope in late 2020.

  • Number of U.K. Vape Shops Up in 2023

    Number of U.K. Vape Shops Up in 2023

    Photo: VPZ

    The number of vape shops in the United Kingdom increased significantly last year, according to a reports in The Independent citing a survey by the Local Data Co. (LDC).

    The country currently has 3,573 specialist vape shops, 233 more than at the start of 2023. This compares with an increase of 61 shops in 2022 and a decline of 23 in 2020.

    The LCD figures exclude the numerous convenience stores, post office shops and news agents that also stock e-cigarettes and related products.

    Sales of vape products grew by £897.4 million ($1.14 billion) in 2023, according to data published by NIQ and trade The Grocer.

    The fastest growing vape brand in the U.K. was Lost Mary, which saw its sales grow by £310 million over 2022.

    The market for traditional tobacco products contracted in 2023. Sales of cigarettes and loose tobacco declined £849.1 million and £393.1 million, respectively.

    Keen to crack down on youth vaping, the government recently announced a consultation on how to protect children while encouraging adults to use e-cigarettes to quit.

    Its suggestions include restricting flavors and product descriptions that may be appealing to underage consumers, along with rules on how products are presented in stores.

    Jonne Dunne, director general of the U.K. Vaping Industry Association, said the rise in the number of specialist vape shops reflects the growing demand from smokers wanting to quit their cigarette habit.

    “Vapes are proven to be the most effective way for smokers to quit,” he was quoted as saying, adding that e-cigarettes are helping around 50,000 more smokers beat their habit every year.

  • Illegal Vapes Continue Flooding U.S. Ports

    Illegal Vapes Continue Flooding U.S. Ports

    Photo: Katie Chizhevskaya

    Thousands of unauthorized flavored vapes continue entering the U.S. from China, reports the Los Angeles Times, citing government and industry data.

    More than 11,500 unique vaping products are being sold in U.S. stores, up 27 percent from 9,000 products in June, according to Circana data reviewed by the Associated Press. The products generated $3.2 billion in the first 11 months of 2023. Nearly all the new products are single-use e-cigarettes.

    In December, federal agents seized more than 1.4 million illegal e-cigarettes, valued at $18 million, at Los Angeles International Airport. The illicit vapes were mislabeled as shoes, toys and other items.

    While the number of confiscations has been growing, they represent only a fraction of the unauthorized products slipping through.

    The FDA has authorized a handful of e-cigarettes for adult smokers and is still reviewing products from several major companies, including  former market leader Juul. Regulators consider nearly all other e-cigarettes to be illegal.

    The authorized tobacco-flavored products are not popular, however. Their combined sales were just $174 million, or 2.4 percent of the vaping marketplace, according to Circana.

    “Nobody wants them,” a Michigan shop owner was quoted as saying. “If people wanted them, they’d be on the shelves, and they’re not.”

  • Altria Well-Placed for 2024: Zacks

    Altria Well-Placed for 2024: Zacks

    Image: Photo: Casimiro

    Despite changing consumer preferences and macroeconomic uncertainties, Altria Group is well positioned to navigate the market’s complexities in 2024, according to Zacks Investment Research.

    According to the financial firm, Altria Group owes its resilience in part to its strong pricing power, which allows the tobacco manufacturer to offset lower shipment volumes with higher earnings per pack.

    Altria Group’s investments in reduced-risk products, such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, meanwhile, are enabling the company to capitalize on new market trends.

    What’s more, the acquisition of Njoy has given Altria Group access to some of the few vapor products that have been authorized for sale on the U.S. market by the Food and Drug Administration.

    Altria Group expects U.S. smoke-free volumes to grow by at least 35 percent through 2028 from the 2022 level of 800 million units.

  • Cash to ‘Marginalized’ Philippine Growers

    Cash to ‘Marginalized’ Philippine Growers

    Photo: Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Co.

    The Philippines’ National Tobacco Board (NTA) has allocated about PHP17 million ($306,077) to assist marginalized tobacco growers in Ilocos Norte, reports the Philippine New Agency.

    At least 160 beneficiaries from the towns of Pinili, Batac and Badoc received their respective PHP6,000 grant on Thursday. The next distribution will continue until all the target recipients have received their cash assistance.

    The grant targets growers who are tilling lots of 0.5 hectare and below to reduce their production cost. The assistance will cover the cost of fertilizers, crop protection agents, seedlings, suckercides, land preparation, gas and oil, fuelwood and labor.

    Tobacco-growing provinces and municipalities in the Philippines collect their share from tobacco excise tax collections based on the volume of leaves produced by their local tobacco growers.

    The NTA also provides assistance for rice production, improved tobacco seedlings production and beef cattle production.