Sri Lanka may increase the price of cigarettes as part of its upcoming budget, according to the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA), reports Sri Lanka Mirror.
A suggestions has also been put forward to ban the retail sale of single cigarettes in Sri Lanka. The objective of this proposal is to reduce the number of people who smoke.
Meanwhile, a survey jointly conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, NATA and the Ministry of Health has revealed that 51 percent of adults who smoke in Sri Lanka believe that they should quit smoking.
Lowering the amount of nicotine in cigarettes to nonaddictive levels may reduce smoking without worsening mental health in smokers with mood or anxiety disorders, according to a study conducted by Penn State College of Medicine and Harvard Medical School researchers. They said reducing nicotine content in cigarettes could also lessen addiction, lower exposure to toxicants and increase a smoker’s chances of quitting.
Recent proposals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the New Zealand government seek to limit the amount of nicotine in cigarettes to minimally addictive levels. Prior research indicates that reducing nicotine content could help smokers quit, but there is little evidence to demonstrate if these policies could adversely affect smokers with current or prior affective disorders like depression and anxiety disorders—which affect an estimated 38 percent of U.S. cigarette smokers.
According to Jonathan Foulds, professor of public health sciences and of psychiatry and behavioral health, smokers with mental health conditions are more likely to have severe nicotine withdrawal symptoms and less success at quitting. He also said there is speculation that lessening nicotine content to very low levels could worsen psychiatric symptoms in smokers with mental health conditions and lead to heavier smoking and increased exposure to toxicants, or harmful chemicals.
The researchers studied 188 smokers with a history of or who had a current mood or anxiety disorder and had no plans to quit. Volunteer participants were randomly assigned to a group that received either research cigarettes containing the usual amount of nicotine (11.6 mg nicotine per cigarette) or a progressively reduced amount of nicotine for an additional 18-week period (the final amount was 0.2 mg nicotine per cigarette). At the beginning and conclusion of the study, the researchers measured levels of cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine, levels of harmful chemicals, cigarette dependence indexes and various mental health measures.
“Our data showed that there wasn’t a significant difference in mental health measures between the groups, suggesting reduced nicotine cigarettes might not have adverse psychological effects on this population.”
The researchers observed no statistically significant differences in mental health measures between the two groups at the conclusion of the study. The team used the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, a six-item self-report assessment where participants reported on a five-point scale the degree to which they experienced feelings or emotions like “nervous,” “hopeless” or “so depressed that nothing could cheer them up.” Scores are developed by summing points for the six experiences. Participants in the reduced-nicotine content group scored an average of 5.3 at the beginning of the study and finished at an average score of 4.6 while participants in the usual nicotine content group scored 6.1 at the beginning of the study and finished around 4.9.
“These findings are important because we want to understand the effect these policies would have on smokers with anxiety or depressive disorders,” said Foulds, a Penn State Cancer Institute researcher, in a statement. “Our data showed that there wasn’t a significant difference in mental health measures between the groups, suggesting reduced-nicotine cigarettes might not have adverse psychological effects on this population.”
Similar to what prior studies reported, Foulds and his team found that groups in the reduced-nicotine content group were absorbing lower amounts of nicotine and ingesting lower levels of harmful carcinogens such as the biomarker 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pryidyl)-1-butanol, more commonly known as NNAL. That group also smoked fewer cigarettes and reported lower levels of nicotine addiction by the end of the randomized phase of the trial.
Unique to this study, participants in both groups were also given the choice to “choose their treatment” after the 18-week period. They could go back to using their own cigarettes, continue smoking the research cigarettes or attempt to quit. Of the 188 participants in the study, those randomized to reduced-nicotine content cigarettes were more likely to have quit smoking 12 weeks later (18.1 percent) compared to those in the control (usual nicotine content) group (4.3 percent).
“We believe this is the first randomized trial to find that smokers who used very low-nicotine cigarettes were significantly more likely to have quit smoking (with biochemical verification) three months after the end of the trial,” Foulds said.
“Our results suggest that these policies will likely result in reduced nicotine absorption from cigarettes without worsening the mental health of smokers with mood or anxiety disorders,” said Eden Evins, Cox Family Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “They also suggest that with proper support and resources, smokers with mood and anxiety disorders could quit successfully as a result of these policies.”
Japan Tobacco International has launched its Ploom X heated-tobacco device at select locations in the United Kingdom, the company announced in a press release. This product is now available in the Greater London area, at pop-up stores in Shoreditch, online nationwide and in selected online vape stores.
