TobaccoReporter logo

Blog

  • Small Business Owners Fighting Denver’s Flavor Ban

    Small Business Owners Fighting Denver’s Flavor Ban

    Phil Guerin, the owner of Myxed Up Creations, a small tobacco, nicotine, and accessory shop that has been operating in Denver since 1992, is leading a fight among small business owners to send the city’s upcoming ban on flavored tobacco products to a vote in November’s election. Previously, the Denver City Council voted 11-1 to ban such products beginning March 18. 

    “We really are advocates for our customers and advocating for doing things in a safe way, and we’ve been able to really stay ahead of these trends,” Guerin said. “But we are not the problem, and we really regret being blamed for this whole situation and we are not big tobacco. We are family-owned businesses that are just trying to survive in an anti-small business climate that’s been created by municipal government.”

    Guerin said he is working with other small business owners around the city, and they have filed the paperwork needed to circulate a petition that would delay the ban until voters could weigh in. He says they have already gathered more than 2,000 of the needed 9,494 valid signatures for the city’s election division to deem the petition sufficient.

    “The greatest thing that’s happened is small businesses across the entire Denver city limits, we’ve all come together,” Guerin said. “Before, we were all kind of rivals and we were all competing against each other, and now we’ve all come together to really fight this misinformation and this ban.

    “We think this will be on the ballot in November and we’re excited for a campaign, and we’re really excited to inform the public because there has been so much bad information put out there about this, [it] is really big tobacco doing this. It’s actually small business people that are being responsible and really trying to do the responsible thing and give adults the right to choose an alternative to smoking cigarettes.”

  • Foreign Company Investing $8.2 Million for Tobacco Processing Machinery in Bangladesh

    Foreign Company Investing $8.2 Million for Tobacco Processing Machinery in Bangladesh

    Lee’s Tobacco Machinery Company Limited signed an agreement yesterday (February 3) to invest $8.32 million into the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (Bepza) to manufacture tobacco processing machinery. According to a press release, the investment from the UAE- and Singapore-owned company is expected to create 92 jobs for Bangladeshi nationals.

    Li Meng, chairman of Lee’s Tobacco Machinery, emphasized his commitment to transferring technical expertise to local workers, thereby building a skilled workforce in machinery manufacturing.

    “This milestone underscores our commitment to diversifying export-oriented industries,” Major General Abul Kalam Mohammad Ziaur Rahman, executive chairman of Bepza said. “We anticipate further investments in machinery production, which will contribute to the broader industrial landscape of Bangladesh.”

  • Philippines: Tobacco Orgs Backing Tax Moratorium

    Philippines: Tobacco Orgs Backing Tax Moratorium

    Seeking a “sweet spot,” the Philippines’ government is considering a moratorium on tobacco excise tax hikes in order to curb illicit trade and protect its revenue. Currently, the excise tax is P60 ($1.03) per pack and grows 5% annually. A pack of illicit cigarettes can be purchased for P40 ($0.69) per pack, less than the tax itself.

    According to the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, smoking in the country increased from 18.5% in 2021 to 23.2% in 2023. Over the same period, illicit cigarettes increased 13.6% to 19.8%. Despite the increase in smoking, the Bureau of Internal Revenue has watched its collected excise taxes steadily decline each year, going from P176.48 billion ($3 billion) in 2021 to P134 billion ($2.3 billion) last year, P51 billion below budget.

    “Illicit trade thrives due to the availability of untaxed cigarettes sold at a fraction of legitimate products,” said Jericho Nograles, president of the Philippine Tobacco Institute (PTI). “Legal cigarettes are up to five times more expensive than their illicit counterparts.”

    Both the PTI and the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) supported the tax moratorium for 2026, saying it is a “practical” and “targeted” solution against illicit cigarette trade.

    “By pausing the excise tax increase for 2026, we can temporarily stabilize the market and reduce the price disparity between legitimate and illicit cigarettes,” NTA administrator and CEO Belinda Sanchez said. “This pause will help legitimate manufacturers regain competitiveness, which is crucial to restoring demand for locally produced tobacco leaf for local consumption.

    “The widening gap between the prices of legitimate and illicit cigarettes, aggravated by successive excise tax increases, has incentivized the proliferation of smuggled and counterfeit products.”

    While the moratorium has been discussed for some time, the House of Representatives recently passed on second reading House Bill 11360, which would replace the moratorium and instead impose lower tax rates on tobacco products, proposing a schedule where the excise tax is raised 2% in even-numbered years and 4% in odd.

    Pointing to the billions they are losing in revenue, Department of Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said they are open to all proposals and “hopes the government can find a sweet spot.”

  • Thailand: Despite Ban, Vaping Surges with Teens

    Thailand: Despite Ban, Vaping Surges with Teens

    Thailand’s government is being urged not to legalize e-cigarettes, citing the example of the Philippines, where it has led to increased smoking, a rise in the illegal tobacco trade, and reduced tax revenues. Despite being banned in 2014, e-cigarettes are abundantly available in the country, and the government is presumably missing out on significant tax revenues.

    Numerous organizations banded together at a parliament committee meeting hoping to make this a national agenda item, pointing to the drastic rise in youth use as a catalyst, saying there has been a tenfold increase in young vapers in just one year. Citing a 2022 e-cigarette report, Senate committee chair Varapas Phaiphannarat said the number of e-cigarette users aged 15 to 24 increased from 24,050 to 269,533. She also said 43% of primary school students aged nine to 12 had already tried e-cigarettes,

    “These figures indicate a serious public health crisis that threatens the well-being and future of Thai youth,” Varapas said.

