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  • NYC Charges 12 Distributors in Largest Vape Sting in State History

    NYC Charges 12 Distributors in Largest Vape Sting in State History

    New York City carried out the biggest criminal vape enforcement action in its history, resulting in more than a dozen arrests and nearly 40 criminal charges, Governor Kathy Hochul announced on September 3. The crackdown, led by the New York State Department of Health and State Police, targeted businesses accused of illegally selling and distributing vapor products across the state.

    Authorities said many of the seized products were disposable e-cigarettes and flavored e-liquids that are especially appealing to youth. Some devices featured bright packaging, digital display screens, and designs resembling smartphones or video games, raising additional concerns about their appeal to minors.

    Companies caught up in the operation include Shindler Distribution (Vaporush), ePuffer, Vape4Style, Beyond Vape, NYC Glass 718, Vaperdudes, and Shinnecock Vape Shop. “These companies built their business models around breaking New York’s laws and targeting our kids—now we’re holding them accountable,” Hochul said, stressing that the state will continue to pursue offenders aggressively.

  • JT Completes €500 Million Subordinated Bond Issuance

    JT Completes €500 Million Subordinated Bond Issuance

    Japan Tobacco International Financial Services B.V. (JTIFS), a subsidiary of Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT), completed the issuance and settlement of €500 million Euro-denominated subordinated bonds due 2055. The transaction was first announced on August 27.

    The securities, which carry equity-like features while being classified as debt, were launched to refinance JTIFS’s existing subordinated bonds due 2081.

    JT said the transaction, which also included the settlement of a related tender offer, will help strengthen the group’s financial foundation. The new securities are callable at the issuer’s discretion from March 2031 and on subsequent interest payment dates.

  • Texas Ban on Disposable Vapes Takes Effect

    Texas Ban on Disposable Vapes Takes Effect

    Texas outlawed nearly all disposable e-cigarettes under Senate Bill 2024, which took effect on September 1. The law bans the sale, marketing and advertising of vape products that could appeal to minors, including those without nicotine, and specifically targets devices manufactured in China. Refillable vape devices made in the U.S. remain legal.

    Retailer Edgar Ramirez, owner of Smokeex in Killeen, told KWTX reporters the move is devastating. Ramirez said disposable vapes accounted for the majority of his sales, but now his shelves and cabinets sit empty, with more than $4,000 of unsellable inventory in storage. “None of them are made in America at all,” he noted, adding that distributors cannot source compliant products.

    Violators of the new law face a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine. Retailers say the ban leaves them few options as consumers shift away from cigarettes and traditional tobacco.

  • Concerns Rise Over ‘Vitamin Vapes’ Trend

    Concerns Rise Over ‘Vitamin Vapes’ Trend

    The Straits Times in Singapore reported today (September 5) that “vitamin diffusers,” which it says are being marketed aggressively by social media influencers in the UK, Australia, and the United States, are making their way to Southern Asia. Online sellers are promoting them as a wellness-focused alternative to e-cigarettes, but health experts caution that their chemical content is unknown and potentially hazardous.

    Touted as energy boosters, the devices are filled with additives such as caffeine, vitamin B12, essential oils, and even melatonin. Researchers say the trend represents a new phase of misleading advertising.

  • Zimbabwe Hits Record Tobacco Output, Faces Climate Risks

    Zimbabwe Hits Record Tobacco Output, Faces Climate Risks

    Zimbabwe closed its 2025 tobacco marketing season with a record 352.7 million kilograms sold, generating $1.2 billion in revenue—a 53% increase from last year, underscoring the crop’s role as the country’s top foreign currency earner.

    Analysts warn, however, that the gains remain fragile. Industry stakeholders are urging investment in dams, irrigation, and climate-smart practices to sustain growth. Without intervention, they say, Zimbabwe’s record output may prove unsustainable in the face of mounting environmental pressures.

    The sector, dominated by smallholder farmers without irrigation infrastructure, is increasingly vulnerable to climate shocks such as last year’s El Niño-induced drought. Tobacco curing also contributes to deforestation, compounding water scarcity challenges.

  • Australia: Legal Cigarettes Plunge, Black Market Thrives

    Australia: Legal Cigarettes Plunge, Black Market Thrives

    Legal cigarette sales in Australia have dropped 22% in the past year, according to data published yesterday (September 3) from the Australian Bureau of Statistics; however, industry experts point out that not having the overall smoking rate mirror that number exposes the growing dominance of the black market and the challenges it poses for enforcement and government revenues. The Treasury expects tobacco excise collections to fall to A$7.1 billion ($4.6 billion) this year, down 57% from the 2019–20 peak of A$16.3 billion ($10.6 billion), despite years of sharp tax hikes.

