Category: Featured

  • Jordan Citizens Complain of High Tobacco Prices

    Jordan Citizens Complain of High Tobacco Prices

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    Citizens in Jordan have raised concerns about increasing tobacco product prices despite government assurance that taxes will not be raised and no new taxes will be imposed, reports Jordan News.

    The price of tobacco products has reportedly increased significantly without prior warning to consumers. Many smokers have expressed frustration, stating they cannot afford to pay the new prices and criticizing the government for failing to control the price increase.

    Dirar Al-Harasees, chairman of the financial committee in the lower house, expressed surprise by the hike as well, calling on the government to clarify the reason behind the increase and questioning who decided to raise the prices.  

    Manufacturing companies are not authorized to raise prices unilaterally without approval of the House of Representatives to impose new taxes, according to Harasees.  

  • Israel’s Mulls Vaping Restrictions

    Israel’s Mulls Vaping Restrictions

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    Israel’s health ministry discussed the possibility of banning marketing of electronic cigarettes, according to i24 News. The ministry said, “options are being examined due to two difficult cases and the widespread phenomenon,” referring to the increase of youth using e-cigarettes.

    The ministry is considering the possibilities of banning the marketing of electronic cigarettes altogether, banning only those flavored or requiring dissuasive images on packaging.

  • Geneva to Ban Smoking in Some Outdoor Areas

    Geneva to Ban Smoking in Some Outdoor Areas

    Image: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Smoking will be banned in some outdoor public locations in Geneva beginning June 1, reports SWI. Bus stops, playgrounds and outside of schools are included in the ban.

    The government has modified the law to create “healthy outdoor environments that are smoke-free.” 

    Under the law, smoking will be banned within a 9 meter perimeter of playgrounds, schools and day care centers, and smoking zones will be created at least 9 meters from outdoor swimming pools. Smoking will be completely banned at local bus stops.  

    Geneva Parliament agreed to the change in January 2022. Those caught breaking the law will be subject to a fine.  

    Since May 1, 2010, smoking has been banned in Switzerland in enclosed spaces when they are open to the public or serve as a workplace for more than one person. Smoking is banned in restaurants, public buildings and offices as well as on public transport. Smoking is permitted in separate smoking rooms, outdoors and in private homes.  

    Home to the global headquarters of Philip Morris International and Japan Tobacco International, Switzerland has historically lagged behind its neighbors in anti-smoking legislation, but that is starting to change.

    In 2022, Swiss voters approved a referendum limiting tobacco and e-cigarette advertising.

  • Filipino Smokers Have Quit Options

    Filipino Smokers Have Quit Options

    no smoking
    Image: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Adult Filipino tobacco smokers who wish to quit should be given more alternatives to help them gradually decrease their nicotine consumption, a research group said, reports GMA News Online.

    ASCRA Consulting’s project coordinator, Joze Songsong, discussed tobacco harm reduction (THR) in a media forum, explaining that Filipinos need to be protected from the dangers of smoking and some need smoking cessation support.  

    “Through tobacco harm reduction, what we want to do is to empathize with those adult smokers who can’t immediately quit because either they use nicotine as a way to alleviate the different social circumstances that force them into this particular lifestyle or habit,” Songsong said. “What we want to do is not to advocate for a specific type of cure for these Filipino smokers but to equip them with the right information and the tools to make those informed decisions because these Filipino smokers have the right to informed choices and have the right to make choices for their own health.” 

    Ehsan Latif, senior vice president of the Foundation for a Smoke-free World, said that the Philippines should learn from the THR progress of other countries like Japan and the United Kingdom.

    “We can’t expect people to quit smoking in just a day. The challenge is how we interact with the private sector. It’s not dependent on one sect,” said Latif.

  • Cuban Tobacco Growers Reinvest in Tractors

    Cuban Tobacco Growers Reinvest in Tractors

    Image: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Tobacco producers of Havana cigars plan to reinvest their income in the purchase of tractors to boost the economic sector in Cuba, reports Prensa Latina.

