Category: Uncategorized

FRE Nicotine Pouches announced a multiyear partnership with TKO Group Holdings, Inc, designating FRE as the official nicotine pouch partner of UFC, Zuffa Boxing, PBR, UFC BJJ, World’s Strongest Man, and Formula Drift. The collaboration will integrate FRE products into premium fan experiences across six TKO-affiliated properties, connecting adult nicotine users to custom activations, content, and on-site events.

The partnership leverages the highly engaged, predominantly adult (21+) audiences of TKO properties. UFC alone reaches over 90% adults, providing a platform for responsible marketing to current nicotine users. FRE will feature exclusive fan activations from the Octagon and boxing ring to the PBR bucking chute and Formula Drift racetrack, emphasizing its positioning as a performance-driven brand for competitive adult consumers.

The partnership officially launches at UFC 327 on 11 April in Miami, Florida, bringing the brand to the center of high-profile sporting events.

South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare said it is not currently reviewing a cigarette price increase or a new health levy on alcohol, stressing both require “sufficient social discussion.” The clarification followed the adoption of the 6th National Health Promotion Comprehensive Plan (2026–2030), which referenced aligning cigarette levies more closely with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, recommending total taxes at 75% of the retail price.

With a pack priced at 4,500 won ($2.97), current taxes and levies are 73.8%, totaling 3,323 won ($2.19), prompting speculation that prices for a pack could approach 10,000 won ($6.60). The ministry said these ideas stem from a 2021 long-term plan and remain medium- to long-term considerations, adding that any move on cigarette taxes or an alcohol levy would follow broad expert and public consultation due to potential economic and social impacts.

Ongjin County in South Korea opened applications for retailers seeking approval to sell synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes ahead of new national regulations taking effect on April 24. Under amendments to the Tobacco Business Act, synthetic nicotine products will be treated as tobacco, requiring official retailer designation, with penalties of up to six months in prison or fines of 5 million won ($3,350) for non-compliance.

Ongjin County will allow existing sellers to apply for a temporary exemption from the restriction requiring 50 meters between the two products being sold until 2028, but only if they sell synthetic products exclusively. Authorities said the measure is aimed at strengthening oversight and ensuring compliance with the updated law.

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones is backing new legislation he says will do more than warn people about the dangers of vaping, backing the Vape Enforcement Act, a pair of bills (House Bill 308 and Senate Bill 620) passed by the Virginia General Assembly that would tighten controls on vape sales and enforcement across the state. The legislation would restrict retail sales to products authorized or under FDA review, effectively banning unapproved products from store shelves. It also introduces stricter compliance requirements for retailers, with a focus on limiting youth access to illegal vaping products.

Under the proposed rules, enforcement would include random compliance checks conducted by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, along with penalties such as fines and potential loss of retail licenses for violations. The bills are currently awaiting action from the governor, who has until April 13 to act on the legislation.

Morocco will increase the prices of manufactured tobacco products from January 1, 2026, under a tax reform aimed at boosting state revenues. The changes were announced in a December 30 circular from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, following a ministerial decree published in the Official Bulletin on December 29. Most cigarette brands will rise by MAD 1–2 ($0.11 – $0.22) per pack, while prices of cigars, heated tobacco and other products will also increase. The decree updates official retail prices and revises the tax base for the ad valorem component of the internal consumption tax (TIC).

The measures are part of a phased tobacco tax reform introduced under the 2022 Finance Law for the 2022–2026 period. The government aims to generate an additional MAD 2.6 billion ($286 million) in tobacco-related tax revenue for 2026.

Poland’s Ministry of Finance proposed amendments to the Excise Duty Act to close a tax loophole affecting new types of e-cigarettes that use electromagnetic induction technology. The draft, published this week, updates the legal definition of e-cigarettes so that induction-based devices—previously classified as neither disposable nor reusable—can be subject to excise duty. The changes respond to products that entered the Polish market in September 2025 and were taxed at lower rates under existing rules.

Under the proposal, excise taxation would be determined by the presence of a ferromagnetic element connected to a tank or device, rather than by whether the product produces aerosol via a traditional electric heater. Most induction-based e-cigarette components would be taxed at PLN 40 per unit. Tanks connected to ferromagnetic elements would be classified as e-cigarettes, while refillable containers would be treated as reusable e-cigarettes and non-refillable ones as disposable products, with higher excise applied to the liquid content.

The Ministry said the amendment is necessary to ensure equal taxation across comparable nicotine products and prevent revenue losses. If adopted, the revised rules would enter into force 14 days after the law is officially published.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Justice released a draft decree outlining administrative penalties for the use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, implementing National Assembly Resolution No. 173/2024/QH15. Under the proposal, individuals caught using e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products would face fines of VND 3–5 million ($114–$190), along with confiscation and destruction of the products. Property owners or managers who allow such use on their premises would face higher fines of VND 5–10 million ($190–$380).

The draft also introduces stricter enforcement for minors and businesses. Minors aged 16 to under 18 who use tobacco products would be fined VND 200,000–500,000 ($7.60–$19), replacing the previous warning-based approach. Meanwhile, manufacturers or distributors that fail to comply with health warning label requirements could be fined up to VND 30 million ($1,140). The decree is intended to support Vietnam’s comprehensive ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products starting in 2025.