    Excise increases of more than 280% since 2013 have lifted the price of a 25-pack to around A$50 ($32.50), driving many smokers toward illicit alternatives costing less than half as much. The Australian Border Force estimates organized crime controls 75% of the trade, smuggling in the equivalent of A$3 billion ($2 billion) in untaxed tobacco last year alone. More than 120 Victorian outlets have been fire-bombed since 2023 in gang turf wars.

    While smoking rates have nearly halved since 2010, health groups warn progress has slowed, even as public finances are squeezed.

  • IKE Report Urges Tech-Driven Solutions to Stem Vaping Issues

    IKE Report Urges Tech-Driven Solutions to Stem Vaping Issues

    Smarter age-verification tools are urgently needed to curb youth vaping and the booming illicit market in the U.S., according to a new report from identity verification specialist IKE Tech. The study, The First Vape-Free Youth Generation, surveyed 5,000 respondents across the U.S. and U.K., including 500 teenagers. It found that while nearly half of U.S. adults believe current regulations are effective, 41% see them as ineffective or counterproductive. Despite FDA crackdowns, flavored disposables remain widely available, fueling both youth uptake and a $2.4 billion illicit vape market in 2024.

    Peer pressure, easy access, and weak age checks are driving the crisis, with 73% of respondents saying minors buy vapes online and 67% noting lax in-store controls. IKE Tech argues that technology-enabled solutions, such as biometric locks and digital age checks at the point of use, are critical to closing enforcement gaps.

    “By integrating age verification directly into the device, we go beyond packaging restrictions and sales bans to ensure that only adults can access these products, no matter where or how they’re sold,” said John Patterson, president of IKE Tech. “It’s time to complement federal regulation with innovative tools that actually work in the real world.”

    Patterson, who will be speaking at GTNF 2025 in Brussels on youth access prevention,  added that “FDA has taken bold steps in restricting flavored e-cigarettes, but enforcement gaps remain, especially with online sales and black market products.”

     Download the full report here.  

  • Sesh Secures $40M to Accelerate U.S. Growth

    Sesh Secures $40M to Accelerate U.S. Growth

    Sesh, an Austin-based, tobacco-free nicotine pouch maker, says it has raised more than $40 million in funding to scale its U.S. business. The financing round, led by 8VC and Jack Link’s CEO Troy Link, included participation from Electric Feel Ventures and a slate of investors spanning retail, entertainment, and manufacturing, including Post Malone, Diplo, and Zac Brown.

    Launched in 2020, Sesh has rapidly expanded into major national retailers such as Buc-ee’s, Sheetz, Quiktrip, AMPM, Circle K West, and Pilot. The company says it is anchored by a patented, pH-balanced formulation from Thomas Ericsson, inventor of Zyn, and that its Ohio-made pouches incorporate MCT oil to enhance mouthfeel and address dryness concerns common in the category.

    “We’re really trying to raise the standard in nicotine,” said founder and CEO Max Cunningham. “It’s important for emerging brands like Sesh to exist in the category, and for it not to be just dominated by Big Tobacco.”

    Cunningham told Fortune magazine the company has 30 full-time employees, availability in more than 5,000 stores across the U.S. and Canada, and is on track to grow 5,000% year over year. “We’re building for the long term,” he said. “This is about quality, trust, and building a nicotine brand that reflects where the market is going — not where it’s been.”

    A PMTA for the 72 Sesh SKUs has been accepted and under review by FDA since 2023.

  • JTI: Mayfair Gold Strengthens Market Position in UK

    JTI: Mayfair Gold Strengthens Market Position in UK

    JTI says its Mayfair Gold continues with strong momentum in 2025, and is the UK’s fastest-growing low-price ready-made cigarette brand. With a 4.4% market share, the brand has established itself as a key player among independents and symbols, driven by strong demand for high-quality products at ultra-value prices since its launch in September 2024, JTI said. The company also said Mayfair Gold’s rolling tobacco is on track to exceed £200 million in retail sales within its first year, underscoring the brand’s rapid ascent in both the RMC and RYO categories.

    The growth comes alongside a series of retailer engagement initiatives on JTI360, including the Mayfair Gold Super Competition, which recently rewarded Salim Patel of The Swan Service Station, Mirfield, England, with a VIP cricket experience at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.

  • Defiance ETFs Launches 2X Philip Morris Fund

    Defiance ETFs Launches 2X Philip Morris Fund

    Defiance ETFs introduced the “Defiance Daily Target 2X Long PM ETF,” an exchange-traded fund (ETF) under the NYSE symbol ZYN. The company clarified that the investment was not a purchase of Philip Morris International (PMI) stock, but an investment in a fund that offers investors twice the daily exposure to PMI. The leveraged product uses swaps and options to achieve its objectives, giving retail investors access to amplified PMI performance without the need for margin accounts.

    PMI, Defiance said, is positioning itself for a future beyond combustible cigarettes, and that the launch reflects investor appetite for targeted exposure to global tobacco majors as they expand their portfolios into smoke-free categories. Defiance said ZYN is designed for sophisticated investors who understand the risks of daily leveraged funds.