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  • All Hands on Deck

    All Hands on Deck

    Photo: The Global Forum on Nicotine

    Tobacco harm reduction is gaining momentum but continues to face many hurdles.

    By Stefanie Rossel

    “Tobacco harm reduction: Here for good“ was the theme of this year’s Global Forum on Nicotine (GFN) conference, which took place in Warsaw June 16–18, 2022. Around 50 speakers and panelists discussed the issues that will determine the future of safer nicotine use and tobacco harm reduction (THR). The meeting was preceded by a day of satellite events and once again featured the International Symposium on Nicotine Technology, which highlighted the latest technological advances in the rapidly changing nicotine delivery landscape.

    Two hundred years after the first snus brand was launched in Sweden and almost 20 years after the Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik invented the modern electronic cigarette, THR continues to face challenges. While THR is making good progress in high-income countries, low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where about 80 percent of global tobacco users live, are mostly excluded. In India, for example, where smokers of bidi cigarettes and consumers of hazardous oral tobaccos such as gutka represent 85 percent to 90 percent of tobacco users, bidi packs do not even carry health warnings. While gutka is officially banned, prohibition is not enforced. Instead, health authorities focus on the harms of vaping. Although vape products are banned in the country, they are readily available on the black market.

    Thailand legalized the cultivation and consumption in food and beverages of cannabis in early June but continues to prohibit vaping under strict penalties. Vapers risk a jail sentence of up to 10 years. An observational study in South African hospitals not only demonstrated that inpatients had a lack of knowledge of nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) but also that doctors in LMICs are often not trained to explain to patients how to use NRTs. Research comparing THR in Russia, China, Indonesia and India found that once smokers have understood that combustible cigarettes are harmful, the key challenge is changing behavior. In Russia and China, consumers are generally aware of reduced-risk products (RRPs) whereas in India and Indonesia, nicotine is considered the most harmful constituent, and few people know that RRPs exist.

    Uncontrolled Influence

    Most LMICs have ratified the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which takes a dim view of vaping. This position is backed by one of its largest donors, billionaire and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. In his keynote presentation, journalist Marc Gunther demonstrated that philanthropy is an excise of power that requires scrutiny.

    By pumping millions of dollars into nonprofits and anti-vaping groups worldwide while funding university researchers, a media initiative and a nonprofit health consultancy through the Bloomberg Philanthropies foundation has created an effective global anti-vaping campaign that is not driven by science, according to Gunther. For example, The Union a Bloomberg-backed nongovernmental organization headquartered in Paris, recently published a paper calling for a ban on all e-cigarettes in LMICs. Most damaging, Gunther said, was the relationship between Bloomberg and the WHO, which the billionaire has generously funded with many millions of dollars for a variety of projects, including $5 million for its tobacco work in 2019.

    While few countries ban RRPs outright, the products often face prohibition by stealth. This month, Germany started applying a tax to e-cigarettes, which came on top of the previously applied value tax. With e-liquids now being taxed by volume, their price has almost doubled, which prevents smokers from switching as it conveys the impression that a product taxed so high must be equally as harmful as combustible cigarettes.

    In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration picks the winners and losers through its tobacco product authorization process with little regard for consumers. The agency’s requirement for comprehensive scientific documentation of a product’s contribution to the protection of public health represents a hurdle that only the largest and most amply funded nicotine companies can manage.

    Prohibiting elements that make vapor products appeal to smokers, such as nontobacco flavors, are also a kind of stealth prohibition that has no effect on overall smoking or vaping prevalence. U.S. states that ban flavors miss out on tax revenues and Master Settlement Agreement money while the number of smokers stays the same and vapers buy their products in neighboring states. Prohibition by stealth, panelists agreed, stifles innovation and, given the discrimination against vape products compared to combustibles, may be potentially illegal in trade law terms.

    Academic Freedom Under Threat

    Misinformation about RRPs and the question of who can be trusted remains one of the biggest issues in tobacco harm reduction. While the trust in science has generally increased through Covid-19, countless flawed studies on less hazardous nicotine products continue to circulate, contributing to misperceptions among consumers. Google Scholar ranks studies according to popularity rather than quality, so even two years after e-cigarette or vaping use associated lung injury (EVALI), studies attributing the outbreak to nicotine vapes rather than illicit THC products still feature prominently in search results. But even research professionals are often interested only in the title, abstract and conclusion of a study and thus fail to detect flawed methodologies.

    A recent example of misinformation is the claim by several emission studies that the aerosol of vape products is polluted with heavy metals. By providing a concise explanation of the ingredients of e-liquids and the complex chemical processes that take place in a device during vaping, Miroslaw Dworniczak, a Polish chemist and author, refuted this assumption, concluding that despite the presence of some potentially dangerous compounds, e-cigarettes were far less risky than regular cigarettes. Mexican physicist Roberto Sussman, who examined 12 studies on metals in e-cigarette emissions, found that all of them were methodologically flawed.

    Having become ideological rather than evidence-based, the health debate about vaping is full of contradictions. Mark Tyndall, an infectious disease specialist from Canada, compared his experience working with HIV with the experience in vaping. It took 40 years for HIV to lose its association with fear, blame and stigma—issues that smokers and vapers are facing too. Medical treatment of AIDS was the greatest breakthrough—vaping, he claimed, could be a similarly efficient weapon to treat smoking.

    Stigma is also present in the academic world, and it goes far beyond suspicion of tobacco-funded studies. Scientists detected “the ghost of Senator Joseph R. McCarthy,” the paranoid U.S. communist hunter of the 1950s, as they often confronted hostility from fellow academics and institutions. Experiences of suppressed academic freedom ranged from a lack of institutional support for THR research to “mobbing” and exclusion from faculties.

    Here for Good, but …

    So, is tobacco industry transformation a myth or a reality? Sharing her view from the corporate side, Flora Okereke, head of global regulatory insights and foresights at BAT, said that her company’s efforts to help smokers switch to less risky products—and therefore doing something for society—had given employees a sense of pride. Peter Stanbury, a political economist, evaluator and management consultant, pointed out that companies such as British Petroleum are also in the process of transformation, driven internally by people who realize that change is required and externally by regulation.

    In advancing tobacco harm reduction, regional networks in THR consumer advocacy play a vital role. Nancy Loucas, founder and executive coordinator for the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates, related how her organization, faced with challenges such as government interests in tobacco growing and manufacturing, notably in China and Indonesia, and foreign philanthropist influence in the development of policy, achieved a paradigm shift in several countries by working with an expert advisory group.

    Tobacco harm reduction, panelists agreed, is here to stay; consumers have a right to it. But accessibility of THR will remain a problem, and more restrictions are on the horizon.

    Stefanie Rossel is Tobacco Reporter’s editorial contributor. An experienced trade journalist, she combines sharp reporting skills with in-depth knowledge of the tobacco and vapor industries. Prior to joining Tobacco Reporter, Stefanie was editor-in-chief at Tobacco Journal International, where she worked for a decade. Fluent in English, German and French, Stefanie covers tobacco news around the world. She is based in Germany.
  • Philippines: Illegal Trade Thrived During Covid

    Philippines: Illegal Trade Thrived During Covid

    Photo: TR archive

    Illegal tobacco traders did brisk business in the Philippines during the Covid-19 pandemic, reports The Manila Bulletin, citing data presented during a recent webinar organized by the National Tobacco Administration (NTA).

    According to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) revenue loss from illegal tobacco trade went up by 662 percent to PHP3.1 billion ($59.3 million) in 2020 from just PHP406.9 million in 2019. 

    During the webinar, Representative Jericho Jonas B. Nograles, said the BOC seized PHP132.56 million worth of fake cigarettes. According to Euromonitor International, about 13 percent of the total cigarettes sold in the Philippines are illegal. 

    “What happened in the last few years? Number one: unemployment and a decrease in income have put pressure on the household budget. It’s difficult to stop smoking, but it’s easy to spend money. People want to save money amidst rising prices of commodities and decreasing household income,” Nograles explained at the NTA webinar. 

     The pandemic also made it difficult for authorities to crack down on illegal activity, according to the BIR. “We were not able to operate on a massive implementation because we cannot go into some areas that are under lockdown,” said Attorney Beverly Milo, head, revenue executive assistant for the BIR’s Large Taxpayers Service Excise.

    In Jan. 2022, cigarette prices went up due to a PHP55 percent increase in excise tax. A study by management consulting firm Alvarez and Marsal cited a 97 percent correlation between taxes and tobacco prices, in which the illegal tobacco trade grows as the legal options become more unaffordable. 

    Tobacco products like cigarettes are among the most smuggled goods in the ASEAN region. According to the World Bank, the global trade of illicit tobacco is worth between $40 billion and $50 billion. 

    The Philippines neighbors struggle with illicit tobacco trade, too. Malaysia lost out on tax earnings of approximately MYR1 billion ($228,83 million) in 2020.

     All ASEAN member states save for Indonesia are signatories of the WHO Convention on Tobacco Control. This requires countries to suppress the illegal tobacco trade. However, no ASEAN states are part of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, which requires cooperation and information sharing between countries, including international organizations and customs offices. 

    Nograles recommended strengthening enforcement and ramping up cooperation as measures to eradicate the illegal tobacco trade. This should include improving intelligence sharing between agencies and implementing stringent frameworks for the prosecution and conviction of illegal traders,” he said. 

