Category: Featured

Flavors Help Smokers Quit

Image: Tobacco Reporter archive
People are more likely to quit smoking combustible cigarettes by vaping if they receive help choosing the right flavor, plus supportive messages, according to new research reported by Filter.
The journal Addiction recently published a study conducted by London South Bank University (LSBU) that involved 1,214 eligible participants who were heavy smokers and expressed interest in quitting by using vapes. The researchers recruited these participants through social media.
They then tested five remote interventions aimed at helping people switch—mostly online surveys that produced recommendations based on individual responses. The interventions were “tailored device selection advice; tailored e-liquid nicotine strength advice; tailored e-liquid flavor advice; brief information on relative harms; and text message (SMS) support.”
“Simple tailored advice on selecting a flavor along with supportive text messages could increase quit rates by 55 percent,” said Lynne Dawkins, professor of nicotine and tobacco studies at LSBU and one of the study authors.
By offering different groups of participants different interventions (including all or none of them), the study sought to determine which combination was most effective.
“In the adjusted model,” the researchers concluded, “the only significant interaction was a two-way interaction, advice on flavor combined with text message support, which increased the odds of abstinence [from cigarettes].”
August 14, 2023
New Hungarian Rules May Backfire

Image: Tobacco Reporter archive
Proposed amendments to Hungary’s rules on e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches may hinder access to safer alternatives for smokers, according to the World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA).
“While it’s important to ensure the safety and proper labeling of nicotine products, it’s equally crucial to avoid excessive regulation that could impede the availability of harm reduction products for smokers looking to transition away from combustible cigarettes,” said WVA Director Michael Landl in a statement.
The proposed amendments, with a maximum nicotine content of 17 mg per consumption unit, reflect an approach that may inadvertently limit the appeal of nicotine pouches to smokers seeking alternatives, according to critics.
“Moreover, the WVA expresses concerns about the potential implications of the draft decree’s proposed modifications to vaping product regulations,” the organization wrote. “The amendments, which target unit packet definitions, nicotine amounts and labeling requirements, could impose unwarranted restrictions on vaping products. While addressing health concerns is important, the proposed changes should be carefully evaluated to ensure they do not deter smokers from adopting less harmful alternatives.”
Whilst health and safety standards are crucial, regulations should be crafted with a balanced approach that considers both consumer health and the potential of these products to save lives, according to Landl.
“We encourage the Hungarian government to start accepting reality: harm reduction works. This year, Sweden is becoming the first smoke-free country due to a consumer-friendly harm reduction approach,” he said. “It is high time to learn from the Swedish experience and thereby save thousands of Hungarian lives. With a smart harm reduction approach, Hungary can become smoke-free.”
August 14, 2023
Zim Drops Offshore Funding Requirement

Photo: Taco Tuinstra
Tobacco merchants operating in Zimbabwe will no longer have to source offshore the financing to support the production and buying of green leaf from contracted farmers, reports The Herald, citing an announcement by Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor John Mangudya.
The change is expected to boost funding of tobacco using local money and is in line with the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan, which seeks to raise localization of tobacco funding to 70 percent by 2025 to keep more value in Zimbabwe.
Previously, merchants who failed to secure offshore financing were required to apply to the RBZ for authority to raise money on the local market.
Currently About 95 percent of Zimbabwean tobacco production is financed using offshore loans under contract farming. The offshore pre-financing arrangement means tobacco merchants bring into the country part of export proceeds in the form of inputs. After exports, the bulk of the export proceeds are used to pay offshore loans.
However, some stakeholders in the industry suspect the costs of inputs have in many cases been inflated, increasing foreign obligation and reducing export earnings.
Indigenous merchants welcomed the RZB move. “This makes life easier for local merchants,” an executive with a local tobacco company was quoted as saying. “Seeking a special dispensation from the central bank to source local funding created a regulatory impediment for local players to jump through.
Terrence Ngarwe, a Harare-based agriculture economist, said the new policy measure would see the country retaining more value from tobacco. “By having tobacco funded with local money, it means more money stays in the country,” said Ngarwe.
While Zimbabwe Farmers Union Executive Director Paul Zakariya applauded the new rules, he urged the industry to move away from contract farming and boost the domestic processing and manufacturing capacity.
“The financing mechanism through contract is not viable even if we are to fund tobacco using local money,” said Zakariya. “We need to alter the whole production environment to an extent that farmers can be self-financed and get loans from the banks and sell tobacco at the auction.”
Zimbabwe produced a record 295 million kg of tobacco this season, due to favorable weather conditions, improved agronomic practices and better funding packages by merchants, according to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board.
August 14, 2023
Cautious Welcome for U.K. Insert Proposal
Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive
Smokers’ rights campaigners have given a cautious welcome to a U.K. government proposal to add pack inserts to tobacco products to encourage more smokers to quit.
On August 14, the British government launched a consultation on a proposal the plan, which calls for adding leaflets inside cigarette packs to encourage smokers to quit, telling them they could enhance their life expectance and save lots of money if they abandon smoking.
Tobacco-related harms are estimated to cost British taxpayers an estimated £18 billion every year, including over £1.72 billion in costs to the state-funded National Health Service.
SImon Clark
“If the inserts provide constructive information about quitting there is some merit in the idea,” said Simon Clark, director of the smokers’ group Forest.
“For example, inserting information about reduced risk products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches would make a lot of sense.
“Targeting consumers with more anti-smoking messages, which are on the pack already, risks warning fatigue and won’t work.”
While welcoming the proposal in principle, Clark expressed concern about who would bear the expense of adding the inserts. “If the cost is passed on to consumers, who already pay punitive rates of taxation on tobacco, it may be counterproductive because more smokers will switch to illicit tobacco products that won’t have inserts added,” he said.
The pack inserts envisioned by the British government are already used in Canada, Australia and Israel, among other countries.
August 14, 2023
McKinney Regulatory Science’s New Website