    Granma newspaper published a story referencing the acquisition in Pinar del Rio of 270 tractors this year. The farmers were able to acquire the tractors through a financing scheme in which they receive part of the payment for their harvest in foreign currency.

    Pinar del Rio produces 60 percent to 70 percent of the tobacco harvest for the country. Marino Murillo, president of the Tabacuba Business Group, stressed the importance of the delivery of the tractors to the region. Pinar del Rio received a first delivery of 45 tractors, and another batch of more than 20 tractors was sent to the provinces of Sancti Spiritus, Villa Clara and Cienfuegos.  

  • ITC Appoints Frank Silva as President and CEO

    ITC Appoints Frank Silva as President and CEO

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    Imperial Tobacco Canada (ITCAN) appointed Frank Silva as president and CEO, effective April 1, 2023.

    Silva has a long history with ITCAN, and its parent company BAT, that includes roles at local, regional and global levels. Silva has served as regional marketing director for BAT’s Asia-Pacific and Middle East region, vice president of marketing and sales at ITCAN and marketing director for BAT U.K. and Ireland. At the global level, he was instrumental in developing BAT’s harm reduction strategy, which is core to the company’s expansion into new categories, currently focused on less harmful alternatives to smoking.

    Most recently, Silva has been working with Reynolds American, BAT’s division in the United States. During that time, Silva was senior vice president of digital and consumer experiential marketing, president of Reynolds sales and trade marketing services as well as senior vice president of Reynolds premium brand portfolio, Newport, Camel and Natural American Spirit.

    “I am thrilled to return home to ITCAN as president and CEO,” said Silva. “I would like to extend my gratitude to my predecessor, Ralf Wittenberg, for his hard work and leadership over the past three years. He has left me a solid business with incredible people, and I believe we are well positioned to continue [to] demonstrate leadership in the tobacco harm reduction space.’’

    Ralf Wittenberg will return to BAT’s global headquarters in London as commercial director of nicotine reduced-risk products.

    With his experience in tobacco harm reduction, Silva will be pivotal in continuing ITCAN’s focus on offering a portfolio of less harmful alternatives to adult smokers. He believes that with the right regulatory framework, a continued increase in the acceptance of tobacco harm reduction and the right enforcement to ensure nicotine products are not sold to youth, Canada can reduce smoking rates below 5 percent before Health Canada’s stated goal of 2035.

    “I am excited by what the future holds for ITCAN. As a Canadian, I am vested in the company and in the country. I believe we have the right strategy and the best people to continue our transformation,” continued Silva.

  • PMI Holds Virtual Annual Meeting

    PMI Holds Virtual Annual Meeting

    Image: Tobacco Reporter archive
    Jacek Olczak

     

    Andre Calantzopoulos

    Philip Morris International held its 2023 annual meeting of shareholders. Andre Calantzopoulos, executive chairman of the board, addressed shareholders and answered questions. Jacek Olczak, CEO, gave a business presentation, which included an overview of PMI’s strong performance in 2022 and encouraging start to 2023; robust business fundamentals and rapid progress on its smoke-free transformation; excellent momentum in the heat-not-burn and nicotine pouch categories; further progress on sustainability, with continued recognition by leading external stakeholders; and commitment to rewarding shareholders over time.

    “Our smoke-free transformation continued apace in 2022, with the growth of smoke-free products to nearly one-third of total net revenues for the year and the achievement of two important milestones—the acquisition of Swedish Match and the agreement to gain the full rights to commercialize IQOS in the U.S. in April 2024,” said Olczak.

    “As a global smoke-free champion with leading brands IQOS and Zyn, we are well positioned to further accelerate our transformation in the years to come to the benefit of the company, our shareholders, other stakeholders and public health,” he said.