  • New Papers On Tobacco Harm Reduction

    New Papers On Tobacco Harm Reduction

    Gerry Stimson (Photo: KAC)

    Knowledge Action Change (KAC) has launched the latest in a series of briefing papers as part of its Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction project. Titled What is Tobacco Harm Reduction?, the publication provides a detailed introduction to the principles, history and evidence for this vital public health strategy.

    For the 1.1 billion people across the world who smoke combustible cigarettes, tobacco harm reduction is a potentially life-saving approach. Like other forms of harm reduction, it recognizes that simply quitting isn’t possible for all smokers. People smoke for the nicotine, but nicotine itself does not cause smoking-related death and disease—it’s the chemicals inhaled in tobacco smoke. Removing combustion reduces the risk. For those people who can’t or don’t want to quit nicotine, tobacco harm reduction offers a chance to switch to safer nicotine products including nicotine vapes, tobacco-free nicotine pouches, Swedish-style snus, many U.S. smokeless tobaccos and heated tobacco products.

    Many of these products have only been developed in the past 10-15 years, but they are proving increasingly popular. Research published in March by the GSTHR estimates there were 82 million vapers worldwide in 2021. This represents a 20 percent increase on the figure for 2020 (68 million), meaning safer nicotine products are now being used by 112 million people worldwide. A striking example of tobacco harm reduction’s potential can be found in Scandinavia. Sweden now has the lowest rate of tobacco-related disease in Europe, thanks to Swedish men switching from smoking to snus, and in Norway, 12 percent of women aged 16-24 use snus daily while only 1 percent smoke.

    In England, tobacco harm reduction can play a key role in the government’s bold ambition to make the country smoke-free (defined as a prevalence rate of under 5 percent of the population) by 2030, according to KAC. The uptake of vaping has been accompanied by a rapid decline in smoking. Vapes are the most popular way to stop smoking, with 3.6 million people vaping in Great Britain, of whom 2.4 million have completely quit combustible cigarettes. But tobacco is still the single largest cause of preventable mortality in England with nearly 75,000 smokers dying from smoking in 2019 and figures show nearly one in 10 pregnant women are smoking at the time of delivery.

    An end to smoking is possible—but the widest range of harm reduction products, from nicotine vapes and heated tobacco products to non-tobacco nicotine pouches and Swedish-style snus, should be available, accessible, appropriate and affordable to all.

    Gerry Stimson, director, KAC

    Continuing to drive down smoking rates is crucial if the U.K. government is to tackle the health disparities caused by smoking that currently see a disproportionate burden falling on the most disadvantaged families and communities. Smoking rates vary significantly across the country—for example in Blackpool about one in five people smoke (19.8 percent), compared to about one in 20 in Richmond upon Thames (6 percent). Rates are also very high among people who experience drug and alcohol problems (56 percent of those entering treatment smoke), people who are homeless (of whom 77 percent in England smoke) and people who live with mental health problems (of whom 26.8 percent in England smoke).

    But adopting tobacco harm reduction will not just help the U.K. counter the impacts of smoking, according to KAC. It has huge potential as a global public health solution. Smoking is responsible for 7.7 million deaths a year and current tobacco control measures are failing to reduce the death and disease caused by smoking fast enough.

    Translated into Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, French, Portuguese, Indonesian, Swahili, Japanese, German, Polish, Hindi and Arabic, this GSTHR briefing paper is intended to start conversations in countries across the world where harm reduction has yet to be recognized.

    “An end to smoking is possible—but the widest range of harm reduction products, from nicotine vapes and heated tobacco products to non-tobacco nicotine pouches and Swedish-style snus, should be available, accessible, appropriate and affordable to all,” said Gerry Stimson, director of KAC and emeritus professor at Imperial College London.

    “Strong government support is also needed to ensure access for marginal and vulnerable groups. The gains will be evident in the lives saved and the communities protected. Crucially, tobacco harm reduction is an extremely low cost yet effective strategy—a rare example of a health intervention that doesn’t require significant government expenditure, as consumers bear the cost. An end to smoking is possible—and tobacco harm reduction is the key.”

  • A Balancing Act

    A Balancing Act

    Photos: Taco Tuinstra

    Embracing tobacco harm reduction might help Indonesia ease the tension between dependence on tobacco revenues and rising healthcare costs.

    By Stefanie Rossel

    Tobacco or health—for Indonesia, the choice embodied in that slogan presents a real dilemma. On the one hand, the world’s second-largest cigarette market and fifth-largest producer of leaf tobacco is highly dependent on the revenue from the sector. Statista expects revenue from the cigarette segment to reach $24.86 billion in 2022, up 5.8 percent from 2021. On the other hand, the country is facing increasing healthcare costs for the treatment of tobacco-related illness. An October 2021 study by the Indonesian Development Foundation found that tobacco-induced morbidity, disability and premature deaths were responsible for economic losses of IDR375 trillion ($26.04 billion) in 2019—a fifth of the total state budget.

    Indonesia is unlikely to find a way out of this quandary soon. Smoking and tobacco cultivation have been deeply rooted in the nation’s culture since the 19th century. The market is unique in that it is largely dominated by kreteks or clove cigarettes, which represent around 95 percent of all cigarette sales. While tobacco consumption has been declining, Indonesians still smoked a whopping 300.2 billion cigarettes in 2019. With roughly 75 percent, the vast majority of cigarettes consumed are machine-made kreteks. Hand-rolled kreteks account for around 20 percent of the market.

    Indonesia has one of the highest smoking rates in the world. According to a national survey from 2018, the country is home to almost 100 million smokers. More than one-third (33.6 percent) of adults use tobacco. Smoking is a male habit; 62.9 percent of men are smokers compared to only 4.8 percent of women. Worryingly, smoking is also common—and increasing—among minors. Ministry of Health data show that 33.8 percent of youths under the age of 15 smoked in 2018, up from 32.8 percent in 2016. Other data suggest that an estimated 20 percent of children under the age of 10 have tried a cigarette.

    The Covid-19 pandemic, in combination with cigarette excise tax increases, has depressed incomes and pushed smokers toward lower priced products, a trend the industry has met with smaller packages. This, in turn, has driven up demand for higher tar kreteks.

    In 2020, five major corporations controlled almost 90 percent of the Indonesian cigarette market, according to the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance. Sampoerna led the market with a share of 32.5 percent followed by Gudang Garam (27.5 percent), Djarum (18.7 percent), Bentoel (8 percent) and Nojorono Tobacco Indonesia (3 percent). The remaining 10.3 percent are made up by an estimated 500 small-sized to medium-sized manufacturers.

    Tobacco is a major employer, providing work to 5.98 million people, of which 4.28 million work in the cigarette manufacturing and distribution sectors and 1.7 million in tobacco cultivation, according to the Indonesian Development Foundation. In 2019, this corresponded to 0.34 percent of total employment in the manufacturing sector. As in many tobacco-cultivating countries, leaf is grown mainly by small-scale farmers who rely solely on tobacco. The tobacco farming sector also struggles with child labor. In 2002, Indonesia committed to eliminating it in all forms by 2022. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor noted that Indonesia had made “moderate advancement” toward this goal (see “Homework Due,” Tobacco Reporter, February 2021).

    The tobacco industry remains a major employer in Indonesia.

    Incoherent Policies

    With tobacco playing such a large role in the country’s economy, Indonesia’s tobacco control efforts have been halfhearted. It is one of only nine countries that have yet to ratify the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Decentralized decision-making has led to fragmented policies. Responsibility for tobacco policy is spread among the president’s office, six national ministries and an independent agency.

    Nonetheless, some progress has been made. Since 2014, cigarette makers must print pictorial health warnings covering 40 percent of each pack. Smoking bans have been implemented for public transport, healthcare facilities, educational facilities, places of worship and playgrounds. Tobacco advertising on TV and radio remains permitted with certain restrictions. There is no minimum age limit to buy cigarettes, and selling cigarettes by the stick is common practice.

    Despite regular excise tax hikes, cigarette prices in Indonesia remain among the lowest in the Asia-Pacific region. The tobacco excise tax remains far below the 75 percent of retail price recommended by the WHO. Indonesia’s tobacco taxation system is also dauntingly complex. Until recently, cigarette tax rates were divided into 10 tiers based on product type, volume and price. The tiers are meant to protect smaller manufacturers and local jobs from competition. Under the government’s 2017 “tobacco roadmap,” the number of tax tiers were supposed to be cut to five by 2021 to reduce the incentive for smokers to switch to cheaper products. The plan, however, was withdrawn in 2019. In November 2018, the coordinating ministry of economic affairs launched a new tobacco roadmap emphasizing the importance of the industry and arguing for its protection until 2025.

    Effective Jan. 1, 2022, Indonesia increased its tobacco excise across cigarette types by an average of 12 percent. In addition, the number of tax tiers was reduced from 10 to eight. According to the ministry of finance, the tax reform aims to counter the rising healthcare costs caused by increasing smoking prevalence and to reduce the smoking rate among adolescents aged 10 years to 18 years.

    Harris Siagian

    Promoting Tobacco Harm Reduction

    To help the country escape move forward, the Indonesian Development Foundation has proposed a tobacco transformation program that seeks to address certain policy gaps. It has created a roadmap that, among other things, proposes to complement existing policies with harm reduction initiatives. By emphasizing reduced-risk products (RRPs), the foundation believes Indonesia can reach smokers who have been overlooked by the current policies.