McKinney Regulatory Science Advisors has launch its new website that promises “a new era of innovation and transparency for their clients,” according to a press release.
The new platform describes an array of advisory services to nicotine and cannabis clients, with an emphasis on providing McKinney clients with the best available regulatory services.
Willie McKinney, CEO of McKinney, said the new website represents a significant milestone in journey to provide exceptional advisory services to our nicotine and cannabis clients.
“The revamped platform reflects our dedication to innovation, transparency, and client satisfaction, making it easier for clients to explore our services and access valuable regulatory resources,” he said
The new website offers a modern design that makes it easy for users to find the information they need quickly. It also features an intuitive navigation system that allows users to identify relevant services and access helpful resources rapidly, according to McKinney. Additionally, the site is optimized for mobile devices so that users can access the site from any device at any time.
“McKinney RSA focuses on providing comprehensive solutions that meet complex regulatory requirements while also delivering superior customer service,” the release states. “With decades of industry experience under their belt, they are committed to helping their clients succeed by providing top-notch guidance every step of the way.”
August 14, 2023
22nd Century Reports Second Quarter Results

Photo: chechotkin
22nd Century Group’ second quarter 2023 net revenues increased 62 percent to $23.4 million. Revenue from tobacco-related products was $8.1 million, reflecting the company’s transition away from low margin filtered cigar products to focus production and capacity on higher margin products, such as VLN and Pinnacle. Revenue from hemp/cannabis-related products was $15.4 million, as volumes continued to increase on share gains.
Gross profit for the second quarter of 2023 was minus $2.3 million as compared to $0.9 million in the prior year period. Gross profit from tobacco-related products was minus $1 million, reflecting a lower margin product mix.
Gross profit from hemp/cannabis-related products was minus $1.4 million, reflecting the final quarter of primarily ingredient trading activity due to a November 2022 plant fire. 22nd Century says it is restarting production of its ingredients at new facilities.

Our focus remains transformation from a primary emphasis on R&D to a fully commercial enterprise providing innovative harm reduction and consumer health and wellness products.
John Miller, interim CEO, 22nd Century
“Our focus in 2023 remains 22nd Century’s transformation from a primary emphasis on research and development to a fully commercial enterprise providing innovative harm reduction and consumer health and wellness products to key end markets,” said interim CEO John Miller in a statement.”
“We have now significantly advanced our commercialization plan for VLN sales across targeted states, 14 of which are now in place and two more states scheduled in September with a new drug store customer, a diversified hemp/cannabis ingredients and distribution business and a robust license and distribution business in both tobacco and hemp/cannabis.
“Following an initial delay in our commercial plans earlier this year, which are common on retail launches, we have now substantially expanded the availability of our FDA-authorized, reduced nicotine- content cigarettes VLN—a tobacco harm reduction product unlike any other.
“We are also implementing programs intended to reduce our operating costs by at least $15 million on an annualized basis.”
August 14, 2023
Eastern Boosts Production to Cigarette End Shortage
Egypt’s Eastern Co. will provide 50 million more cigarettes daily starting Aug. 13, 2023, to alleviate the prevailing cigarette crisis, reports Ahram Online.
The company will increase the number of cigarettes in the market to 150 million per day, up from 100 million cigarettes, Eastern Co.’s Managing Director and CEO Hany Aman was quoted as saying.
Tobacco prices have surged recently on the black market amid a shortage of supply in the market.
Aman said that by boosting supply in the market, the company aims to control unjustified price hikes and curb speculative practices by some traders, who began to stockpile cigarettes after they heard of a new cigarette taxation legislation.
The MD expected cigarette prices to return to normal within three to four weeks following the production increase.
Fakhry El-Fiqi MP, who heads the Planning and Budget Committee in the House of Representatives, recently said that the committee will discuss a new cigarette taxation law at the beginning of the fourth legislative session in October.
According to Eastern Co., Egyptians spent EGP17 billion ($550.15 million) cigarettes during the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
August 12, 2023
Warnings for Unauthorized Smokeless Products

