Category: Featured

  • BAT to Launch Synthetic Nicotine Pouch in the U.S.

    BAT to Launch Synthetic Nicotine Pouch in the U.S.

    Photo: Andrii

    BAT will launch a new version of its Velo pouches using synthetic nicotine in the United States next year, reports Reuters.

    Made in a laboratory rather than derived from tobacco leaves, synthetic nicotine has gained popularity among manufacturers recently as a means to avoid the Food and Drug Administration’s lengthy and cumbersome tobacco product authorization process.

    While the FDA initially had authority only over naturally occurring nicotine, President Joe Biden in March 2022 signed into law a bill that extended the agency remit to synthetic nicotine. BAT’s launch would mark the first time a major tobacco company introduces a synthetic nicotine product in the U.S., according to Reuters. To date, synthetic nicotine has been used primarily by smaller manufacturers of vapes or pouches.

    David Waterfield, president of BAT’s Reynolds American subsidiary, said that the product’s previous owner submitted a premarket tobacco product application before the May 2022 deadline, meaning it can stay on the market while its application is pending, Waterfield said.

    The FDA, however, told Reuters that a pending application is insufficient for a synthetic nicotine product to be sold in the U.S. Products on the market without FDA authorization, the agency added, may be subject to enforcement.

    BAT expects U.S. nicotine pouch industry revenues to grow from £1.7 billion ($2.21 billion) today to up to £7 billion by 2030.

  • US Youth Tobacco Use at 25-Year Low

    US Youth Tobacco Use at 25-Year Low

    Photo: ViDi Studio

    Current tobacco product use among U.S. middle school and high school students has dropped to the lowest recorded level in 25 years, according to newly released data from the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS). Within the past year alone, at least half a million fewer students are using tobacco products, contributing to this important progress.

    In 2024, 2.25 million middle school and high school students reported current use (use on one or more days during the past 30 days) of any tobacco product compared to 2.80 million in 2023. This decline was largely attributable to the significant drop in the number of students who reported current e-cigarette use (2.13 million youth in 2023 compared to 1.63 million youth in 2024).

    Within the past year, a significant decline also occurred in current hookah use (290,000 in 2023 compared to 190,000 in 2024). Cigarette smoking reached the lowest level ever recorded by the survey, with only 1.4 percent of students reporting current use in 2024.

    “Reaching a 25-year low for youth tobacco product use is an extraordinary milestone for public health. However, with more than 2 million youth using tobacco products and certain groups not experiencing declines in use, our mission is far from complete,” said Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health, in a statement. “We must remain committed to public health efforts to ensure all youth can live healthy, tobacco-free lives.”

    We’re headed in the right direction when it comes to reducing tobacco product use among our nation’s youth. But we can’t take our foot off the gas.

    The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration analyzed NYTS data to assess the use of nine tobacco products among U.S. middle school (grades 6–8) and high school (grades 9–12) students. Detailed information on use of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches from the 2024 NYTS was recently published. The most recent release provides further data from the survey, including findings on other types of tobacco product use and detailed breakdowns of tobacco product use by school level, sex, race and ethnicity.

    Youth e-cigarette use declined to the lowest level in a decade; however, for the 11th year in a row, e-cigarettes remained the most commonly used tobacco product (5.9 percent) among youth who reported current tobacco product use. In 2024, nicotine pouches became the second most commonly used tobacco product among youth (1.8 percent), followed by cigarettes (1.4 percent), cigars (1.2 percent), smokeless tobacco (1.2 percent), other oral nicotine products (1.2 percent), heated-tobacco products (0.8 percent), hookah (0.7 percent) and pipe tobacco (0.5 percent).

