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  • Kingston E-Liquids and Innokin Partner on Vape

    Kingston E-Liquids and Innokin Partner on Vape

    Image: PR Newswire

    U.K. e-liquid brand Kingston E-liquids has partnered with Innokin on the Podbar Salts Endura S1 kit to address issues surrounding disposables, reports PR Newswire.

    The Endura S1 is a refillable, rechargeable device and is offered in a co-branded package containing Kingston’s new Podbar Salts e-liquid. The Podbar Salts Endura S1 starter kit delivers approximately 3,500 puffs using the included 10 mL bottle and is Tobacco Products Directive compliant.

    “We always look to deliver quality and value to our customers and don’t believe there should have to be a compromise to achieve this,” said John Wilson, managing director of Kingston E-liquids. “The Podbar Salts Endura S1 allows our customers to experience true Kingston flavors at a fraction of the cost of disposables with all the convenience they demand. Partnering with Innokin has helped us offer a better solution for transitioning smokers, and we look forward to developing this important part of our customer experience.”

  • Enduring Demand

    Enduring Demand

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    Malawi burley remains popular even as global smoking rates stagnate

    Even as cigarette sales stagnate in many markets, demand for Malawi burley remains robust. An important component in the toolbox of the tobacco blender, burley is a key ingredient not only in the popular American blend cigarettes but also in roll-your-own and make-your-own products along with pipe tobaccos.

    Due to last year’s short crop, leaf merchants are anticipating strong interest this season. In 2022, the country produced only 69.2 million kg of burley—against an estimated demand of 150 million kg. This year, the Tobacco Commission is expecting 106 million kg.

    While burley is produced in several countries, including in southeastern Africa, industry representatives are confident that Malawi can hold its own against other suppliers. “Malawi is still a preferred origin of burley,” says Joseph Malunga, chief executive of the Tobacco Commission. “Even regionally, our burley is better than that from other origins.”

    Malunga suspects that demand for Malawi burley will increase as the country tackles concerns raised by customers about agricultural labor methods. Traditional rural African practices, such as tenancy, in which a farmer provides workers with food and housing during the season but pays them only after the harvest, or requiring children to help out on the family farm, are frowned upon in Western countries where many tobacco buyers are headquartered.

    The commission has done a lot to communicate what customers want, but some farmers will get the message very late. It will be a gradual transition.

    Joseph Malunga, CEO, Tobacco Commission

    Tobacco companies have been pressuring their suppliers to abandon these habits, and in 2019 the Malawi government banned tenancy. Leading buyers of Malawi leaf have systems in place that not only prohibit their contracted growers from deploying children or tenants but also include elaborate verification mechanisms. In 2020, such systems helped Limbe Leaf, Alliance One International and Premium Tobacco Malawi quickly convince U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) that their supply chains were free of forced labor when the agency temporarily prevented Malawi tobacco from entering the United States based on concerns about forced labor. Impressed by the leaf merchants’ responsible supply chain management, CPB swiftly lifted its ban on tobacco imported by those companies.

    Recognizing the progress made, some customers who left due to compliance issues are now coming back, according to Malunga. “They see that we have been doing our homework.”

    But while the tobacco produced under contract with leaf merchants generally complies with the standards expected by Western governments and customers, the picture is less clear for the independently cultivated tobacco sold at auction, which accounts for approximately 10 percent of Malawi tobacco production.

    The country’s tobacco industry is dominated by smallholder farming. With nearly half a million individuals cultivating leaf in Malawi, many of them living in remote areas and many of them illiterate, it will take a while for the message to reach everybody. “We have made big strides—to the extent of having laws,” says Malunga. “But you cannot expect these practices to stop overnight. The commission has done a lot to communicate what customers want, but some farmers will get the message very late. It will be a gradual transition.”

    Don McAlpin, managing director of Limbe Leaf Tobacco Co., which is affiliated with Universal Corp., hopes the change will come sooner than later. For Malawi to maintain its appeal on the global market, it will be essential for the noncontracted growers to meet ESG targets, he says. “Any perceived concerns about sustainability or ESG issues in Malawi create a reputational risk to the Malawi brand and could impact Malawi tobacco regardless of the percentage that is contracted and compliant.” –T.T.