    “The draft roadmap targets to diminish substantial economic costs and productivity losses associated with cigarette smoking by introducing a cost-benefit analysis approach to estimate the strengths and weaknesses of alternative, reduced-risk products,” explains Harris Siagian, one of the authors of the report. “It will measure and compare the costs of cigarette smoking-attributable diseases and the economic costs of reduced-risk product use.”

    The guideline also recommends increasing the affordability and accessibility of RRPs. According to its authors, the excise tax on RRPs should be lower than that for combustible products.

    Indonesia classifies noncigarette tobacco products as “other tobacco processing products,” or Hasil Pengolahan Tembakau Lainnya (HPTL). These include molasses-based tobacco products, snuff, chewing tobacco and RRPs, such as e-cigarettes and heated-tobacco products (HTP). All HPTL products are subject to the maximum excise tax rate of 57 percent.

    Among RRPs, e-cigarettes, which hit the market in 2010, are significantly more popular than HTPs, which were introduced to Indonesia in 2019, and the vape market is growing. According to the Indonesian Development Foundation Report, there were 2.2 million vapers in the country in 2020. Apart from provisions on import and excise tariffs, there is no specific and comprehensive regulation of HPTL products yet, and policies appear uncoordinated between regulators. While the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency would like to ban vape products altogether, claiming they could be a gateway to youth smoking, the health ministry wants to regulate e-cigarettes as conventional tobacco products. This, in turn, is opposed by the ministry of agriculture, which fears that such regulation would burden tobacco farmers.

    Indonesia aims to simplify its complex tax ystem.

    Complex Task

    To address such conflicts, the Indonesian Development Foundation committee team advocates incorporating RRPs in the national smoking cessation programs. “The products will be available to users, on an incentive basis, through registered outlets and clinics,” says Siagian. To help fund the initiative, the committee suggests using money from the revenue-sharing fund of tobacco products excise, which collects 2 percent of the total tobacco excise funds at the national level and distributes it to regional governments.

    The roadmap also takes farmers into consideration. Locally grown tobacco will be directed toward RRPs, and farmers will be encouraged to diversify into other crops. To help eliminate child labor, the program calls for strengthening local government initiatives to provide basic education access and other supportive measures for children involved in tobacco farming.

    Affordability is a well-known challenge to the success of RRPs in low-income and middle-income countries. Nonetheless, Siagian is confident that RRPs will succeed in Indonesia: “Over the past 20 years, there has been a significant shift of the vulnerable lower middle-class population that has climbed out of poverty and into the aspiring educated middle class, and these demographic groups are shifting toward more health-conscious and hygiene products, including in their use of tobacco products,” he says.

    “The educated middle class, which currently accounts for 52 million people out of a total population of 273 million Indonesians, are favoring e-cigarettes as part of their lifestyle, and these population groups are more open to healthy-yet-stylish products, which means a great opportunity for RRPs. The Indonesian middle class has been a major driver of economic growth as the group’s consumption has grown at 12 percent annually since 2002 and now represents close to half of all household consumption in Indonesia, which means that price is not a major concern for these groups when purchasing RRPs. A suitable brand ambassador, product choices, accessibility and affordability will play an important role in RRPs for the middle-class groups.”

    Transforming Indonesia’s tobacco control policies will be a tough nut to crack. The Indonesian Development Foundation’s proposed roadmap, therefore, is a multi-step plan, with the first stage of implementation expected to be concluded within a two-year period—provided that the country’s development priority plan, which includes the elimination of child labor, remains under the control of the current government, says Siagian. “The overall program is expected to be accomplished in five years, with an additional three years of implementation under the next government as the continuation of the first-stage program,” he says.

     

    Stefanie Rossel is Tobacco Reporter’s editorial contributor. An experienced trade journalist, she combines sharp reporting skills with in-depth knowledge of the tobacco and vapor industries. Prior to joining Tobacco Reporter, Stefanie was editor-in-chief at Tobacco Journal International, where she worked for a decade. Fluent in English, German and French, Stefanie covers tobacco news around the world. She is based in Germany.
  • Laser Liaison

    Laser Liaison

    Photos: Heinen Koehl

    Heinen Koehl’s coding equipment combines serialization and aggregation in one unit.

    By Stefanie Rossel

    Last November, parties to the Protocol on Eliminating Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products gathered virtually to strengthen the treaty that had entered into force three years earlier. Among the decisions adopted was a roadmap to improve the global track-and-trace system. Currently, use of track-and-trace systems for tobacco products is probably most advanced in the European Union, where it is regulated under articles 15 and 16 of the Tobacco Products Directive. For cigarettes and roll-your-own products, the EU has mandated traceability and security features since May 20, 2019. By May 2024, it will be compulsory for all other tobacco products, including cigars, cigarillos and smokeless tobacco products, as well.

    For tobacco product manufacturers, placing individual identifying codes on each pack and then on each bundle is a challenging additional step in the production process. Heinen Koehl, a Luxemburg-based supplier of processing and logistics equipment for the tobacco industry, has developed several machines to facilitate that process. The Label Application System (LAS) and the Laser Coding Extension (LCE) have been designed for “pack-to-bundle” aggregation.

    “The LAS applies a bundle label onto the head side of each bundle and verifies this bundle with a camera. In contrast to the LAS, the LCE serializes each single pack within the bundle with a laser to provide it with a unique track-and-trace code,” says Stefan Hahn, managing director at Heinen Koehl. “This code is then verified with a camera system to carry out the aggregation. Contrary to traditional solutions available in the market, where various printing technologies such as CO2 or ink printers have to be implemented into existing bundle packers, we have developed a patented stand-alone solution. By using a special laser designed by expert company Koenig and Bauer Coding, we can apply the unique track-and-trace code to the pack through the overwrap without destroying the film. This is not only an advantage in production, but also for the security, availability and performance of the track-and-trace system.”

    Standardized Solution

    Easy integration is the greatest benefit of the LAS and LCE, which together can be built into the production line without changing the existing equipment. Since existing machinery doesn’t have to be adapted to additional hardware and functionality, the implementation time is significantly shorter than with other solutions. Similarly, the stand-alone combination can easily be moved to another production line or location without complex conversions of existing equipment, according to Hahn.

    “With our solutions, serialization and aggregation of individual packs into bundles is carried out in one unit,” he says. “Other technologies require several production steps between serialization and aggregation, which means potential risks for the track-and-trace functionality.”

    According to Heinen Koehl, the LAS/LCE combination is a standardized solution independent from packer type. This means that operators and maintenance staff don’t need special training. Maintenance is similar for both machines within a manageable expenditure of time.

    The LAS/LCE combination can be adapted to all bundle types and sizes and allows for easy format changes. It has been designed for all speed ranges with up to 100 bundles per minute and up to 1,000 packs per minute, respectively.

    While the LAS/LCE is presently being used for coding packs and bundles of cigarettes and cigars, Heinen Koehl has developed an additional machine especially for roll-your-own and pipe tobacco pouches based on the same technology. Known as LAS Pouch, this machine combines coding, verification, bundle label application and aggregation into one system that lasers the track-and-trace code on the pouch through the film.

    Heinen Koehl also offers solutions for the manual aggregation of tobacco products that can be adapted to customer requirements and minimize disruption of the production process.

    Suitable also for yet-to-be-regulated markets, Heinen Koehl is delivering its coding equipment to customers worldwide, including to clients in the U.S., Europe, Russia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. As track-and-trace requirements spread around the world, Hahn says he sees great potential in other markets as well.

    Stefanie Rossel is Tobacco Reporter’s editorial contributor. An experienced trade journalist, she combines sharp reporting skills with in-depth knowledge of the tobacco and vapor industries. Prior to joining Tobacco Reporter, Stefanie was editor-in-chief at Tobacco Journal International, where she worked for a decade. Fluent in English, German and French, Stefanie covers tobacco news around the world. She is based in Germany.
  • Holography: Helping Stamp Out Tobacco Counterfeiting

    Holography: Helping Stamp Out Tobacco Counterfeiting

    IHMA says holography plays a key part in tobacco tax stamp programs. Image credit: OpSec

    Paul Dunn, chair of the International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA), looks at how holography plays an effective part in tobacco tax stamp programs.

    Illicit smuggling and counterfeiting cost treasuries billions of dollars a year in lost revenue. And it’s not just a financial cost that affects governments—tobacco manufacturers can see brands tarnished, revenues tumble and market capitalization dented through the counterfeiting of their products. Current figures indicate that the trade in fake tobacco is worth upward of $50 billion annually worldwide, according to a 2020 World Bank report and accounts for approximately 600 billion illicit cigarettes per year.

    It’s against such a global backdrop that holographic security features continue to be widely utilized in tax stamp programs as effective weapons in the war on counterfeiting, assisting governments in securing tobacco excise duty as a critical source of revenue while also providing a highly effective way of controlling and limiting consumption.

    To help tackle the counterfeiting problem, nearly 120  billion tax stamps, in the form of securely affixed labels, are issued annually by hundreds of provincial and national revenue agencies around the world in more than 90 countries. The vast majority (90 percent) are used on tobacco products. This suggests that governments and law enforcement continue to see their value as central features in effective revenue gathering strategies.

