Category: Heat-Not-Burn

  • JT Expands Sales of ‘Ploom TECH+ With’

    JT Expands Sales of ‘Ploom TECH+ With’

    Japan Tobacco (JT) plans to expand in Japan sales of “Ploom TECH+ with,” the more compact version of JT’s tobacco-infused vapor series, Ploom TECH+. The new device will gradually be available nationwide starting at Ploom shops and select tobacco retail stores from Feb. 1, 2021, along with convenience stores from Feb. 2, 2021.

    To commemorate the nationwide expansion, JT is offering a limited time discount for the “Ploom TECH+ with” starter kit.

    “After receiving positive feedback from our consumers since its launch last November, we are delighted to announce the nationwide expansion of ‘Ploom TECH+ with,’” said Toru Takahashi, vice president of the marketing group product and brand division for reduced risk products, in a statement.

    “While still retaining the features of Ploom TECH+, such as producing less smell than cigarette smoke and not requiring wait time to start or finish using the device, ‘Ploom TECH+ with’ is more compact and easy to use, and we believe our consumers will find this device to enrich their experience than ever before.”

  • Japan Cigarette Sales Plunged After HTP Entry

    Japan Cigarette Sales Plunged After HTP Entry

    Japenese smokers congregating in an outdoor smoking area in Tokyo
    Photo: Colleen Williams

    Between 2015 and 2019, total cigarette sales in Japan dropped by 34 percent, which can be associated with the commercial launch of heated tobacco products (HTPs), according to a white paper prepared by Frost & Sullivan and Philip Morris International (PMI).

    Titled Tobacco Harm Reduction and Novel Nicotine and Tobacco Products: Evidence from the Japanese Market, the report covers the impact of the commercial launch of novel nicotine and tobacco products (NNTPS) on tobacco use in japan and discusses the regulatory approach that the Japanese government is taking with regard to these products. It focuses on the Japanese market because HTPs have been commercially available in the country since 2013, and Japan is the largest market for HTPs, despite the absence of a formal THR policy to encourage this.

    “The commercial availability of HTPs in Japan is associated with a significant drop in conventional cigarette sales, well ahead of the previous rate of decline,” explains Mark Dougan, consulting director, healthcare, Frost & Sullivan.

    “Moreover, even after HTPs became available, sales of all tobacco products (HTPs and conventional cigarettes) continued to fall. Although there is mixed evidence, data from the 2019 National Health Survey indicates that 76 percent of consumers who use HTPs do so exclusively. Only 24 percent of HTP users maintain dual-use.”

    According to Dougan, the Japanese government is differentiating HTPs from conventional cigarettes in regulations such as taxation, health warnings and indoor use restrictions, with HTPs generally receiving less-stringent regulatory settings than conventional cigarettes.

    Frost & Sullivan also noted that the availability of HTPs has had a low impact on the initiation of tobacco use by never-smokers and re-initiation by former smokers. In addition, HTPs are also less likely to cause household fires than conventional cigarettes, which are the leading cause of household fires in Japan.

    The remarkable recent decline of smoking Japan was also covered during the recent GTNF by Hiroya Kumamaru, a cardiovascular surgeon and vice director of AOI International Hospital in Kawasaki.

  • BAT: Glo Reduces Exposure

    BAT: Glo Reduces Exposure

    Smokers who switched completely from smoking cigarettes to using British American Tobacco’s (BAT) Glo tobacco-heating product (THP) substantially reduced their exposure to certain cigarette smoke toxicants over three months, according to a company study published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research.
     
    For many of the toxicants measured, the levels found in participants were similar to those in people who stopped using tobacco completely.
     
    BAT scientists are conducting a year-long controlled study to see what impact switching from cigarettes to Glo will have on general health as well as smoke-toxicant exposure.
     
    According to BAT, the study’s results find that smokers who switch from cigarettes to Glo exclusively significantly reduce the levels of harmful toxicants they are exposed to, potentially reducing their risk of developing smoking-related diseases. 
     
