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  • Switzerland to Implement New Tobacco-Ad Rules in 2027

    Switzerland to Implement New Tobacco-Ad Rules in 2027

    Switzerland opened a formal consultation on new tobacco and nicotine advertising restrictions, setting the stage for the rules to take effect in early 2027. The move marks a key step in implementing the “Children and young people without tobacco advertising” initiative approved by voters in 2022, which calls for banning all tobacco ads accessible to minors.

    After protracted debate, parliament adopted a compromise earlier this year. Advertising in newspapers and magazines will be prohibited unless the publication is primarily subscription-based and at least 98% of readers are adults. The draft ordinance also details new age-verification requirements for online ads, e-commerce sales, and vending machines. Proof of age must be confirmed using an official physical or digital ID, including SwissID or the national e-ID.

    Additional rules outline how event organizers must prevent minors from seeing tobacco-sponsored advertising, including mandatory age checks and restricting access to areas where such ads are displayed.

  • Pakistan’s Pouch Market Reshaping Tobacco Landscape

    With a smoking rate of 19.5% and high instances of smoking-related illnesses, Pakistan is beginning to embrace the shift to lower-risk alternative products, including a quickly expanding nicotine pouch market that is not only good news for health advocates but is creating business opportunities as well.

    Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited recently began local production of ZYN at its Sahiwal facility, following British American Tobacco’s early entrance with Velo in 2019, solidifying Pakistan as a key growth market for modern oral nicotine products. Industry momentum is being driven by strong demand from adult tobacco users seeking alternatives to cigarettes and traditional oral products such as paan, naswar, and gutka. A recent LMIC case study cited Pakistan as having the world’s largest consumer base for nicotine pouches, noting toxicant levels far lower than in conventional oral tobacco.

    Local production is boosting jobs, tax revenue, and regulatory oversight, but authorities are expected to weigh stricter age controls, product standards, and monitoring as the category scales.

  • Imperial Canada Urges Action as Illicit Pouch Surge

    Imperial Canada Urges Action as Illicit Pouch Surge

    Imperial Tobacco Canada called on the federal government to act quickly against a growing illicit market for nicotine pouches, following a CBC investigation that found widespread illegal sales in stores and online. The company says a recent Ministerial Order requiring legal pouches to be kept behind pharmacy counters has backfired by pushing consumers toward unregulated, higher-nicotine products sold without age checks.

    “By restricting access to regulated products, the policy has driven consumers straight toward unmonitored, illegal alternatives,” said Eric Gagnon, Imperial’s vice-president of corporate and regulatory affairs. He warned that these illicit pouches often lack quality controls and pose risks to public health, especially for youth.

    Imperial echoed public health expert David Hammond’s call for stronger enforcement, including proactive retail inspections, but said enforcement alone is insufficient. The company argues that allowing approved cessation products to be sold in convenience stores and gas stations—where adult smokers already shop—would help cut demand for illegal alternatives. Imperial’s ZONNIC, the only pouch authorized by Health Canada, is limited to 4 mg of nicotine and must meet strict standards, unlike the illicit products now proliferating across the market.

  • Czech Republic Bans Candy-Flavored Vapes

    Czech Republic Bans Candy-Flavored Vapes

    Candy-flavored e-cigarettes and products containing cannabinoids will not be replenished as they are sold at Czech vape shops under a new law that took effect this week. Retailers have seven months to clear existing stock before the products are prohibited.

    Health experts say the ban is aimed at protecting minors, who they say are especially vulnerable to nicotine addiction and often unaware of the high doses delivered by e-cigarettes. They say nearly 14% of Czechs used e-cigarettes last year, and usage among 15- to 24-year-olds has surged to more than 25%, with most choosing sweet flavors.

    Critics argue that enforcing existing age-restriction laws would be more effective, but supporters point to international evidence suggesting flavor restrictions reduce youth uptake. Fruit-flavored products will remain available, but officials say removing candy-style options is a necessary step to limit early nicotine exposure.

  • Bangladesh Uncovers Major Cigarette Tax-Evasion Scheme

    Bangladesh Uncovers Major Cigarette Tax-Evasion Scheme

    Bangladesh’s National Board of Revenue (NBR) says a raid on United Tobacco Industries Limited in Ishwardi, Pabna, uncovered the equivalent of Tk 90 million ($738,000) in tax-evaded products. Investigators said that despite the company having VAT registration, it was secretly producing and marketing cigarettes without showing formal production activities.

    Authorities seized 634,590 cigarettes carrying fake banderoles—worth more than Tk 3.8 million ($31,000)—linked to nearly Tk 2.9 million ($24,000) in evaded government revenue. They also recovered 1.03 million unused fake banderoles, which the NBR says could have enabled more than Tk 85 million ($697,000) in additional tax losses.