According to JTI, Ploom X represents the cutting edge of the next generation of heated-tobacco products. Technological upgrades include:
A redesigned “HeatFlow” system and a higher heating temperature to ensure a more consistent nicotine delivery and a more enhanced flavor delivery;
One easy-to-use heating mode;
Adjustments to the airflow system enabling a more consistent vapor delivery and increased vapor volume;
Session times of up to 5 minutes and the ability to use more EVO tobacco sticks per charge, with up to 22 sessions with one charge; and
A smaller and more compact device. Users can customize the device with colorful magnetic front panels.
According to JTI, Ploom X reduces the level of nine smoke constituents by an average of 90 percent to 95 percent.
Ploom devices are designed to be used exclusively with EVO tobacco sticks, which contain a tobacco blend made from microground and fine-cut tobacco.
With 20 sticks in a pack and a recommended retail price of £4.50, EVO costs less than half the price of a pack of cigarettes in the U.K. EVO tobacco sticks are available in classic tobacco, menthol, and fruit and menthol infusions. The company also offers capsule variants that offer consumers the option to release an additional burst of flavor.
“The launch of Ploom X marks a milestone in JTI’s story and also sets a new paradigm in the heated-tobacco category,” said JTI Director of Marketing Mark McGuinness. “Ploom X is a truly innovative product that will exceed consumer expectations, making their tobacco moments even more pleasurable and truly unique.”
Ahead of the Nov. 3 parliamentary debate on the independent review of smoke-free 2030 policies, the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA) has published an alternative strategy to reduce the smoking rate in England, titled The Alternative Smoke-Free 2030 Plan.
This approach stands in contrast with the recent Khan Review, which recommended banning the sale of cigarettes over time. Report author Christopher Snowdon argues that as long as demand exists—only 53 percent of British smokers say they want to quit—prohibitionist policies will result in endemic black market activity, crime and secondary poverty without eradicating smoking.
The alternative 12-point plan emphasizes the success of vaping and other safer alternatives in getting people off cigarettes. In Britain, where 9.3 percent of adults now vape, the smoking rate has dropped from 20 percent to 14 percent since 2012, according to the IEA. In the EU, where only 2 percent of adults vape, smoking prevalence fell by just 1 percent between 2014 and 2020. As of this year, 28 percent of smokers have never even tried an e-cigarette. Removing barriers to consumers accessing low-risk nicotine alternatives is vital.
Snowdon, the IEA’s head of lifestyle economics, recommends that the government tackle pervasive misinformation about the risks of e-cigarettes. Currently, 40 percent of English smokers falsely believe that nicotine causes cancer, and the number of smokers who wrongly think that vaping is as or more dangerous than smoking rose from 36 percent to 53 percent between 2014 and 2020. This is despite the fact that the Royal College of Physicians concluded that the long-term risks are “unlikely to exceed 5 percent of the harm from smoking tobacco.” The government should ensure that public health bodies promote the benefits of vaping relative to smoking.
Snowdon also proposes that the government embrace the freedom provided by Brexit to reform the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). Article 20 of the TPD exacts punitive regulations on e-cigarettes, covering everything from advertising to the size of refillable vape tanks. According to Snowdon, cutting this red tape will lift powerful barriers to access.
Smokers could also be encouraged to quit by reducing the red tape burdens on other low-risk tobacco alternatives such as snus, heated-tobacco and nicotine pouches. These products are subjected to overzealous regulation, with snus outlawed in the U.K.
The U.K. has generally regulated e-cigarettes sensibly, according to the IEA. But with a greater focus on articulating the benefits of switching to low-risk tobacco alternatives and relaxing the associated regulatory regime, smoking may truly become obsolete, the think tank argues.
“The government’s plan to slash the smoking rate to 5 percent by 2030 is wholly unrealistic unless smokers switch to low-risk alternatives in large numbers,” says Snowdon. “Fortunately, a growing range of alternatives exist. All the government needs to do is create a regulatory environment in which they can flourish and ensure that smokers are not misled by fake news. There are a dozen simple, low-cost reforms that could be implemented that would help the government meet its health objectives without persecuting smokers.”
Vector Group reported consolidated revenues of $378 million for the third quarter of 2022, up 26.6 percent over the prior year period.
Tobacco segment unit volume increased 30.1 percent compared to the comparable 2021 period. Liggett’s wholesale and retail market share increased to 5.7 percent each, compared with 3.9 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively, in the prior year period.
Reported net income declined to $38.9 million from $48.9 million.
Reported net income from continuing operations was $38.9 million, up from $29.9 million in the prior year period. Adjusted net income from continuing operations was $37.6 million compared to $33.9 million in the prior year period.
Reported operating income increased by $1.9 million to $83.9 million.
Tobacco segment operating income was down 4 percent to $88.1 million, primarily as a result of the company’s investment in its Montego brand.
“Vector Group delivered record tobacco quarterly revenues in the third quarter as we continued to capitalize on favorable market opportunities to substantially increase value and market share,” said Vector Group President and CEO Howard M. Lorber in a statement.