    The report also found varying progress across population groups. For example, during 2023–2024, current use of any tobacco product, e-cigarettes and multiple tobacco products all significantly declined among female students, and current use of any tobacco product, e-cigarettes, cigars, hookah and multiple tobacco products declined among Hispanic students. In contrast, during 2023–2024, current use of any tobacco product, e-cigarettes, oral nicotine products, any combustible tobacco product and multiple tobacco products all increased among American Indian or Alaska Native students, and current use of nicotine pouches increased among white students. No significant changes occurred in current use of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, heated-tobacco products and pipe tobacco for all assessed races and ethnic groups.

    “We’re headed in the right direction when it comes to reducing tobacco product use among our nation’s youth,” said Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “But we can’t take our foot off the gas. Continued vigilance is needed to continue to reduce all forms of tobacco product use among youth. Addressing disparities remains an essential part of these efforts to ensure that we don’t leave anyone behind.”

  • Skin Tone May Impact Effectiveness of Patches

    Skin Tone May Impact Effectiveness of Patches

    Photo: Andrey Popov

    Nicotine patches may be less effective in people with darker skin tones, reports Bloomberg, citing research from the University of California, Riverside.

    Writing in the journal Human Genomics, the scientists noted that eumelanin, a substance associated with darker skin tones, naturally binds to nicotine. This means that nicotine could accumulate at much higher levels in Black people’s skin.

    This has implications for understanding nicotine addiction as well as smoking cessation efforts, particularly those relying on nicotine patches. The patches, which people typically stick to their arms or chest, are supposed to supply a steady flow of nicotine throughout the day to help reduce cravings. But if eumelanin’s affinity for nicotine impacts that flow, it could mean people with darker skin will have a harder time quitting.

    In 2022, about 30 percent of people who wanted to quit with a cessation aid used patches, according to the National Institutes of Health. Only 5 percent of Black smokers in the U.S. successfully quit cigarettes each year compared with 7.6 percent for the overall population.

  • CORESTA Concludes

    CORESTA Concludes

    Photos: BAT

    The Cooperation Centre for Scientific Research Relative to Tobacco (CORESTA) concluded its 2024 congress today.

    Hosted by BAT at the Edinburgh International Convention Centre, the congress opened Oct. 13 with 500 delegates, world-leading experts from member and nonmember organizations from more than 30 countries, attending. The theme was “Advancing Tobacco Harm Reduction Through Scientific Collaboration.”

    According to BAT, the event facilitated international dialogue on best practices in scientific research related to tobacco and nicotine alongside highlighting research findings and outcomes from CORESTA members.

    Danni Tower, group head of science and regulatory affairs at BAT, delivered the opening keynote speech, outlining the progress BAT has made in driving forward the tobacco harm reduction agenda. Tower called for more effective scientific collaboration in critical areas.

    All public health agencies, including WHO, should engage with CORESTA scientists to accelerate change.

    “The CORESTA Congress demonstrates the importance of collaboration amongst the entire scientific community to fully realize the public health opportunity of tobacco harm reduction,” said Tower in a statement. “We are proud to have hosted such an important event and strongly believe that positive global change is possible if all stakeholders recognize the potential of THR.

    “To achieve this, more open conversations like those we have had this week are needed across the scientific and regulatory landscape, which is why we have recently launched Omni—Forward Thinking for a Smokeless World—an open, evidence-based platform built on leading scientific research.”

    “Presentations at CORESTA demonstrated scientific advances underway in using new approaches to accelerate tobacco harm reduction,” said keynote speaker Derek Yach. “These extend from the use of genomics in agricultural sciences to the development of biomarkers in actual use studies and the application of AI tools to advance our knowledge of causes and effectiveness of interventions. All public health agencies, including WHO, should engage with CORESTA scientists to accelerate change.”

  • Philippines Urged to Regulate Flavors

    Philippines Urged to Regulate Flavors

    Photo: Borgwaldt Flavors

    Researchers urged the Philippine government to regulate flavored tobacco and mandate plain packaging, citing the country’s obligation as a signatory to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, reports The Manila Times.

    “Historically, tobacco companies have used flavoring agents to enhance the appeal of tobacco consumption, encourage initiation and experimentation of tobacco use, and sustain tobacco use,” researchers of the Ateneo de Manila University were quoted as saying. 