    “These initial results regarding Glo are extremely encouraging,” James Murphy, group head of potentially reduced-risk product science at BAT, said in a statement. “Glo provides smokers who wish to continue using tobacco and nicotine products with a potentially reduced-risk alternative to cigarettes. The results are another positive step for BAT as we continue our journey to reduce the health impact of our business by offering consumers a range of enjoyable and potentially reduced-risk products.”
     

  • Ploom S Debuts in the United Kingdom

    Ploom S Debuts in the United Kingdom

    Photo: JTI

    Japan Tobacco International (JTI) has launched its Ploom S heated-tobaccodevice in the U.K., reports The Grocer.

    The product will be sold through two Ploom-branded lounges in London, Ploompop-up shops, online at www.ploom.co.uk and through accredited retailers.

    The device is used with tobacco sticks, which are sold separately. The tobaccosticks will be available in four different flavors—flavored tobacco, smoothtobacco, menthol and menthol/berry. The Ploom S device will have arecommended retail price of £89 ($116.06) and the consumables will have arecommended retail price of £4.50 for a pack of 20 sticks.

    “The time is right for JTI to enter this exciting growth segment in the U.K. with aproven product that continues to grow in markets in which we have alreadylaunched,” said JTI U.K. General Manager Dean Gilfillan.

    Ploom S is the second tobacco-heating system available in the U.K., after PhilipMorris International’s IQOS, which launched in 2016.

    Previously, JTI launched Ploom in Japan, Russia and Italy.

  • KT&G to Launch Lil Hybrid 2.0 in Japan

    KT&G to Launch Lil Hybrid 2.0 in Japan

    Photo: KT&G

    KT&G will launch its Lil Hybrid 2.0 system Miix in Japan on Oct. 26 through its partnership with Philip Morris International (PMI), reports The Korea Times.

    Unlike in Russia and Ukraine, where KT&G released Lil Solid, the Japan will get a Lil Hybrid 2.0 and a dedicated Miix stick. The first products to be sold will be available in matte black, cobalt blue, prism white and metallic bronze.

    Consumers can choose from three stick types: Miix Regular, Miix Ice and Miix Mix.

    “We will continue to provide various options to consumers in overseas markets through continuous cooperation with PMI,” said Lim Wang-seop, head of KT&G’s next-generation product business division.

  • Japan Tobacco Launches More Compact Ploom Tech

    Japan Tobacco Launches More Compact Ploom Tech

    Japan Tobacco (JT) will launch “Ploom Tech+ with” a new, more compact device from the Ploom Tech+ series.

    The new device will be available at the Club JT online shop along with Ploom shops and select tobacco retail stores located in Tokyo from Nov. 2, 2020, and at convenience stores in Tokyo from Nov. 3, 2020.

    Ploom Tech+ with offers better portability and increased convenience. The device also has upgraded features, such as faster charging and a display to indicate the batter and capsule usage levels as well as an instant activation feature.

    “We are delighted to announce the launch of ‘Ploom Tech+ with,’” said Toru Takahashi, vice president of the marketing group product and brand division for reduced-risk products, in a statement. “The portable size enables the device to blend right in to each consumer’s lifestyle without stress, expanding the opportunities for consumers to explore and experience T-vapor.”

  • IQOS Rollout Slowed by Covid-19 Pandemic

    IQOS Rollout Slowed by Covid-19 Pandemic

    Bonnie Herzog

    Tobacco and vapor product analyst Bonnie Herzog of Goldman Sachs cites the Covid-19 pandemic as the main reason Philip Morris International (PMI) and Altria have slowed down the national launch of IQOS.

    In March, Philip Morris USA closed its Atlanta, Georgia, and Richmond, Virginia, IQOS stores temporarily, paused its IQOS inperson marketing efforts and delayed the launch of IQOS in Charlotte, North Carolina, due to Covid-19 concerns. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted modified-risk tobacco product (MRTP) status to IQOS in July, sales of IQOS have not been strong during the pandemic.

    “It has been more of a slow rollout and that has a lot to do with the fact that the technology that has been approved in the U.S. is older technology of IQOS,” said Herzog. “Philip Morris has applied to get approval of 3.0, but that’s still pending. We’re optimistic, assuming they can get approval from the FDA for that.” Herzog projects that by 2025, IQOS could account for as much as 12.2 percent of Altria’s volumes.”