“Driven by the significant growth of our price-fighting Montego brand, Liggett’s wholesale market share in the third quarter was 5.7 percent, which is its highest market share since 1984. We have begun to gradually shift our growth strategy of Montego, which is now the second-largest discount brand in the United States, from volume-based to profit-based. As we move forward, we will continue to focus on optimizing long-term profit through the effective management of volume, pricing and market share growth.”
The government of Tunisia has promised the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to sell a state tobacco factory, reports Reuters.
The pledge is part of a preliminary deal with the IMF for a $1.9 billion rescue package in exchange for unpopular reforms, including reducing food and energy subsidies, and reforming public firms.
The leader of Tunisia’s powerful UGTT union said his organization would strongly oppose the move.
The ruling allows retailers and wholesalers to continue selling the products for the duration of the stay.
The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit will now consider a further motion from Logic regarding the MDO that the company has seven days to file, according to media reports.
“The foregoing motion for a partial administrative stay is GRANTED as follows. The FDA’s marketing denial order is TEMPORARILY STAYED as to the Logic Pro Menthol E-Liquid Package and the Logic Power Menthol E-Liquid Package products. Within seven days of this order, the petitioner must file its motion for a stay pending the petition,” the order states. “The FDA’s response must be filed within 10 days thereafter.”
The temporary administrative stay will remain in effect until a panel of the court decides on Logic’s new stay motion. If no timely stay motion is filed, the clerk is authorized and directed to vacate the temporary administrative stay.
Tobacco harm reduction advocates have questioned the FDA’s reasoning behind the Logic MDO, suggesting that the agency misinterpreted youth consumption statistics.
Tax payments by the leading international cigarette manufacturers have provided the Russian government with at least $7.25 billion in additional income since President Vladimir Putin ordered his army to attack Ukraine, according to an analysis of Russian Treasury figures conducted by The Telegraph.
Center-Life, an anti-smoking lobbying group in Ukraine, told The Telegraph that 2020 taxes from PMI and JTI alone would fund 700 Mil Mi-24 helicopters, 1,970 T-72 tanks and 382 Sukhoi Su-25 fighter jets for the Russian army.
“It’s clearly completely wrong that these western firms continue to pay significant taxes into Russian coffers because so much of Russian state expenditure now is to fund the war in Ukraine, which is killing people in large numbers,” Bob Seely, a Member of Parliament on the Foreign Affairs Committee, was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.
Following the Feb. 24 invasion, international cigarette manufacturers announced they would end their operations in Russia, but retreating from such a major market is easier said than done. Tobacco companies have had to carefully navigate shifting regulations and avoid missteps that could prompt the government to seize the business, for example—all the while trying to protect employees from becoming targets for arrest.
Earlier this year, Philip Morris International CEO Jacek Olczak described the process as “bloody complex.” In a July interview, he said the company was unlikely to be able to leave Russia before the end of 2022.
Russia is the world’s fourth-largest cigarette market. Prior to the war, Japan Tobacco International led the market with a 36.7 percent share, followed by PMI (31.7 percent) and BAT (23.5 percent), according to Cowen & Co.
Medicago is cutting 62 jobs at its manufacturing facility in Durham, North Carolina, USA, which played a key role in producing the company’s tobacco plant-based Covid-19 vaccine, reports the Triangle Business Journal.
In a notice to the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Canadian biopharmaceutical company said the layoffs are the result of Medicago “restructuring its workforce to align with its changing business needs.”
Using tobacco plants, the company developed a Covid vaccine called Covifenz, which Canadian regulators approved earlier this year. The country’s government committed to purchasing 20 million doses of the vaccine with an option to purchase 56 million more.
No other country has approved Covifenz, however. The World Health Organization, meanwhile, has been reluctant to grant the vaccine emergency approval due to Medicago’s ties with Philip Morris International, which owns about a third of the biopharmaceutical company.
Headquartered in Quebec City, Medicago employs 600 people.
The company built out its facility in Durham through a 2010 partnership with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which included $21 million in funding from the federal agency. The facility features greenhouse space and an automated extraction and purification system.
Philip Morris International is expanding the production capacity of its factory in Klaipeda, Lithuania, following the suspension of its operations in Ukraine, reports Interfax, citing a company statement.
The multinational will reportedly construct a new production building connected to its existing storage facilities.
The Klaipeda factory will manufacture products intended for Ukraine, the company said. The project will cost €3.5 million and is expected to be completed toward the end of 2023.
On Feb. 25, PMI announced the suspension of its activities in Ukraine, including at its factory in Kharkov, due to Russia’s military invasion.
Ukraine accounted for around 2 percent of the multinational’s cigarette and heated-tobacco shipments in 2021 and less than 2 percent of PMI’s total revenue, according to the company.