    “However, the Philippines currently does not regulate flavored tobacco products, despite the increasing market shares of flavored tobacco products and novel technologies, such as crushable capsules.”

    In a recent study of 106 cigarette and cigar products, only 62 turned out to have flavor descriptors.

  • Taxpayer Group Files Amicus Brief

    Taxpayer Group Files Amicus Brief

    Image: hafakot

    The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) submitted an amicus curiae brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the Wages and White Lion Investments case, challenging the Food and Drug Administration’s regulation of e-cigarettes under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA). The TPA argues that the FDA’s actions have been arbitrary, capricious and detrimental to public health.

    The brief contends that the TCA’s standard for determining what is “appropriate for the protection of the public health” is unconstitutionally vague, providing insufficient guidance to regulated entities and delegating excessive authority to the FDA. This vagueness has led to unpredictable enforcement, adversely affecting both taxpayers and adults who smoke and are seeking safer alternatives to conventional cigarettes.

    Furthermore, the TPA criticizes the FDA for failing to recognize the significant benefits of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool, as acknowledged by leading health organizations such as Public Health England. According to the TPA, the TCA is clear on the need for the FDA to consider the impact of e-cigarettes on smoking cessation, yet the agency has abjectly failed to undertake this analysis. The TPA highlights the FDA’s stringent regulatory approach and high denial rates for new e-cigarette products, which the group says stifle market diversity and limit consumer choice, particularly harming adults who smoke and who might benefit from less harmful alternatives.

    The TPA also notes the FDA’s disregard for market realities and consumer preferences, particularly the benefits of open-system e-cigarettes that allow for customization and have been shown to be more effective for quitting smoking.

    The TPA urges the Supreme Court to uphold the 5th Circuit’s decision, affirming that the FDA’s regulatory approach under the TCA is arbitrary and capricious and violates due process. The TPA calls for a regulatory framework that adequately considers the benefits of e-cigarettes and gives regulated parties fair notice of how their products will be evaluated.

  • Maldives to Raise Tobacco Import Duties

    Maldives to Raise Tobacco Import Duties

    Image: RODWORKS

    The Maldives will raise the import duty on tobacco products from MVR3 ($0.19) to MVR8 from November onward, reports The Edition.

    In a post on social media platform X, President Mohamed Muizzu announced several actions to discourage the use of tobacco products. In addition to raising import duties, the government will increase its ad valorem take from tobacco products by 50 percent and ban smoking in public places.

    Earlier this week, the president announced that a ban on the import, sale, distribution, advertising and use of vapes would take effect in November.

  • U.S. States Fail to Harness Vaping’s Potential: Report

    U.S. States Fail to Harness Vaping’s Potential: Report

    Photo: pavelkant

    The Consumer Choice Center has released its second U.S. State Vaping Index, which looks at 50 states plus the District of Columbia. It reveals that only three states, including Alaska, North Dakota and Tennessee, received an A+ in the study for an evidence-based approach to vaping policy.  

    This rating means these states are in a position to harness the enormous potential of vaping as a harm-reduction tool while still letting consumers choose for themselves. Other states that perform well are Arizona, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. 

    By contrast, 12 states have overwhelmingly embraced restrictive policies on vapers and vaping, including Utah (0 points), California (second to last at 5 points), Vermont (10 points), Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Nebraska, Massachusetts, Illinois, Hawaii, D.C. and Colorado (all at 15 points). The number of low scores has doubled since the 2020 edition of the Vaping Index

    “Vaping saves lives,” said Emil Panzaru, research director for the Consumer Choice Center. “If every smoker in the United States switched to vaping over 10 years, you’d have 6.6 million fewer premature deaths in the U.S.