  • Tobacco Heating Market to Reach $33.6 billion

    Tobacco Heating Market to Reach $33.6 billion

    .Photo: Лечение Наркомании from Pixabay

    The global heat-not-burn tobacco market is expected to grow to $33.6 billion from $14.6 billion by 2025, according to a Research and Markets report.
     
    The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is expected to be 14.87 percent.
     
    “The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the global heat-not-burn tobacco products market, including British American Tobacco PLC, Japan Tobacco Inc., Pax Labs, Philip Morris International and Vapor Tobacco Manufacturing LLC,” according to the Research and Markets website.
     
    The report also takes into consideration the effects of Covid-19.

  • KT&G Start Exports to Russia Under PMI Deal

    KT&G Start Exports to Russia Under PMI Deal

    Photo: KT&G

    KT&G started exporting its Lil tobacco heating devices to Russia last month, according to The Korea Times. Earlier this year, KT&G and Philip Morris International (PMI) signed an agreement under which PMI would commercialize certain KT&G products outside of South Korea.

    During the announcement of its second-quarter results, KT&G confirmed that KRW12.5 billion ($10.54 million) worth of e-cigarette devices were exported to Russia in July.

    The partnership is calling for KT&G to export its tobacco heating devices and tobacco sticks worldwide through PMI’s global sales network.

    The exports to Russia come as heat-not-burn (HNB) appears to be losing steam in South Korea, with category penetration decreasing for the second consecutive quarter. The rate stood at 13 percent at the end of last year but declined to 12.6 percent in the first quarter and 12.4 percent in the second quarter.

    The company, however, said this does not mean a deadlock in HNB products’ growth, citing the expansion in overseas markets.

    “From a future business standpoint, the overall heat-not-burn tobacco market is expected to grow,” a company spokesperson was quoted as saying. “When the new products are introduced, the market is bound to grow. While there would be some minor impact from governments’ policies and market events, there is no doubt about the growth trajectory.”

    KT&G said conventional tobacco sales this year will likely exceed its annual goal set earlier as demand remains strong. In exports, the firm has already secured shipping volume destined for Middle Eastern markets in the second half of the year, while other overseas markets are showing signs of recovery from the impact of Covid-19.

    KT&G reported KRW1.32 trillion in consolidated sales during the latest quarter, up 4.8 percent from a year earlier. But the operating profit contracted by 1.1 percent year-on-year to KRW394.7 billion, due to the decline in duty free sales.

    Overseas tobacco sales increased by 14.1 percent to KRW286.4 billion, as its main export markets in the Middle East show solid recovery. The company expected growth will continue as its sales are increasing in Latin South America and Africa.

    KT&G’s international ambitions were examined in-depth in Tobacco Reporter’s June 2020 issue.

  • WHO Remains Skeptical About Heating Products

    WHO Remains Skeptical About Heating Products

    Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has reminded its member states of their tobacco obligations under the Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC) in relation to heat-not-burn products (HNB).

    “Heated tobacco products are tobacco products, meaning that the WHO FCTC fully applies to these products. [Rules] obliges Parties, to prohibit ‘all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship that promote a tobacco product by any means that are false, misleading or deceptive or likely to create an erroneous impression about its characteristics, health effects, hazards or emissions,” the health body wrote in a statement.

    The WHO claims that reducing exposure to harmful chemicals in HNB products does not render them harmless, nor does it translate to reduced risk to human health. “Indeed, some toxins are present at higher levels in [HNB] aerosols than in conventional cigarette smoke, and there are some additional toxins present in [HNB] aerosols that are not present in conventional cigarette smoke,” the WHO wrote. The organization also claims that the health implications of exposure to HNB products are unknown.

    The WHO statement comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Philip Morris International to make a modified exposure claim about its IQOS HNB device in the United States.

    The WHO says there is no proof that HNB products are safer than cigarettes. “Given that health may be affected by exposure to additional toxins when using [HNB], claims that [HNB] products reduce exposure to harmful chemicals relative to conventional cigarettes may be misleading.

    “Moreover, the relevant orders grant a temporary market authorization within the U.S. and are based on factors specific to the US, which is not a Party to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.”