    Tax stamps serve two purposes. The first is to provide a record of tax payment, and digitally based tax stamps enable products to be tracked and traced, providing a record of a tobacco product’s journey from the factory floor to the hands of the consumer. The second role is to provide evidence that the stamp—and hence the product it’s affixed to—is genuine. So, the physical integrity of the stamp—protected by security print, taggants and, in many cases, holograms—fulfills this latter requirement. The European Union Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) also includes the option of incorporating a hologram as an overt feature.

    Growth of tax stamps is driven by increased global cigarette consumption on the back of rapid population growth, particularly in developing parts of the world. And, of course, as demand has grown, so too has the trade in illicit products produced by ever more sharp counterfeiters and international criminal organizations. Many counterfeits are intrinsically unsafe and drive incidences in poisoning and deaths due to fake, illicit or substitute products reaching the hands of both innocent and complicit consumers.

    The Right Time

    Now, more than ever, the time is right for everyone with a vested intertest in having a strong and legitimate tobacco sector to come together over illicit trade and lost tax revenues. With the tobacco traceability requirements of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Protocol entering into force in 2023, countries that are party to the Protocol have less than two years left to implement appropriate systems. Tax stamps can be the foundation of a highly effective tobacco control program and should include strong holography-based authentication features.

    A tax stamp, which is defined by ISO 22382 as a “visible stamp, label or mark placed on certain types of consumer goods to show that the applicable excise tax has been paid,” can be an integral element of track-and-trace programs and best practice within the sector, effectively monitoring the location and movement of goods throughout the supply chain from manufacture to point-of-sale. A secure track-and-trace program works by assigning a unique individual identity to each item—a pack of cigarettes, for example—during the manufacturing process.

    Once assigned, the identity is stored in a secure database and updated every time there is a significant event, such as a change of ownership or payment of tax due, and supports authentication throughout the supply chain. This produces a comprehensive product history; it means that if the pack (or bottle, in the case of alcohol stamps) is found in a place or state that is irregular, its provenance can be fully traced back and the responsible party held accountable.

    The digital traceability features of tax stamps, combined with their material security features and tamperproof functionality, are the most robust means to ensure tax compliance, audit optimization and product protection.

    Governments and law enforcement agencies around the world are strident in their resolve to find better solutions for protecting tax-raising stamps against the indelible mark of the counterfeiter—a role holographic technology fulfills. The first country to issue a tax stamp featuring a hologram was Romania in 1995. Since then, the number of countries using holography to improve the security of their tax stamps has grown to more than 30. They include Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Zambia and several EU states.

    Out of the 22 Indian states that use tax stamps, 19  currently feature a hologram, while in the U.S., the state of Michigan has  developed stamps developed around a holographic security feature with in-built levels of additional security. While cigarette consumption has been in long-term decline in the state, the U.S. project yielded a significant rise in cigarette excise tax collections.

    Application Success

    In Africa, Mozambique is the latest country to adopt new holographic tax stamps and should any one of the continent’s highly populated countries decide to introduce stamps, then the volumes and the value of tax stamps in circulation would escalate significantly. Other parts of the world, large areas of South and Central America and Asia, are seeing more tax stamps emerging where economic prosperity has the best chance of maturing. In these places, in excess of 5 trillion cigarettes are smoked per year (96 percent of all tobacco sales), with volume expected to increase in line with population and economic growth.

    Clearly, these are huge volumes but also an enormous opportunity for resourceful counterfeiters ready to take advantage of regional markets where governments and security agencies either lack the wherewithal to tackle the problem or present resources are overstretched.

    According to Nicola Sudan, secretary general of the International Tax Stamp Association (and also author of the report), “holograms have been one of the cornerstone security technologies since the mid-1990s and, although the emphasis on tax stamps, particularly those used on cigarettes, is now on digital technologies for track-and-trace, authentication remains a core function, and holograms continue to serve that function.”  

    It’s clear that holography is a technology that governments and agencies can rely upon and value as an effective, reliable and dynamic security solution—a critical part of an effective tax stamp program. It’s also apparent that suppliers of components, products and systems to the tobacco sector can rely on this most resourceful and flexible of security devices to protect investments and brand quality.

    Paul Dunn is chair of International Hologram Manufacturers Association, which represents leading producers and converters of holograms for banknote security, anti-counterfeiting, brand protection, packaging, graphics and other commercial applications

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    TR December 2024

    Tobacco Reporter’s parent organization, TMA, has decided to discontinue its trade publications. This issue is our last.

    TR November 2023

    In Tobacco Reporter’s November 2024 issue, we look back on another successful edition of the Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum (GTNF), which took place Sept. 24-26 in Athens this year.

    While it’s impossible to do justice to this event in a just handful of Tobacco Reporter pages, we have highlighted key moments and takeaways that not only illustrate the depth and breadth of the forum, but will also demonstrate to those who missed this year’s edition why they simply cannot afford to skip the next one, in 2025.

    The GTNF was not the only tobacco event this northern hemisphere fall. In the wake of the 2024 Coresta Congress, which took place Oct. 13-17 in Edinburgh, George Gay took the opportunity to interview Danielle Tower, group head of scientific and regulatory affairs at BAT, the host of the Congress, about the tremendous opportunity presented by tobacco harm reduction.

    Ivan Genov reports from the International Tobacco Growers Association annual general meeting, which convened in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, this year, and public health veteran Scott D. Ballin stresses the continued importance of “safe-haven” dialogues between stakeholder in a time of division and animosity.

    Also in this issue: A report from Pakistan, where a Sudanese order for 10-stick packs has caused considerable controversy.

    TR October 2024

    In Tobacco Reporter’s October 2024 issue, Cheryl Olson reflects on how the entry of heated tobacco might change the U.S. market. Due to a combination of regulation and an intellectual property dispute, American smokers have been deprived of tobacco-heating products that have become ubiquitous in many other markets.

    As Philip Morris International prepares to (re)introduce its IQOS device there, it’s worth examining the challenges and opportunities facing heated tobacco in the world’s most lucrative tobacco market.

    Barnaby Page examines the EU position on novel nicotine products as the trade bloc crafts a new Tobacco Products Directive, and George Gay explores how flexible packaging can be used to help manufacturers in responding to the EU’s nascent Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations.

    Vladislav Vorotnikov looks at the impact of war on the tobacco trade in Gaza, and Brand Finance unveils its latest ranking of the most valuable tobacco brands.

    Also in this issue: The 2024 recipients of Tobacco Reporter’s Golden Leaf Awards.

    TR September 2024

    Tobacco Reporter’s September 2024 issue highlights investments in Azerbaijan’s tobacco sector.

    Market leader Tabaterra has been expanding cigarette production and is in the process of moving into a brand-new production facility, generating not only new employment but also creating potential for exports.

    In addition, the company has been reviving Azerbaijani leaf production. Supporting its farmers base and promoting good agricultural practices,  the company is bringing tobacco quality in line with international standards.

    Stefanie Rossel asks experts what’s next in vaping technology, and looks head at Philip Morris International’s relaunch of IQOS heat-not-burn products in the United States. 

    Marissa Dean interviews Filtrona about its investment in more sustainable filters and Arac stresses the critical role of site visits and quality controls in behavioral science research. Also in the issue: an interview with SWM International’s president and CEO, Katrin Hanske, about the company’s continued commitment to excellence in the wake of its takeover by Evergreen Hill Enterprise.

    TR August 2024

    August 2024 is Tobacco Reporter’s nicotine issue. We invited three subject matter experts to approach the topic from different angles.

    Clive Bates speculates what the transforming market for nicotine products might look like by 2040; Barnaby Page explores the deeply opposing views held by tobacco harm reduction advocates on the one hand and some policymakers on the other; and Cheryl K. Olson examines how research methods can distort nicotine effects and risks.

    As part of our regular coverage, Stefanie Rossel spoke to experts about the ongoing shortage of leaf tobacco and investigated the potential benefits of reduced-risk products to oral health. George Gay comments on the generational tobacco ban proposed by the previous U.K. government and picked up by the new one, and Marissa Dean pays tribute to Ronald Woodthrope of Hampshire Tobacco Machinery Services, who passed away in March.

    Also in this issue: the FDA’s first approval of a mentholated vape product.

    TR July 2024

    For its July 2024 issue, Tobacco Reporter visited Bhutan to investigate that country’s tobacco ban and subsequent U-turn. What factors contributed to the Himalayan kingdom’s change of heart? And what lessons does its experience hold for other nations contemplating tobacco-free generations and “endgames?”

    Tim Donahue examines the impact of vape product registry bills in the United States as states try to compensate for meek federal enforcement. George Gay reports from Zambia, which wants to step out of the shadow of its tobacco powerhouse neighbor, Zimbabwe, and make a name for itself on the global leaf market. Stefanie Rossel visited Cerdia’s filter colloquium.

    Also in this issue: a report on Alliance One International’s seed industrialization unit in Brazil and a profile of Your Tobacco Link, a new leaf global merchant combining the strengths of JEB International and Tobacco Trading and Services.

    TR June 2024

    Tobacco Reporter’s June 2024 issue highlights a breakthrough with the potential to significantly enhance vaping safety, performance and experience. Whereas most developments over the past years have focused on finetuning the substrates and print materials in ceramic-based systems, Greentank insists its heating chip technology is  ‘unlike anything witnessed in the industry before.’

    Clive Bates explains why those committed to minimizing the risks of nicotine consumption should celebrate realists and beware of idealists, while Cheryl Olson examines tobacco harm reduction in the Middle East—a region with traditionally high rates of smoking.