    “Unfortunately, policymakers across America do not recognize that vaping is a valid harm-reduction substitute for traditional combustible tobacco products. Vapes are often mistakenly referred to as tobacco products, and in turn, targeted with draconian flavor bans, taxed higher than cigarettes, subject to registries meant to gatekeep the products, and faced with bans on online sales.

    “These policies deter consumers from switching away from the more dangerous habit of smoking and fuel black markets for vape products. The end result is a patchwork of state laws at odds with the most up-to-date public health practices from around the world.”

    The purpose of the U.S. Vaping Index is to inform consumers about vaping policies in their area and highlight the need for more informed and level-headed lawmaking. The Consumer Choice Center weighed five factors in the index:

    1) Whether the state considers vapes to be tobacco products;

    2) State-level vaping flavor restrictions;

    3) Requirements for state registries (which mirror the FDA-approved database);

    4) Additional excise taxes on vaping; and

    5) The presence or absence of online sales bans.

    “Let’s set the empirical record straight,” said Panzaru. “The best available research by authorities such as Public Health England recognizes that vaping is 95 percent safer than combustible tobacco for users. Evidence in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that vaping is twice as effective at smoking cessation than any nicotine tablet, patch or spray at helping people quit smoking. 

    “What’s more, a review of 15 different studies found little evidence of a supposed gateway effect leading teens down the path from vaping to smoking or hard substances.”

    “Rather than embracing policies that ignore the evidence and do not work, state authorities should commit to studying and learning from the example of Sweden, the first country to become smoke-free in Europe thanks to the research-driven recognition of vapes as harm-reduction tools,” Panzaru concluded. 

  • KT&G Remains Committed to Ginseng Business

    KT&G Remains Committed to Ginseng Business

    Photo: KT&G

    The Ginseng business remains a key part of KT&G’s plan for growth, the South Korean cigarette manufacturer said after receiving a bid for its Korea Ginseng Corp. (KGC) unit.

    On Oct. 13, Singapore-based activist fund Flashlight Capital Partners offered nearly KRW2 trillion ($1.47 billion) for KGC, which is 50 percent higher than the enterprise value analyst estimates mentioned at KT&G’s 2023 investor day.

    Flashlight Capital Partners believes that KT&G significantly undervalues its ginseng business and that the ginseng-tobacco pairing does not work.

    According to The Korea Herald, KT&G called Flashlight’s bid a “unilateral” offer. “The acquisition offer was unilaterally released without any discussion with the company,” KT&G wrote in a statement on Oct. 14. “We will look into the letter of intent sufficiently.”

    In the announcement, however, KT&G also stressed that KGC is a key part of its plan to nurture future growth drivers. It said it will put in all efforts to achieve the goals set under a mid-term business plan released last year.

    The plan, announced in January 2023, involves bolstering its investment and sales in three key areas: next-generation nicotine products, overseas businesses and KGC health supplement products.

    The activist fund has been pressuring KT&G to spin off its ginseng unit since 2022, citing low performance and undervaluation. KT&G’s board has argued that a spinoff may lead to a loss of synergy for both KT&G and KGC.

  • BAT Hosts Capital Markets Day

    BAT Hosts Capital Markets Day

    Photo: BAT

    BAT hosted a capital markets day for institutional investors and analysts at its Innovation Centre in Southampton, U.K., Oct. 16.

    During the event, CEO Tadeu Marroco and Chief Financial Officer Soraya Benchikh provided further details on the company’s transformation journey. BAT aims to become a predominantly smokeless business by 2035 by providing smokers with access to a wide range of smokeless products.

    According to BAT, the goal of the capital markets day was to demonstrate how the company’s science, innovation, breadth of capabilities and people can combine to achieve a smokeless world and deliver long-term sustainable value for all its stakeholders.

    In an announcement, the company said it remains on track to deliver low-single-digit organic revenue and adjusted profit from operations growth in 2024. It plans to progressively improve its delivery to 3 percent to 5 percent organic revenue growth and mid-single-figure adjusted profit from operations growth on an organic, constant currency basis by 2026.