Category: Featured

Vietnam Mulls Ban on Novel Tobacco Products

Photo: Michele
Vietnam’s health ministry has proposed a ban on next-generation tobacco products (NGPs), reports VN Express International. The country’s current law on tobacco harm prevention lacks provisions for e-cigarettes and heated-tobacco products.
According to Tran Thi Trang, deputy head of the Ministry of Health’s legislation department, a trial allowing the distribution of NGPs revealed potential negative impacts, including on youth behavior.
The percentage of people using e-cigarettes in Vietnam increased to 3.6 percent from 0.2 percent during 2015–2020, according to the health ministry.
With 15.6 million smokers, Vietnam ranks 15th in the world in terms of combustible cigarette users, the Legal Affairs Department at the Ministry of Information and Communications said. People in Vietnam spend an estimated VND49 trillion ($2 billion) per year.
November 24, 2022
PMI to Produce Terea Sticks in South Korea

Photo: PMI
Philip Morris International has started manufacturing Terea tobacco sticks for its IQOS Iluma heat-not-burn (HnB) devices at its Yangsan plant in South Korea, reports The Korea Times.
Unlike PMI’s Heets tobacco sticks, Terea sticks feature sealed tips that leave no residue, thus sparing consumers the inconvenience of cleaning their device after each use.
According to PMI, the Yangsan plant has International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certifications for quality management (ISO 9001), environmental management (ISO 14001) and safety and health management (ISO 45001).
The factory’s quality control team has obtained an internationally accredited testing agency certification from the Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme.
“All the workers at Philip Morris’ Yangsan plant in Korea are proud of the fact that they are producing high-quality noncombustible tobacco products such as Terea, which contributes to the realization of the company’s vision of a ‘future without cigarette smoke’ and the development of the national economy,” said Philip Morris Korea Director of Manufacturing Zia Ahmed Karim.
“We will continue to ensure quality control of our products and seek eco-friendly management in the future through providing better alternatives to adult smokers.”
The Yangsan plant, which marks its 20th anniversary this year, employs 600 people. Since 2017, PMI has invested more than KRW300 billion ($225.83 million) in the production of noncombustible products at the facility.
November 24, 2022
China to Restrict E-Cigarette Shipments

Photo: ikurdyumov
China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) plans to limit the number of vapor products a person can carry on them, reports The Global Times.
According to a notice published Nov. 23, a person can possess a maximum of six “smoking devices,” 90 e-cigarette cartridges and 180 mL of e-liquid.
On the same day, the STMA and the State Post Bureau jointly announced restrictions on the delivery of vapor products. Each shipment may contain a maximum of two “sets,” six cartridges and 12 mL of e-liquid.
Each recipient is allowed to accept delivery of no more than one shipment of vapor products per day.
In April, China’s tobacco regulator approved mandatory national standards for e-cigarettes that came into effect in October.
November 23, 2022
Philip Morris Launches Bonds by IQOS

Photo: PMI
Philip Morris International has launched its latest heat-not-burn tobacco-heating system, Bonds by IQOS, along with its compatible tobacco sticks, Blends, in a pilot market in the Philippines. The company intends to further commercialize the product during the remainder of 2022 and next year.
Equipped with bladeless resistive external heating technology, Bond emits 95 percent less harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes, according to PMI.
“Bonds by IQOS represents another step forward in our ambition to replace cigarettes with innovative, science-based, smoke-free alternatives,” said PMI CEO Jacek Olczak in a statement.
“We know that no single smoke-free product will appeal to all adult smokers. Providing a range of alternatives to continued smoking—with a variety of taste, technology, usage and price options—is imperative and helps us to address a range of preferences as diverse as adult smokers themselves—ultimately encouraging them to leave cigarettes behind.
“Bonds by IQOS provides an opportunity to address consumer acquisition barriers for this segment, most notably up-front device costs and authentic tobacco taste satisfaction—providing further options of innovative smoke-free options to help ensure they do not go back to cigarettes. Through continuous innovation, we want to ensure that all adult smokers who would otherwise continue smoking switch and abandon cigarettes.”
According to PMI, Bonds by IQOS is designed to be used only with Blends tobacco sticks to deliver a variety of tobacco tastes. At the time of launch, Blends tobacco sticks will be available in five different flavors, including classic, menthol and aromatic. When fully charged, Bonds by IQOS delivers up to 20 uses, including three consecutive experiences. Bonds by IQOS comes in four different colors.
November 22, 2022
Greenbutts’ Filter Certified
Greenbutts has received the Hohenstein Quality Label for a novel biodegradable filter technology designed to replace the most littered single-use plastic item—cigarette filters.
“Receiving this certification of biodegradability from Hohenstein is validation of all the hard work over the past decade to develop and optimize our Greenbutts filter technology to be a truly eco-friendly replacement for cellulose acetate,” said Greenbutts CEO Tadas Lisauskas in a statement.
“We are excited to offer this certified material to a variety of filtration media products in the near future to help eradicate single-use synthetics used in the filtration industry.”
“We have put our best minds toward delivering a transformative solution for the global tobacco industry,” said Greenbutts Chief Strategy Officer Luis Sanches. “Our world demands high corporate responsibility coupled with measurable impact, and no matter where our customers may be, we all can do our part.”
Using patented material science, Greenbutts filters are biodegradable, plastic-free and water dispersing. According to the company, Greenbutts filters will disperse in water within a few minutes and will degrade in compost within days as opposed to 10–15 years as is the case with traditional cellulose acetate filters.
November 22, 2022
Hong Kong Confiscates Black Market Cigarettes