Image: calypso77
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent a warning letter to Amarillo Snuff Co. on Aug. 11, 2023, for manufacturing, selling and/or distributing unauthorized smokeless nicotine products, including products that are made with corn husks instead of tobacco leaves, according to an FDA release.
The unauthorized products contain nontobacco nicotine, which falls under the FDA’s regulation authority.
“Last year, Congress clarified FDA’s authority to regulate tobacco products containing nicotine from any source, which closed a loophole that several companies were using to try to evade regulation,” said Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). “Our authority over these products is clear, and FDA is committed to holding those responsible for illegal products accountable for their actions.”
The cited products lack FDA marketing authorization. To date, the FDA has not authorized any nontobacco nicotine products.
After receiving a warning letter, recipients have 15 working days to respond with steps they will take to correct and prevent future violations; failure to promptly correct violations can result in additional FDA actions such as injunction, seizure and/or civil money penalties.
“A majority of firms that receive warning letters correct their violations, but if they fail to do so, the products are subject to enforcement,” said Ann Simoneau, director of the CTP’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement. “FDA continues to bring enforcement actions, including injunctions and civil money penalties, as appropriate.”
As of July 28, 2023, the FDA has issued about 600 warning letters to manufacturers of unauthorized tobacco products, with 100 of the letters being for unauthorized nontobacco nicotine products. As of June 30, 2023, the FDA has issued more than 2,800 warning letters and 825 civil money penalties for sales of e-cigarettes to underage purchasers, with over 1,000 warning letters and more than 140 civil money penalties relating to sales violations of nontobacco nicotine products to underage consumers.
August 11, 2023
Japan: Smoking Rates Continue to Decline

Image: kapinon
Smoking rates for men and women in Japan continued to decline in 2022, according to health ministry survey data, reports Kyodo News.
The male smoking rate fell 3.4 percentage points compared to 2019 data, and the female smoking rate fell 1.1 percentage points.
The survey classified smokers as respondents who said they either “smoke every day” or “sometimes have days where I smoke.” The rate of tobacco use was highest among men in their 40s (34.6 percent) followed by men in their 50s (32.6 percent) and men in their 30s (29.9 percent). The rate of tobacco use among women was highest for those in their 50s (12 percent) followed by those in their 40s (11.6 percent) and those in their 30s (9 percent). Almost all age groups showed a drop in usage from the 2019 data.
In April 2020, the revised health promotion law came into effect in Japan, banning smoking indoors at many locations and requiring businesses that allow indoor smoking to install separate spaces for smokers.
August 11, 2023
Tobacco Used to for Cancer Antibodies

Photo: Baiya Phytopharm
Thailand researchers have successfully used tobacco plants to develop antibodies that have inhibitory effects on the growth of cancer cells in laboratory animals, according to News-Medical.
“Our research team has developed the technology and system to produce plant proteins to make antibody drugs, with the hope to help reduce the cost of drug production so that cancer patients in the country can access drugs more easily and widely,” said Waranyoo Phoolcharoen, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Chulalongkorn University, where the research is taking place.
The potential of the research was recognized with a 2023 research award from the National Research Council of Thailand.
The researchers are using an Australian species of Nicotiana benthamiana.
“We use plants as factories to produce the proteins we need,” said Phoolcharoen. “We insert antibody-producing genes into tobacco plants in order for the tobacco plants to produce the antibodies (drugs) we need. The extracted protein (antibody) is then purified. We found that the antibodies produced by the plants can bind to proteins on the surface of immune cells.”
“The antibodies that the research team produced from plants can inhibit the growth of cancer cells in laboratory animals,” Phoolcharoen said. “The size of the tumor cells in mice decreased. This ability to make cells shrink in size is comparable to that of the drugs used in the market.”
The next steps in the research are testing for safety and toxicity and studying the structure of the drug.
“If this research is successful, we will be able to produce our own medicines locally, reducing the cost of drug production and lowering medicinal expenses. More people will then have access to cancer medicines,” said Phoolcharoen.
The technology used in this research could also be used to produce antibodies to develop drugs or vaccines for many other diseases.
Phoolcharoen has also been involved in a venture to produce a Covid-19 vaccine using tobacco plants.
August 11, 2023