    Pieter Vorster and Sudhanshu Patwardhan debate whether tobacco harm reduction is reaching The Global South, and Stefanie Rossel reports on a novel nicotine particulate from TJP Labs.

    Also in this issue: dispatches from China, Poland and Japan, along with a profile of SPI Developments, where Henri Tuck recently handed the reigns to Danielle Roxborough.

    TR May 2024

    In its May 2024 issue, Tobacco Reporter covers the mad scramble for Brazil’s smaller-than-expected tobacco crop this year. In an in-depth article, Taco Tuinstra analyzes not only the current marketing season, but also the long-term challenges facing Brazil’s tobacco industry, which include acute labor shortages, an aging grower base and increased regulatory focus on farming in the wake of the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

    Cheryl Olson examined how people stop smoking in “the real world.” While randomized controlled trials are the widely acknowledged gold standard in research, they fail to capture the often messy quitting experiences of millions.

    George Gay visited BAT’s recently inaugurated innovation center in Southampton, U.K., and left encouraged about science’s ability to help improve the lives of consumers.

    Samrat Chowdhery explains how India came to deny consumers legal access to safer ways of consuming nicotine, and Stefanie Rossel describes how China’s regulations have impacted the vaping business.

    Also in this issue: A report from the recent TMA annual meeting and conference, where CEO Chris Greer announced an exciting rebranding initiative.

    TR April 2024

    This year marks our publication’s 150th anniversary. To celebrate, our April 2024 issue reflects not only on a century and a half of editorial excellence, but also on the remarkable endurance of the nicotine business in an increasingly challenging operating environment. What is the secret of its success?

    Unfortunately, there was less to brag about by the parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which held their 10th meeting recently. As Stefanie Rossel reports in this issue, the Panama gathering featured lots of grandstanding but marked little progress toward the treaty’s goal of reducing the health impact of smoking.

    Cheryl Olson investigated where the industry stands with ESG. Even as the term is falling out of fashion in some quarters, she found that the nicotine business remains firmly committed to the concept.

    Timothy Donahue reports from the Habanos cigar festival in Cuba and Catharine Dockery shared with us the business strategy of her Vice Ventures fund, which specializes in good companies in supposedly bad industries.

    Also in this issue: A profile of McKinney Specialty Labs in Richmond.

    TR March 2024

    Among the many challenges facing the nicotine business today is a potential ban on menthol cigarettes in the United States, where minty flavored smokes account for about a third of the market. In the March issue, Cheryl Olson asks whether banning menthol is appropriate for the protection of public health and highlights some of the potential unintended consequences.

    Professor Ming Deng contemplates the future of vaping as more jurisdictions crack down on disposable e-cigarettes, and concludes that this is an opportune time for the industry to revisit the fundamental purpose of vaping—harm reduction and providing a superior consumer experience.

    Clive Bates explains how innovation in the recreational nicotine market is revolutionizing not only the  tobacco industry but also disrupting tobacco control. ITG Brands’ Steven McDonald analyzes the broken PMTA review process, and Stefanie Rossel examines how the Houthis’ attacks on commercial vessels are impacting the movement of tobacco products through one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

    Also in this issue: an analysis of brand value in the tobacco industry. Among the many changes over the years, one thing has remained remarkably consistent: intangible assets continue to be a major contributor to the real value generated by the nicotine business.

    TR February 2024

    For our February 2024 issue, Tobacco Reporter traveled to Indonesia, where it encountered a leaf market unlike any other. Whereas most origins specialize in one of two internationally recognized tobaccos, Indonesia produces a baffling array of varieties, many of them unique to the island nation.

    So diverse are the products on offer that one aspiring leaf trader was advised to forget about his experiences in Zimbabwe and Brazil and instead draw inspiration from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the fictional magical boarding school in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.

    Cheryl Olson examines the impact of the recent ruling by the  U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit on the Food and Drug Administration’s approach to premarket tobacco product applications, which asserts that nicotine product manufacturers have been treated unfairly. What will the verdict mean for tobacco harm reduction?

    George Gay explores why smokers face a greater degree of ostracization than those engaging in other risky activities and Stefanie Rossel reports on the thriving markets for herbal heated products and nicotine pouches.

    Also in this issue: Godioli & Bellanti’s 100th anniversary.

    TR January 2024

    In Tobacco Reporter’s January 2024 issue, Clive Bates asks how the science of tobacco and nicotine can serve the public good. Skepticism, he argues, underpins the scientific process, and uncertainty is a pervasive, permanent and evolving feature of scientific understanding.

    Stefanie Rossel profiles the Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction, which evaluates nicotine-related science to help ensure that policymakers and the public receive accurate and reliable information.

    Jessica Zdinak highlights a recent study on the impact of flavored e-cigarettes on adult smokers, and Sudhansu Patwardhan traces the origins of the prevailing misperceptions about nicotine.

    Cheryl K. Olson explores the role of religious convictions in smoking cessation, and Brand Finance Managing Director Richard Haight analyzes BAT’s remarkable decision to write down the value of some of its U.S. cigarette brands.

    Also in this issue: a discussion among plant breeders and crop science experts about the challenges of developing low-nicotine tobacco.

    TR December 2023

    Tobacco Reporter’s December 2023 issue examines the potential of digital age verification technology to help deter underage access to nicotine products. Facial recognition systems have come a long way in a recent years, but also raise privacy concerns.

    The technology that conveniently unlocks your smartphone can also be used by autocrats to monitor their subjects, marketers to tracks your behavior and thieves to steal your identity. In his article “Beyond Face Value,” George Gay weighs the pros and cons based on a U.K. experiment.

    Cheryl Olson explores the challenges and opportunities for tobacco harm reduction for people with mental health needs, who tend to smoke at higher rates than the overall population. Stefanie Rossel delves into the Egyptian government’s recent selloff of a stake in its tobacco monopoly, and Taco Tuinstra reports on the nicotine flavoring business in the Spice Islands (Indonesia).

    Also in this issue: A new technology that delivers nicotine through foam.  

    TR November 2023

    In its November 2023 issue, Tobacco Reporter looks back at one of the most successful editions of the Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum yet. Held in September, the event in Seoul featured world-class speakers from various walks of life, including public health advocates, regulators and even prominent lawmakers. Due to space limitations, our print edition GTNF coverage is supplemented by additional reporting online.

    Stefanie Rossel examines various tobacco-heating technologies. As it turns out, there are multiple roads leading to Rome. Cheryl K. Olsen highlights several triumphs in tobacco harm reduction that are likely to surprise skeptics.

    George Gay scrutinized the U.K. plans for a generational tobacco ban and concludes that this will work only if properly implemented—that is, if less harmful tools of nicotine consumption remain available to those prevented from smoking.

    Taco Tuinstra visited Smoore’s new facility in Indonesia—the company’s first outside of China—and was impressed by its unrivaled level of sophistication and automation.

    Also in this issue: a profile of Collaboration Traditab Santele, which is successfully marketing European tobacco products based on their geographic origins.

    TR October 2023

    In its October 2023 issue, Tobacco Reporter tackles the widespread misunderstandings of relative risk.

    As Cheryl Olson observes in her cover story “Star Power,” smoking has lately been getting more favorable press coverage than vaping, despite the fact that the former is significantly riskier than the latter.

    But it’s not just excitable headline writers who are getting it backward. As it prepares to update its Tobacco Product Directive, the European Commission appears inclined to regulate all nicotine products as if they were combustible cigarettes, according to Clive Bates.

    The misconceptions extend even to those whose job is to know better. In his article “Dispelling Myths,” George Gay marvels at the findings of a recent study among physicians, in which nearly 80 percent of respondents erroneously identified nicotine as the main culprit in smoking-related disease.

    Such misconceptions, along with negative press coverage, are discouraging doctors from steering smokers who won’t quit toward less harmful nicotine products—an outcome that is especially detrimental in Australia, where nicotine vapes are available only on prescription (see “Doubling Down,” by Stefanie Rossel).

    In other coverage, we examine efforts to help tobacco farmers diversify their incomes and initiatives by several industry suppliers to reduce the environmental impact of its business.

    Also in this issue: The latest developments in reconstituted tobacco

    In its September 2023 issue, Tobacco Reporter looks ahead at the Global Tobacco & Nicotine Forum (GTNF) and the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which are scheduled to take place this northern-hemisphere fall.

    Both gatherings seek to reduce the health problems associated with tobacco consumption, but they will be advocating markedly different solutions. While the delegates at COP10 will be touting product bans, tax hikes and legal action, participants in the GTNF are likely to emphasize the opportunities presented by new technologies to help smokers transition to less-harmful products.

    Grant Churchill of Oxford University explains why nicotine is not the culprit in tobacco-related disease, and Clive Bates, a former U.K. senior civil servant, offers COP10 delegates suggestions to make the most of their participation.

    Cheryl Olson explores the question of how to communicate tobacco products’ relative risks more effectively, and Ian Fearon of McKinney Regulatory Science Advisors examines the potential impact of China’s new rules on vape manufacturing.

    Further in this issue: an analyses of the acetate tow market, which has been suffering from shortages, and a critical look at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s plans to set nicotine limits and ban menthol as a tobacco flavor.

    We also reveal the winners of the Golden Leaf Awards.

    TR August 2023

    In Tobacco Reporter’s August 2023, Derek Yach examines the promise of synthetic nicotine. Not only does synthetic nicotine improve the toxicological safety profile of delivery devices, but it also helps reduce  carbon emissions, water use and deforestation associated with tobacco growing.