    Approximately 81 percent of the shares entitled to vote were represented at the meeting in person or by proxy. The shareholders elected 12 nominees for director; approved, on an advisory basis, the compensation of named executive officers; approved, on an advisory basis, a one-year interval for the vote on the compensation of named executive officers; ratified the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers SA as independent auditors; and voted against the shareholder proposal. Final voting results will be included in a Form 8-K that PMI will file with the SEC in the coming days.

    An archived copy of the webcast of the meeting will be available for approximately one year from the date of the meeting. The presentation slides and script will be available as well.

  • CVA Says Flavors Not Cause of Youth Vaping

    CVA Says Flavors Not Cause of Youth Vaping

    Image: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Recent claims by health advocates blaming flavored e-cigarettes for the rise in youth vaping are unfounded and lack proper context, according to the Canadian Vaping Association (CVA). The real issue, according to the advocacy group, is the lack of enforcement of the illicit trade and individuals buying for minors.

    “The CVA stands by its position that flavors are not the cause of youth vaping,” the CVA wrote in a statement. “The problem is the sale of vaping products to minors through the black market and straw sale. The industry has taken a proactive approach by implementing stringent age verification measures for our membership and [is] actively working with law enforcement to prevent such sales.”

    “I will be reaching out to all the health advocacy groups to extend an invitation to form a working group. Our intention is to work together to address these complex issues and find practical and enforceable solutions. Canadians deserve to have all stakeholders working together for the betterment of public health,” said Darryl Tempest, government relations counsel to the CVA board.

    The CVA believes that policies must be evidence based and consider the interests of all stakeholders. The CVA encourages health organizations to work with industry leaders and regulatory bodies to find common sense policies that will protect youth while supporting the health outcomes of adults battling addiction.

  • France Considers Ban on Disposables

    France Considers Ban on Disposables

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    The French government may ban disposable electronic cigarettes by the end of this year, Health Minister Francois Braun said on May 3, according to Barron’s.

    “I’m in favor of a ban,” Braun told broadcaster France Inter, adding that the devices “lead some of our young people toward using tobacco.”

    “Smoking is a scourge; it kills 75,000 people per year” in France, he said.

    Although President Emmanuel Macron’s government has no majority in Parliament, ministers would “work with lawmakers” to reach a deal on a ban, Braun said.

    It could be enacted “before the end of this year,” he added.

    The ban may form part of a new anti-smoking plan the health ministry is working on for the coming five years.

    Sweet-flavored and fruit-flavored one-use electronic cigarettes—known as “puffs” in France—are sold in brightly colored packaging costing an estimated €8 ($8.83) to €12 for 500 puffs.

  • Reynolds Warns Shops to Stop Selling Flavors

    Reynolds Warns Shops to Stop Selling Flavors

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    R.J. Reynolds has threatened to sue several small vape shops in New Jersey and Alabama if they continue selling favored vaping products.

    Letters sent by Reynolds and obtained by STAT warn the retailers that failure to comply could result in “legal action and the costs, attorneys’ fees and adverse publicity.”

    The letters also warn that the shops are violating local laws regulating the sale of flavored tobacco.

    The New Jersey letter copied the county prosecutor where the vape shop is located in an apparent attempt to notify the local authorities of the violation.

    The letters are the latest step in Reynolds’ campaign to force a crackdown on illegal vaping products.

    In the article, Clive Bates, a tobacco harm reduction advocate, criticized Reynolds.

    “I do not think Reynolds should be hounding vape shops for selling lifesaving products to their regular customers,” Bates wrote in an email to STAT. “It should not be picking on little guys but pressing federal bureaucracies to do their job and do it better.”

    In February, Reynolds affiliate RAI Services Co. submitted a citizen petition asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to adopt a new enforcement policy directed at flavored “illegally marketed disposable electronic nicotine-delivery system” products.

    The petition was filed on Feb. 6 and posted by the FDA to Regulations.gov for public comment on Feb. 8.