  • Coping with the COP

    Coping with the COP

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    Like their counterparts around the world, tobacco growers in Malawi have suffered from the rapidly rising cost of production. In addition to domestic headline inflation of 26 percent, farmers had to contend with a significant increase in the price of fertilizer, which more than tripled over the past three years to four years. According to Nixon Lita, CEO of the TAMA Farmers Trust, this was due more to Covid-19-related shipping disruptions than to the war in Ukraine. Traditionally oriented toward the West, Malawi imports most of its fertilizers from the Middle East rather than eastern Europe, he says—but the result is the same as for countries relying on Russian and Ukrainian fertilizers: substantially higher prices.

    Because virtually all inputs for Malawi tobacco production are imported, there’s little the industry can do about this part of the equation—so it focuses on the factors it can control. Contracted farmers enjoy an advantage over their noncontracted colleagues because they benefit from the tobacco buyers’ scale and global reach. “Due to bulk buying, we can get fertilizer on time in Malawi and price it competitively for farmers,” says Simon Peverelle, managing director of Alliance One Tobacco Malawi. “For auction growers, that is harder.”

    The other way to offset rising production costs is by boosting farmers’ incomes. “We try to negotiate with our buyers, asking them to increase the farmers’ margins based on cost of production,” says Joseph Malunga, chief executive of the Tobacco Commission. “That doesn’t always go well because the buyers, too, are in business and want profit—but we try.”

    Under pressure from their customers to control costs, the merchants prefer to focus on boosting output. The leading leaf dealers employ or contract significant agronomy departments to help their contracted growers maximize both the quality and the yield of their tobacco, which in turn improves the net return on their crops, according to Don McAlpin, managing director of Limbe Leaf Tobacco Co. Size matters in this regard. Peverelle says that scaling up is necessary for farmers because it is increasingly difficult to earn a living income from smaller plots.

    The Tobacco Commission, meanwhile, is promoting natural solutions to improve farmers’ margins. For example, it encourages flue-cured tobacco farmers to establish woodlots and use “live barns”—curing facilities built using living trees—so they don’t have to buy wood for curing or construction. “This not only reduces costs but also promotes sustainable development,” says Malunga.—T.T.

  • McKinney Hires Fearon as Chief Scientific Officer

    McKinney Hires Fearon as Chief Scientific Officer

    McKinney Regulatory Science Advisors stated today that it has appointed Ian Fearon as its new Chief Scientific Officer.

    Fearon will play a pivotal role in enhancing the regulatory science consulting firm’s capabilities and expanding its range of services to clients, according to a press release.

    “Fearon brings over 15 years of invaluable experience in the field of Tobacco Harm Reduction, with a specific focus on clinical and behavioral studies of these products,” the release states. “His deep understanding of regulatory submissions in the United States and Europe will enable McKinney Regulatory Science Advisors to provide unparalleled support and guidance to clients navigating the complex regulatory landscape.”

    Prior to joining McKinney, Fearon held key leadership positions at several industry organizations such as senior director of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs EMEA at Juul Labs, where he helped advance the scientific understanding of tobacco and nicotine products and supported the company’s premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

    Fearon also served as the director of Tobacco Research at Celerion, where he contributed to the development of clinical evidence to support regulatory filings, and as principal scientist and head of Clinical Research at British American Tobacco.

    Fearon has published more than 60 papers, including more than 20 on tobacco/nicotine product assessment, which generated more than 3,200 citations, according to the release.

    “We are thrilled to welcome Ian as our Chief Scientific Officer,” said company CEO Willie McKinney. “His extensive experience and deep knowledge of tobacco and nicotine science and worldwide regulations make him an invaluable asset to our team. With Ian’s guidance, we will continue to provide exceptional scientific and regulatory consulting services to our clients, facilitating their success in bringing innovative consumer products to market.”

    As the Chief Scientific Officer at McKinney Regulatory Science Advisors, Fearon will oversee the company’s scientific operations, lead strategic initiatives, and drive innovation in the regulatory science domain, according to the release.