    Cheryl Olson tackles some of the major tobacco-related misconceptions that are preventing harm reduction efforts from living up to their full potential. The 2019 EVALI crisis, for example, continues to be associated with nicotine vaping in the minds of many long after it was proven to be caused by illicit THC products. The myth that youth vaping is a gateway to smoking, too, persists despite evidence to the contrary.

    Stefanie Rossel profiles the Vandermarliere Family of Cigars, which has been diligently expanding its sales and distribution networks worldwide, while doubling down on its commitment to quality and enjoyment.

    George Gay examines the roll-your-own and make-your-own markets, two traditional niches that have spawned a remarkable amount of innovation.

    Also in this issue: An exclusive interview with Eve Wang, vice president of Smoore, the world’s largest atomization company.

    TR July 2023

    In Tobacco Reporter’s July 2023 issue, Sudhansu Patwardhan explores how the rise of synthetic nicotine could contribute to food security by reducing demand for leaf and releasing land currently dedicated to tobacco cultivation to other crops.

    At the same time, Patwardhan laments the World Health Organization’s attempts to pit tobacco growers against a hungry world. As the International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA) has pointed out in response to the WHO campaign, the percentage of arable land dedicated to the golden leaf worldwide is relatively small, and many tobacco farmers grow food crops, too.

    Derek Yach urges medicinal licensing of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches to advance tobacco harm reduction, and Cheryl Olson explains why tobacco companies won’t “just stop” selling cigarettes, as critics urge. While it is possible to switch off the machines, doing so would not end demand, according to Dave Dobbins, former chief operating officer of the Legacy Foundation/Truth Initiative. The ensuing vacuum would be quickly filled by illegal suppliers unrestrained by product standards,

    Jessica Zdinak of Applied Research and Analysis Co. stresses the importance of understanding consumers to help move them down the risk continuum, and Stefanie Rossel interviewed ITGA’s Ivan Genov about global supply and demand for leaf tobacco.

    Also in this issue: A profile of newcomer Atlas Agri, which is working to increase Zimbabwean tobacco volumes by reducing post-harvest losses.

    TR June 2023

    For Tobacco Reporter’s May 2023 issue, Taco Tuinstra visited Malawi to learn how that nation is trying to reduce its heavy reliance on tobacco. Deriving between 40 percent and 70 percent of its export earnings from the golden leaf, Malawi is the world’s most tobacco-dependent country. In a good year, the crop brings relative wealth to the country’s tobacco-growing communities and much-needed foreign currency to help the nation import products and services it cannot produce domestically. In a bad season, there is poverty in the villages.

    Supported by leaf tobacco merchants and the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, Malawi has started developing new supplemental value chains and breathing life into ones that had fallen to the wayside. Many of the projects are still in their infancy, but stakeholders are hopeful that over time they will help make Malawi’s economy more resilient as global demand for tobacco levels off.

    Clive Bates examines how the tobacco industry can accelerate its transformation toward less-harmful products and Cheryl Olsen calls for a rethink of the U.S. modified-risk tobacco product approval process. Barnaby Page reflects on the global spread of flavor bans and Stefanie Rossel highlights initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of disposable vapes.

    Also in this issue: A photographic impression of the recent TabExpo trade fair in Bologna.

    TR May 2023

    In an exclusive interview, Minister of Agriculture Anxious Masuka explains how the country will boost the crop to 300 million kg and create a $5 billion tobacco business by 2025. Tobacco Reporter also spoke with various stakeholders, including the trade and the scientific community, on the challenges and opportunities associated with such an ambitious undertaking. Will Zimbabwe be able to sell 300 million kg as global cigarette consumption stagnates? And will it be able to achieve the desired volumes in line with customers’ ESG expectations?

    In a three-way discussion, Sudhanshu Patwardhan, John Dunne and Pieter Vorster discuss another environmental concern—that of growing e-waste. To properly address this challenge, the panelists urge stakeholders to expand the definition of tobacco harm reduction to include product lifecycle management.

    Grant Churchill of Oxford University describes the pharmacology of nicotine, a widely misunderstood chemical; Tobacco Reporter’s George Gay profiles a bold new venture by a leaf tobacco veteran in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and our colleague Stefanie Rossel explores efforts to replace India’s “uniquely deadly” variety of smokeless tobaccos with less harmful alternatives.

    Also in this issue: An overview of the roll-your-own tobacco market, which under the proper fiscal conditions, can serve as a buffer against illicit cigarettes.

    TR April 2023

    The Covid-19 pandemic changed how the world operates, including how people communicate and interact. Tobacco Reporter’s April 2023 issue marks the return of the magazine’s writers traveling and interacting with sources face-to-face. Timothy Donahue traveled to Cuba to learn about the latest developments in that country’s legendary cigar industry.

    In anticipation of TABEXPO, Stefanie Rossel traveled through northern Italy, which has traditionally been home to many tobacco-related businesses and continues to attract new tobacco investments, such as Philip Morris International’s state-of-the-art heated-tobacco factory and BAT’s innovation hub.

    Clive Bates urges stakeholders to rethink the role of nicotine in society while Cheryl Olson explores what it would take for women to switch to smokeless products.

    Marissa Dean digs into Brazil’s leaf market and what’s expected following last year’s record earnings, and George Gay reviews SWM’s step-by-step manual for producing tobacco heating products.

    Also in this issue: a reflection on the productive life of Tobacco Reporter’s former owner, Dayton Matlick, who passed away in February.

    TR March 2023

    Youth smoking in the United States is at a record low, according to the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Instead of celebrating, however, many anti-tobacco activists are wringing their hands about the relative increase in vaping. Are campaigners reluctant to credit e-cigarettes for choking off youth smoking? Cheryl Olson investigates.

    Vladislav Vorotnikov examines the persistent illicit cigarette trade in the Balkans, which he traces back to the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia, when the various antagonists needed money to fund their war efforts. Even today, political and business elites throughout the region remain connected to cigarette smuggling, according to Vorotnikov.

    Stefanie Rossel reports on Greenbutts’ environmentally friendly cigarette filter, which according to the manufacturer disperses in water within several minutes with agitation and begins to degrade in compost within several days.

    George Gay analyzes the predicament of tobacco freight forwarders as the EU considers whether to tax unmanufactured tobacco, and Marissa Dean explains how changes to the U.S. Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau reports have made that organization’s data less useful.

    Also in this issue: The remarkable return of Filtrona, which after operating under the Essentra umbrella for a decade is now back as an independent company.

    TR February 2023

    Tobacco Reporter’s February 2023 issue explores innovation in the tobacco and nicotine industries. In his book How Innovation Works, author and past GTNF speaker Matt Ridley notes that innovation is not an individual phenomenon but a collective and messy network phenomenon. As Clive Bates explains in this issue, that observation holds very much true for innovation in nicotine business, as well.

    Cheryl Olson and Willie McKinney ponder what lessons the U.S. experience with nicotine might hold as regulators contemplate how to regulate cannabis.

    Patrick Basham of the Democracy Institute investigated the state of tobacco harm reduction and found something that may surprise readers: Despite noisy resistance in some quarters, the concept is more widely accepted than is often assumed.  

    Stefanie Rossel examines the outlook for nicotine pouches in Germany (which bizarrely regulates modern oral products as food) following the confirmation by a prominent research institute that pouches are safer than cigarettes.

    George Gay urges the European Commission to embrace fresh thinking in its approach to tobacco control and Timothy Donahue interviewed Kim Hesse about the testing of electronic nicotine delivery systems.

    Also in this issue: A profile of Godioli & Bellanti, which has been in business for 100 years.

    TR January 2023

    Science has been instrumental in helping reduce the negative health impact of tobacco consumption, not only by enabling the development of product that deliver nicotine without the disease-causing byproducts of combustion but also by allowing researchers to measure the effectiveness of next-generation products.

    Unfortunately, not all research is up to snuff. As Clive Bates explains in this issue, many studies suffer from poor methodology, poor interpretation of results and poor extrapolation from findings to policy. Dispiritingly, regulators too appear at times to be motivated by unscientific considerations, as Cheryl Olson observes in her article “Science-Based Regulation?”

    Perhaps surprising to some, the best tobacco research these days is probably generated by the industry, which is incentivized by the need to satisfy skeptical regulators about the safety and effectiveness of its next-generation products.

    How seriously the industry takes its commitment to science is demonstrated in this issue by David O’Reilly. In an exclusive interview, BAT’s director of scientific research reveals how science is helping the company achieve its vision of  “A better tomorrow.”

    Also in this issue, we discuss the pitfalls of prohibition, attempts by leaf sourcing countries to move up the tobacco value chain and the challenges facing the tobacco logistics business.

    TR December 2022

    Tobacco Reporter’s December 2022 issue explores the outlook for flavors, both in vaping products and traditional cigarettes. How will the proliferation of flavor bans impact consumption, the industry and ultimately public health? In three separate articles, Clive Bates, Cheryl Olson and Stefanie Rossel examine the issue from different angles.

    George Gay looks at the new challenges and opportunities facing Altria Group in the wake of its new partnership with Japan Tobacco International. Stefanie spoke with leading cigarette manufacturers about their efforts to cultivate startups with technologies that may aid the industry’s transition beyond tobacco and nicotine.