Photo: YiuCheung | Adobe Stock
Hong Kong customs officers arrested three men and confiscated HKD180 million ($23 million) in black market cigarettes, reports the South China Morning Post. This marks the second-largest smuggling bust of its kind this year.
Three container trucks at two shipping yards near Tsing Yi Road, Tsing Yi, and Container Port Road South in Kwai Chung carrying three 40-foot cargo containers with 31 million suspected illegal cigarettes were seized. Three more containers in the same yards were seized, holding 33 million sticks of tobacco.
If the illegal cigarettes were legally imported, the products would have generated HKD120 million in tax revenue.
Customs has seized 640 million suspected black market cigarettes this year, an almost 50 percent increase from last year’s 427 million, according to the South China Morning Post.
Many of the brands seized were popular overseas but uncommon locally. “Following the relaxation of anti-pandemic measures and the increase in the flow of people, the market demand for illicit cigarettes has increased,” Senior Investigator Lam Wai-kit said.
An investigation is ongoing to trace the source and flow of the illegal products, according to Lam.
November 22, 2022
Baltimore Sues Tobacco Companies Over Litter

Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive
The city of Baltimore is suing several major tobacco companies, requesting as much as $5 million annually for the cleanup of cigarette butt litter, according to WBALTV11.
Since 2014, more than 12 million cigarette butts have been cleaned up from the waters surrounding Baltimore, city officials said.
“There are all kinds of cleanup problems, from catching them [cigarette butts] to getting rid of the chemicals they leave in their wake,” said James Shea, Baltimore City solicitor.
The lawsuit alleges that the tobacco companies have refused to place warnings on their boxes explaining how to properly dispose of filters and that they have chosen not to make filters biodegradable.
“They didn’t change it—according to documents we’ve seen—to biodegradable filters because smokers preferred the draw that comes with the filter,” Shea said.
The ultimate goal is to see the companies become more environmentally friendly, according to Shea. “We’d like to have the practice stop, but, in the meantime, we want damages in the nature of cleanup costs and their fines associated with various litter ordinances that are being violated.”
The companies have 30 days to respond in court.
November 22, 2022
FEELM Recognized at UKVIA Event

Photo: FEELM
Smoore’s atomization technology platform, FEELM, won an award for innovation and was commended for its sustainability initiatives during the U.K. Vaping Industry Association’s (UKVIA) industry forum on Nov. 18.
The Best Innovation in the Vaping Industry award recognizes FEELM’s breakthrough technologies, including its ceramic coil disposable pod solution, FEELM Max.
Among other improvements, FEELM Max offers more puffs than other coil technologies with the same e-liquid volume. Its constant output control and flavor lock technologies ensure a high degree of flavor consistency while preventing dry burning. FEELM also established multiple laboratories to help clients comply with stringent industry regulations, including those issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The UKVIA Sustainable Vaping commendation recognized FEELM’s accomplishments in sustainable advanced technologies, responsible marketing and environmental stewardship. In 2019, FEELM created a groundbreaking environmentally friendly disposable electronic atomization device, for example. This year, FEELM developed an environmentally friendly zero nicotine e-atomization device.
Recently, the company committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, and its automated factory has adopted an energy management system to decrease carbon emissions while increasing energy efficiency.
“We are delighted to have won the innovation award and been commended in the sustainability category, and we are honored by the recognition the UKVIA has given us,” said FEELM Europe Division Director Echo Liu.
“A number of leading vaping brands are driven by FEELM, and our vaping devices loaded with our atomizer technology are now being exported to over 50 countries and regions.
“FEELM can only realize its corporate vision—’atomization makes life better’—by being sustainable and creating value for society. Every day we move a step closer to this goal by creating sustainable advanced technologies and products, using responsible marketing, and embracing a greener future.”
November 21, 2022
European Support for Smoke-Free Technology

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Smoke-free technologies should complement the EU’s existing tobacco control measures, according to participants in a survey commissioned by Philip Morris International, according to Eureporter.
Carried out Nov. 10–15 by Povaddo and presented in Brussels on Nov. 17, the poll surveyed 13,000 adults spread over 13 European countries.
Among the participants, 73 percent said that industries should be incentivized to develop innovative products that are better for consumers and the environment. Sixty-nine percent said interested adult smokers should be encouraged to switch to scientifically substantiated, smoke-free alternatives by taxing these products at rates that are lower than cigarettes but high enough to deter youth and nonsmokers. Additionally, six in 10 respondents agreed that government endorsement of innovative tobacco products would have a positive impact on smokers.
“We know the potential to do better for adult smokers exists, as several member states have carried out similar policy approaches in, among others, energy, cars and alcohol,” said PMI Senior Vice President for External Affairs Gregoire Verdeaux during the presentation of the survey results.
“Pragmatic policies have the power to improve people’s lives, incentivizing companies to innovate for the better and provide equitable access to technological advances, especially in a time of economic instability.”
Povaddo Research President William Stewart said he hoped the results would encourage EU and national authorities to assess the results of current policies and consider other approaches, including “sensible regulation and taxation, while creating an environment that fosters innovations.”
November 21, 2022
Engineer 3D-Prints Cigarette Machine
A packaging machinery engineer has built a cigarette machine relying partly on 3D printing.
According to Hackaday, creating the machine required overcoming several mechanical challenges, including a sticky raw material (tobacco) and fragile paper tubes.
Controlled by an Arduino and driven by an AF Motorshield V1, the device contains solenoid-powered tappers and a stepper-driven revolver mechanism to put the empty papers into just the right place.
According to the designer, who goes by the screenname Fraens, building the machine required extensive testing. “A lot of power is needed to press the tobacco,” Fraens wrote on YouTube. “I achieve this through a knee lever construction. An IGUS steep thread spindle is used to drive the press.”
November 21, 2022