  • Cyprus Minors Have Access to Nicotine-Free Cigs

    Cyprus Minors Have Access to Nicotine-Free Cigs

    Image: Vlad | Adobe Stock

    Minors in Cyprus have access to nicotine-free cigarettes due to ambiguity in the 2017 tobacco control legislation, reports In-Cyprus.

    Nicotine-free products are easily accessible, on kiosk stalls next to cash registers and separate from other tobacco products as well as in cafes. The products have attractive packaging and are available in a variety of fruit flavors.

    Over a year ago, the Cyprus Addiction Prevention Authority wrote to the Legal Service requesting an opinion on the nicotine-free tobacco products but did not receive a reply.

    According to the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs, 16-year-old students in Cyprus reduced conventional cigarette use and switched to new tobacco products like hookah and e-cigarettes in 2019. Daily use of e-cigarettes by students in Cyprus is 4.6 percent compared to the average of 3.1 percent.

  • Clinical Data on Vuse Illustrates Beneficial Public Health Impact

    Clinical Data on Vuse Illustrates Beneficial Public Health Impact

    Image: Tobacco Reporter archive

    New results from one of the largest ever vapor product studies, which analyzed BAT’s flagship vapor brand Vuse, have been published in the journal of Internal and Emergency Medicine, reports BAT.

    The study compared clinical measurements from exclusive Vuse consumers with smokers. The results of the study show that participating Vuse consumers had favorable differences in biomarkers of exposure and biomarkers of potential harm relevant to smoking-related diseases when compared to smokers. 

    Vuse users have shown significantly lower biomarkers of exposure for priority cigarette smoke toxicants as defined by the World Health Organization. The data also showed favorable differences between Vuse consumers and smokers across all biomarkers of potential harm measured, with three being statistically significant.

    James Murphy, director of research and science at BAT, said, “Vaping continues to grow in importance as adult smokers seek reduced-risk alternative nicotine products. That is why these results are so important for Vuse, BAT and consumers, as they allow us to better understand the positive real-world impact of vaping compared to smoking. The research shows a clear difference between those using Vuse compared to smokers and reinforces the reduced-risk potential and role of vapor in tobacco harm reduction.”

    In an opinion piece published by Tobacco Reporter, Murphy elaborated on the significance of the study to tobacco harm reduction.  

  • Logic Challenges Marketing Denial Of Its Menthol Product

    Logic Challenges Marketing Denial Of Its Menthol Product

    E-cigarette maker Logic filed papers in court on May 9 that challenge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s marketing denial orders (MDO) that it issued against two brands: Logic Pro Menthol E-Liquid Package and Logic Power Menthol E-Liquid Package, reports Bloomberg Law.

     Logic called the FDA’s MDOs “arbitrary and capricious.”

    The 3rd Circuit Court entered a stay on the FDA’s MDOs in December 2022. The MDOs were the FDA’s first-ever MDOs directed at menthol e-cigarette products.

  • Pakistan Urged to Stick with Tax Hike

    Pakistan Urged to Stick with Tax Hike

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    The government of Pakistan should stick with its decision to significantly increase the federal excise duty on cigarettes, according to Sana Ullah Ghumman, general secretary and director operations of Pakistan National Heart Association reports Business Recorder.

    Ghumman suggested that multinational tobacco companies may reduce production after the government announced this tax hike in the mini budget presented earlier this year. The proposed tax increase would force the Pakistani smokers to spend around an average of 10 percent of their monthly incomes on cigarettes, according to estimates.

    The increase is expected to generate an additional PKR60 billion ($212.57 million) in revenue for Pakistan’s treasury.

    Citing a report by Our World in Data showing that smoking causes millions of premature deaths every year, Ghumman argued that higher taxes on tobacco products are the only solution to protect youth from the harmful effects of smoking.

  • Jordan Citizens Complain of High Tobacco Prices

    Jordan Citizens Complain of High Tobacco Prices

    Image: Skórzewiak | Adobe Stock

    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.  

  • 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.