    Timothy Donahue provides a peek behind the curtain at Smoore, the company behind many of the products that survived the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s brutal vetting process. And Ivan Genov reports from the International Tobacco Growers’ annual general meeting in Portugal.

    Also in this issue: An exclusive report from Iran, where illicit cigarettes continue to elbow out legitimate sales.  

    TR November 2022

    In Tobacco Reporter’s November 2022 issue, we look back on another successful GTNF. Under the theme “Accessing Innovation,” the conference debated, among many other topics, the challenges and opportunities for tobacco harm reduction.

    While technological breakthroughs have made it possible to develop nicotine products that present a fraction of the health risks presented by combustible cigarettes, such products remain inaccessible to consumers in many markets due to a combination of underinvestment and ill-conceived regulation.

    George Gay evaluates the latest Tobacco Transformation Index and questions to what extent the valuable information in the report will accelerate tobacco harm reduction worldwide. Cheryl Olson explores the role of consumer choice and Stefanie Rossel reports from Spain, where proposed legislation threatens to kill the independent vaping sector.

    Also in this issue, we reveal the winners of the 2022 Golden Leaf Awards.

    TR October 2022

    Tobacco Reporter’s October 2022 issue explores the ‘pharmaceuticalization’ of tobacco. Confronted with stagnant sales in their traditional business, cigarette companies have been looking not only past tobacco but also past nicotine, identifying new areas to leverage their specialist knowledge of, say, plant genomes, lung physiology or substance delivery.

    Perhaps surprisingly, the field to which such skills are particularly well suited is the pharmaceutical business. Accordingly, we’ve seen tobacco companies invest in vaccines and medical devices, such as lung treatments.

    While these efforts have provoked their share of criticism from anti-smoking campaigners, they also hold considerable promise. As Clive Bates and Cheryl Olson point out in separate articles this month, tobacco’s involvement in the pharmaceutical business could very well be a net positive for public health.

    Other stories in this issue cover Zimbabwe’s tottering effort to diversify into cannabis production, the generational endgame bills in New Zealand and Malaysia, and paper manufacturers’ heroic attempts to reduce the environmental impact of their energy-hungry operations.

    We also profile Kaival Brands, a company that has been making remarkable inroads into the global vapor market.

    TR September 2022

    Tobacco Reporter’s September 2022 issue looks ahead at the GTNF, which will take place Sept. 27-29 in Washington DC.

    In line with this year’s event’s “accessing innovation” theme, Clive Bates makes a compelling case for rendering combustible cigarettes obsolete through creative destruction. Innovation offers an extraordinarily effective tool to help reduce the health impact of smoking, argues Bates—provided that it is given a chance.

    Cheryl Olson provides a sneak peek at her GTNF panel, which will focus on “forgotten smokers,” whose views are routinely neglected by policymakers, physicians and other potential sources of support. Panelists will share personal experiences and research on ways to raise empathy and visibility for people who smoke and ideas to spread the benefits of harm reduction more equitably.

    Flora Okereke spoke to Tobacco Reporter’s Stefanie Rossel about BAT’s ambition to bring about “A Better Tomorrow” and George Gay evaluates the recent U.K. Kahn review.

    Also in this issue: A profile of biodegradable filter manufacturer McAirlaid’s and a story about Moldova’s fight against the illicit cigarette trade.

    TR August 2022

    In Tobacco Reporter’s August 2022 issue we examine the impact of the war in Ukraine on the tobacco industry. What has the conflict meant for cigarette production, distribution and consumption? And how are the multinationals making good on their commitment to extract themselves from the Russian market?

    Clive Bates urges a rethink of nicotine policies now that the legal recreational drug is available with minimal harm to health, and George Gay reports from Forest’s summer event in London, where speakers lament the continuing assaults on personal choice and personal responsibility.

    Stefanie Rossel describes a groundbreaking technology from Sweden that allows tobacco companies to control the dose of nicotine released from pouches, and Tim Donahue has the latest on Universal’s sustainability initiatives.

    Also in this issue: a report on the market for tobacco-related instrumentation.

    TR July 2022

    In it July 2022 issue, Tobacco Reporter examines the U.S. plan to mandate significant reductions in the nicotine levels of cigarettes, which the Biden administration made official on June 21.

    Will the measure prevent future generations from becoming addicted to cigarettes and prompt current smokers to quit, as its proponents contend, or will it cause nicotine users to smoke more cigarettes to get their fix—and thus inhale more toxins—as critics have suggested?

    George Gay takes the pulse of the global leaf market and Stefanie Rossel reports on the state of tobacco harm reduction in low- and middle-income countries.

    Cheryl Olson reports from the E-Cigarette Summit  in Washington, where speakers reminded their audience that, contrary to what certain academics believe, smokers still exist in persistently large numbers, many in marginalized pockets of society.

    Also in the issue: A profile of Hail and Cotton, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary and an update on KT&G’s progress toward achieving its ambition of becoming a global top tier nicotine business.

    TR June 2022

    In Tobacco Reporter’s June 2022 issue, Clive Bates takes the retirement of FDA Center of Tobacco Products Director Mitch Zeller as an opportunity to reflect on what authorities worldwide can learn from the United States’ experience in regulating nicotine products. Which practices are worth replicating? Which are best avoided?

    John Pritchard details 22nd Century Group’s plans in the wake of its VLN modified-risk tobacco product marketing order and in the context of the FDA’s plans to mandate lower nicotine levels.

    International Tobacco Growers Association CEO Mercedes Vasquez and her predecessor, Antonio Abrunhosa, speak about the plight of farmers in a world of declining demand and increasing compliance requirements.

    Roya Ghafale of Oxfirst explains why the tobacco industry should start thinking more creatively about intellectual property.

    Also in this issue: the role of consumer advocates and the prospects for the vaping business in China as the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration asserts its authority over the sector.

    TR May 2022

    Tobacco Reporter’s May 2022 issue looks at industry efforts to improve the sustainability of its operations—to ensure today’s stakeholders can meet current needs without compromising the needs of future generations.

    Among other topics, we examine industry initiatives to reduce battery waste generated by electronic nicotine delivery products, machinery makers’ efforts to minimize their equipment’s energy consumption and vapor companies’ endeavors to include more recyclable components in their products.

    Our May issue also highlights a remarkable new technology that allows cigarette manufacturers to capture the carbon dioxide generated by their operations and use it for tobacco expansion, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions and expenses simultaneously!

    Clive Bates explains why criticism of the tobacco industry’s diversification is misguided and Cheryl Olson explores ways to educate physicians on nicotine and the risk continuum.

    TR April 2022

    Prepared in partnership with the renowned public health consultant Derek Yach, Tobacco Reporter’s April 2022 issue describes the unprecedented transformation taking place in the nicotine business.

    From plant-based vaccines through revolutionary vaping hardware to therapeutic devices, the tobacco industry is innovating at an unprecedented pace. In the process, it is not only reducing the harm of tobacco consumption, but also moving beyond its traditional mission of providing pleasure, investing in new areas, such as medical devices.

    If the sector continues on its current trajectory—and if its initiatives are not stubbed out by counterproductive regulations and kneejerk hostility—the industry once associated with disease could one day become a net contributor to public health.

    While there admittedly is a long way to go for that vision to become reality, the first steps into a radically different future are being taken as you read these words. We believe the impact of these changes could be so profound that it justifies an entire issue.

    Read our April edition and marvel at the shape, pace and significance of this remarkable transformation.

    TR March 2022

    Tobacco Reporter’s March 2022 issue evaluates the fallout from South Africa’s ill-conceived ban on tobacco sales during the country’s 2020 Covid-19 lockdown. Eighteen months after the ban ended, illicit cigarettes still account for a whopping 60 percent of the domestic market. As South African Revenue Service Commissioner Edward Kieswetter predicted, the country continues to struggle with the corruption and illegal activities that took root in those four calamitous months.

    Meanwhile, halfway around the world, U.S. vape shops and tobacco outlets are facing a spike in robberies, which critics attribute at least in part to regulatory actions, such as tax increases, flavor bans and higher minimum age requirements. As Richard Marianos, a veteran of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, observes, crime is often an unintended and overlooked consequence of regulatory constraints on the marketplace.

    Cheryl Olson writes about the pitfalls the industry faces when discussing harm reduction; Stefanie Rossel examines the state of the filter market and George Gay reports on the latest developments in the ongoing battle against tobacco insect infestations.

    TR February 2022

    Tobacco Reporter’s February 2022 issue examines the latest developments relating to tipping paper, including technologies to differentiate products and solutions to ventilate tobacco smoke.

    Clive Bates tackles the twin evils of prohibition and illicit trade while Cheryl Olson discusses the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s emphasis on nicotine. Is such a focus appropriate for the protection of public health?

    Timothy Donahue profiles Turning Point Brands, which has ventured into new products by taking calculated risks.

    George Gay dissects the contrast between the small companies that stood at the cradle of the vapor revolution but are increasingly unable to comply with mounting regulatory requirements and the big heritage tobacco companies that joined the movement later but are more likely to survive due to their considerable resources.

    Stefanie Rossel highlights the pending legalization of recreational cannabis in Germany and what it might mean for the tobacco business.

    TR January 2022

    Tobacco Reporter’s January 2022 issue examines the lingering impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the global supply chain. Uneven economic recoveries, among other factors, have caused containers to pile up in places that don’t need them, while leaving exporters scrambling for vessels to ship their products. With fewer ships plying the high seas, transportation costs have skyrocketed, and freight forwarders are passing their expenses on to customers.