    All materials have been confiscated, legal action is underway, and the VAT Commissionerate will tighten oversight of the company’s operations, the NBR said.

  • BAT to Sell Stake in ITC Hotels to Reduce Debt

    BAT to Sell Stake in ITC Hotels to Reduce Debt

    British American Tobacco announced that its subsidiaries plan to sell between 7% and 15.3% of their shares in ITC Hotels through an accelerated bookbuild. The exact number of shares will be set to optimize pricing. Established in 1975, the business of ITC Hotels has grown to encompass over 140 hotels across more than 90 destinations in the Indian subcontinent.

    Proceeds from the sale will help BAT move toward its “target 2–2.5x net debt/EBITDA leverage” by the end of 2026. BAT’s stake in ITC Hotels arose from a recent demerger and is not considered a strategic holding, CEO Tadeu Marroco said. Final sale details will be disclosed after the transaction closes.

  • Researchers Find Enzyme that Drives Nicotine, Smoking Dependence

    Researchers Find Enzyme that Drives Nicotine, Smoking Dependence

    New research has revealed that astrocytes—brain glial cells once thought to be passive—actively contribute to nicotine-induced changes that reinforce addiction. The study, led by Professor Eun Sang Choe at Pusan National University in South Korea, shows that astrocytic glutamine synthetase (GS) regulates locomotor sensitization after repeated nicotine exposure, highlighting a previously overlooked mechanism in the brain’s reward system.

    Using rat models, the team found that nicotine activated α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on astrocytes in the caudate and putamen, triggering intracellular calcium surges. This led to activation of phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (pJNK), which interacted with metabotropic glutamate receptor 1a (mGluR1a) to boost GS activity and the glutamate-glutamine pathway, enhancing locomotor sensitization. Blocking this pathway with a custom inhibitory peptide reduced GS activity and dampened nicotine-induced behavioral changes.

    The findings underscore the importance of neuron-glia communication in addiction and offer new directions for research into nicotine dependence. While clinical applications remain distant, Professor Choe says the study “deepens our understanding of nicotine addiction, paving the way for development of therapeutic strategies to support smoking-cessation efforts.”

  • Swedish Pouch Manufacturer Opening U.S. Facility

    Swedish Pouch Manufacturer Opening U.S. Facility

    Swedish pouch manufacturer WiJo Pouches NA announced that is has been approved to establish its first U.S. manufacturing site, investing $13.5 million in Lexington County, South Carolina. WiJo Pouches North America, Inc. is expected to add 170 new jobs when it becomes operational by March 2026. The company provides contract manufacturing for nicotine, caffeine, and functional pouches.

    Lexington County Council and the South Carolina Department of Commerce supported the project, which passed council approval unanimously and faced no public opposition.

    Lexington County officials said the project strengthens the region’s international business profile, following other recent manufacturing investments from Cardiff Products, AllTape Adhesive, and Techo-Bloc, all currently under construction.

  • India Raises Cigarette Tax to Curb Consumption

    India Raises Cigarette Tax to Curb Consumption

    India’s parliament approved the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill 2025, a tax reform expected to raise cigarette prices for the country’s estimated 100 million smokers. The bill was introduced on December 1 and passed on December 3.

    The new law replaces a temporary levy and imposes a value-based tax of 2,700–11,000 rupees ($29–$122) per thousand sticks, depending on size, in addition to a 40% goods and services tax. Experts estimate this could raise excise duties by 25–40% on average, potentially prompting higher retail prices. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized that cigarettes should not become affordable, noting that current taxes account for about 53% of retail prices.

  • Sweden Nears Milestone as Europe’s First ‘Smoke-Free’ Nation

    Sweden Nears Milestone as Europe’s First ‘Smoke-Free’ Nation

    Sweden’s smoking rate is in decline this year, putting it on track to become Europe’s first smoke-free country, ready to eclipse the World Health Organization’s 5% threshold, according to Gulf News. Last year, its daily smoking rate fell to 5.2%, a sharp decline from 15% in 2005, credited to long-running public health campaigns and the widespread switch to lower-risk nicotine products such as snus and tobacco-free pouches.

    About 18% of Swedes now use snus or similar products, which, though not risk-free, experts say are far less harmful than cigarettes. Over the past decade, daily smoking has dropped 55%, accompanied by a 38% fall in tobacco-related deaths among men and a 41% decline in lung cancer cases.

    Public health specialists say Sweden’s blend of regulation, clear messaging, and safer alternatives—backed by high social trust—offers a potential roadmap for other nations working to cut smoking rates.