    Cheryl Olson and Willie McKinney write about the importance of understanding how regulators perceive your business. As it turns out, regulators views can be quite different from how nicotine companies perceive themselves.

    Simon Clark, director of the smokers’ rights group Forest, reminds us that many smokers enjoy smoking and have no wish to quit—a fact that is often overlooked as companies compete to “unsmoke” the world.  

    We also highlight a company that has been making extraordinary inroads in the heat-not-burn segment. With its “zero cleaning” consumables, Poda Holdings believes it has solved one of the main pain points in tobacco-heating technology.   

    Also in this issue: A report from the International Tobacco Growers Association’s recent “issues day,” and a look at Zimbabwe’s efforts to reverse tobacco curing-related deforestation.

    TR December 2021

    Tobacco Reporter’s December 2021 issue highlights synthetic nicotine, which has gained popularity among U.S. e-cigarette manufacturers as the Food and Drug Administration buried the vapor business in marketing denial orders. Is synthetic nicotine a legitimate alternative to the naturally derived variety, or does it represent a loophole? Cheryl Olson and Willie McKinney share their thoughts on the controversy.

    George Gay reflects on the recently concluded ninth Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and Clive Bates describes the two camps in tobacco control—transformers and abolitionists.

    Also in this issue: a look at the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities, which helps evaluators describe the health effects of tobacco products in consistent terms, and a report on India’ notoriously harmful indigenous smokeless tobacco products.

    TR November 2021

    Tobacco Reporter’s November 2021 issue looks ahead at the ninth Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP9), which takes place Nov. 8-13.

    The FCTC has attracted considerable criticism from tobacco harm reduction activists, who complain about a lack of transparency and mission creep. Instead of focusing on mortality reduction, as the treaty’s creators intended, the WHO is increasingly pursuing a counterproductive war on nicotine, according to commentators.

    We also reflect on another though-provoking Global Tobacco & Nicotine Forum. After last virtual forum, we were pleased to welcome delegates both in person and online this year.

    Also in this issue: The latest on the U.S. market as the Food and Drug Administration issues its first-ever marketing orders for an electronic nicotine delivery system and backtracks on some marketing denial orders; and a profile of Hall Analytical, which expects its nicotine business to increase significantly over the next five years.

    TR October 2021

    Tobacco Reporter’s October 2021 examines at the aftermath of Sept. 9, the day on which the Food and Drug Administration ordered the removal of hundreds of thousands electronic nicotine delivery systems from the U.S. market. What are the industry’s options in the wake of that development, and what about the bestselling products still under review?

    Cheryl Olsen highlights a landmark article by nicotine experts that provides a rare balanced look a vaping in the U.S. George Gay evaluates the outlook for tobacco machinery and reconstituted tobacco in a rapidly changing environment and Stefanie Rossel takes a look at the Philippines, which has courageously rejected attempts by well-funded special interested groups to influence its tobacco-control policies.

    Also in this issue: The trials and tribulations of the global paper industry, which has been wrestling with rapidly rising cost for raw materials, energy and transportation.

    TR September 2021

    In Tobacco Reporter’s September 2021 issue, Clive Bates explores sustainability, strategy and survival in the tobacco market as the industry prepares for the GTNF on Sept. 21-23. As it tuns out, there’s a lot more to sustainability than corporate social responsibility.

    BAT’s director of scientific research, David O’Reilly, explains why making tobacco harm reduction a reality is more important than ever, and Cheryl Olsen reveals what industry scientists wish they could say to physicians and public health researchers about their work.

    George Gay details the recent rebranding of Republic Brands and Stefanie Rossel takes the industry’s pulse as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration nears its deadline to decide on millions of tobacco marketing applications.

    Also in this issues: updates on the markets for tobacco machinery and filters.

    TR August 2021

    Tobacco Reporter’s August 2021 issue highlights Cas-CLOVER, a new genetic editing technology to help reduce nicotine levels in tobacco. If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s proposal to mandate ‘minimally addictive’ levels of the stimulant in tobacco products comes to fruition, cigarette companies will have to radically redesign their products. Cas-Clover will be yet another tool available to help them in that process.

    Coresta Secretary General Stephane Colard offers suggestions how the tobacco industry can demonstrate its responsible approach to a skeptical audience, and Reynold’s executive vice president of research and development, James Murphy, discusses the challenges and opportunities for tobacco harm reduction.

    Also in this issue: The makeover of the venerable Rizla brand, which traces its history to Napoleonic times, and an update on the crusade against menthol cigarettes, which is showing no signs of letting up.

    TR July 2021

    Tobacco Reporter’s July 2021 issue examines the global leaf trade as it emerges from the Covid-19 crisis. Characterized by personal interactions and heavily dependent on logistics, the sector was hit hard by the pandemic.

    Yet, remarkably, the leaf market this year has emerged from the gates “sizzling hot,” in the words of one merchant.

    We highlight the results of a recent long-term, randomized, controlled trial of BAT’s glo tobacco-heating product, which lends credibility to the harm reduction potential of the entire category.

    Cheryl Olson and Willie McKinney offer advice on how to respond to FDA “deficiency letters,” and Barry Schaevitz of Fox Rothschild discusses the U.S. effort to regulate flavored cigars.

    Stefanie Rossel interviews ATD’s new CEO, Koen te Lintelo, about cigar machinery and George Gay details KT&G’s efforts to stay ahead of its rivals in both combustible cigarettes and tobacco-heating products.

    TR June 2021

    Tobacco Reporter’s June 2021 issue explores what might happen if Chinese regulators move forward with their proposal to regulate vapor products like tobacco.

    The domestic vapor industry’s meteoric rise has been driven by the visions of individual entrepreneurs and facilitated by the government’s comparatively light touch. The Chinese tobacco industry by contrast is characterized by officials fulfilling centrally set production targets. Unsurprisingly, investors are following the debate closely.

    Also in this issue, Stefanie Rossel reports from the debut In Focus: Harm Reduction virtual conference and George Gay speaks with representatives of Alliance One International. Despite stagnating cigarette volumes, the leaf merchant believes there is opportunity for suppliers who can offer tobacco produced in a sustainable manner.

    We also relate the remarkable story of Mayiwepi Jiti, who defied the odds to become a successful commercial tobacco grower in Zimbabwe’s male-dominated leaf industry.

    TR May 2021

    Tobacco Reporter’s May 2021 edition details efforts to improve the lot of female tobacco farmers in Malawi. Women do much of the work on the farm but remain disadvantaged in many respects. Giving women more prominent roles is not only socially desirable, it should also help boosts the overall economy, according to experts.

    Clive Bates presents a seven-point reform program for the World Health Organization and Cheryl Olsen explains how the tobacco companies’ past behavior continues to affect how regulators treat the industry today.

    George Gay speaks with Kingsley Wheaton about British American Tobacco’s efforts to build “A better tomorrow,” and we report on rebirth of the Uncommitted Tobacco Auction as an online marketplace.

    TR April 2021

    Tobacco Reporter’s April 2021 profiles the global tobacco logistics business: How has it fared amid the Covid-19-related disruptions?

    Timothy Donahue examines the opportunities for the vapor business in China. With some 300 million smokers, the country should be a prime market for e-cigarettes, but government plans to regulate vapor like tobacco have darkened the outlook.

    George Gay highlights a cherished but little-known tobacco—Latakia—and Stefanie Rossel spoke with the Brazilian tobacco association Sindifumo about efforts to keep rural youngsters out of the fields.

    TR March 2021

    In Tobacco Reporter’s March 2021 issue, Clive Bates examines the remarkable resistance to electronic nicotine delivery devices in the public health establishment. While e-cigarettes and tobacco-heating products arguably represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reduce the health toll of smoking, they continue to encounter vehement opposition. What is going on?

    Cheryl Olson and Willie McKinney share their insights into the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s final rule on premarket tobacco product applications and George Gay draws parallels between the fight against illicit vapor products and that against illegal tobacco products. Can society avoid repeating past mistakes?

    Stefanie Rossel relates how tobacco farmers in Colombia coped after two major customers pulled out of the country. Does their experience hold lessons for growers in other markets who face slumping demand for leaf?

    TR February 2021

    In its February 2021 issue, Tobacco Reporter highlights the industry’s efforts to eradicate child labor, taking Indonesia as a case study to illustrate the challenges and opportunities in this fight.

    Beth Oliva and Philip Langer of Roth Foxschild evaluate the progress that has been made since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced its comprehensive plan for tobacco and nicotine regulation in 2017.

    Renowned public health researcher Cheryl Olsen sheds light on one what is arguably the most confusing part of a U.S. tobacco marketing application—the perception and intention study.

    Also in this issue: An exclusive interview with the director of the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, Derek Yach.

    TR January 2021

    Tobacco Reporter’s January 2021 issue examines the plight of tobacco farmers in the Covid-19 crisis. How are they coping with the double whammy of a pandemic and declining demand for their products?

    TMA President and CEO Chris Greer evaluates the outlook for the nicotine business in the wake of the recent U.S. elections and George Gay highlights efforts to make the harvesting and processing of oriental leaf tobacco more efficient.

    Stefanie Rossels digs into the conflict of interest that arises when governments that have stakes in the tobacco industry sign on to a global treaty designed to reduce smoking.

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