  • Habanos Introduces Final Limited Edition of 2024

    Habanos Introduces Final Limited Edition of 2024

    Habanos S.A introduced its Ramon Allones Absolutos last night (February 3), the third and final of its Edición Limitada of 2024.  José María López Inchaurbe, vice president of development for Cuban monopoly, presented the new offering at a gala in Basel. Called Nuevos in Cuban cigar factories, the Ramon Allones Absolutos is a large format cigar that measures 6 3/8 inches by 49 ring gauge, and comes in a unique, 20-count box designed especially for this release.

    “The Edición Limitada program was launched in 2000 and features Cuban cigars produced in limited runs and rolled in unusual sizes,” Gregory Mottola wrote for Cigar Aficionado. “The wrappers are also considerably darker than those found on Cuba’s regular-production smokes.

    “For the first 15 or 16 years of the program, Edición Limitadas were typically announced at the Habanos Festival in the early part of the year and then released by the fourth quarter. No more. Timetables have changed drastically and Habanos often struggles to get its cigars out on time.”

    The Ramon Allones Absolutos is the third and last Edición Limitada for 2024, following the Trinidad Cabildos and the H. Upmann Magnum Finite. There’s no official release date yet, but according to Intertabak A.G., Switzerland’s Habanos distributor, the cigar is set to retail for 45 Swiss francs each (about $50), or 900 Swiss francs per box ($990). It will be trickled into other global markets at unspecified times throughout the year.

  • Ohio Pushed to Up Cigarette Tax by $1.50

    Ohio Pushed to Up Cigarette Tax by $1.50

    In continued sprawl from last week’s “State of Tobacco Control” report from the American Lung Association, Ohio lawmakers are being pushed to raise the state’s cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack. The report was particularly harsh on the Buckeye state, giving it failing grades in the categories of funding for tobacco prevention programs, level of state tobacco taxes, and ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products.

    “Here in Ohio, we are seeing tobacco industry lobbyists working to stop or weaken proven tobacco control policies,” said Kezia Ofosu Atta, Advocacy Director at the American Lung Association. “The tobacco industry is also introducing new products that appeal to youth like e-cigarettes that mimic smartphones, kid-friendly flavors, and flavored nicotine pouches that are heavily marketed by social media influencers.”

    The report stated a 10% increase in cigarette prices can lead to a 4% reduction in consumption among adults and a 7% reduction among youth.

  • Kretek Splash Draws Interest at TPE

    Kretek Splash Draws Interest at TPE

    One of the products that gained significant interest at TPE 2025 in Las Vegas last week was the Splash menthol-filtered smokes that were launched at the end of 2024 by Kretek International. The tobacco-free products are being introduced as a legal alternative in restricted markets.

    “We think we’ve come as close as you can get with a nicotine-free smoke to the taste and satisfaction of current tobacco menthols,” said Kretek president Sean Cassar. “Our combined effort with PT Djarum has been highly focused on the taste and feeling that menthol smokers told us they expect.”

    Kretek is using the first six months of 2025 to measure smoker appeal in restricted markets such as California and Massachusetts to show retailers the benefits of legal nicotine-free menthols that are free of federal excise tax.

    “We want customers’ expectations to be based on realistic sales and repeat purchase levels after the FDA ban,” explained Kretek Sales & Marketing Sr. VP Albert Jose. “Given menthol smokers’ level of taste-driven loyalty, we weren’t surprised that more than half the trial smokers said they’d try Splash after their brands were removed from the shelf. The surprise was how many of them discovered during the smoking trials that some of their nicotine buzz was actually menthol’s neuro-calming effect”

    Splash menthol-filtered smokes come in nicotine-free Classic and Smooth styles, available to all retail channels in 20-pack king-size flip-top boxes, delivered in 10-pack cartons. Kretek makes no health claims and has placed a tar and carbon monoxide warning on all Splash packs and cartons. Splash menthols are made in Indonesia by PT Djarum, whose cigarettes and cigars have been imported and sold in the U.S. exclusively through Kretek International Inc. since 1983.

  • Osaka Tightens Smoking Regs Around World Expo 2025

    Osaka Tightens Smoking Regs Around World Expo 2025

    Last week the city of Osaka imposed a smoking ban on public streets in an attempt to be more “visitor friendly” ahead of this year’s World Expo 2025 being held in Japan. Held every five years in different locations, more than 160 countries are expected to participate in this year’s six-month-long event, however, ticket sales are currently about half of what was expected.

    “We want to welcome many people from all over the world, so we want to make Osaka a city where people feel safe with smoke-free streets,” mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama said.

    Smoking was previously banned in six zones of the city, including the area around Osaka station, the hub of the event, and in restaurants larger than 100 square meters. The ban has now been expanded to the entire city and restaurants larger than 30 square meters, save for designated smoking areas. Violators will face a 1,000 yen ($6.40) fine.

    The bans are similar to those implemented by Tokyo in advance of the 2018 Olympics.

    In addition to Japan owning a one-third stake in Japan Tobacco, the world’s third-largest tobacco company, the country also makes about around two trillion yen ($13 billion) in cigarette tax revenue annually.

  • U.K. Stores Debate Definition of “Tobacco Product”

    U.K. Stores Debate Definition of “Tobacco Product”

    Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, the second and fifth largest supermarket chains in the U.K. respectively, are being accused by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) of displaying ads for “tobacco products” in their stores, a violation of a law passed in 2002.

    Video screens and posters at the stores promote devices that deliver nicotine by heating tobacco rather than burning it, products that the two stores say are not covered under the advertising law.

    Previously, Japan Tobacco International, which makes heated devices, said the 2002 law defines a tobacco product “as something that is smoked, sniffed, sucked, or chewed,” and because heated tobacco products do not produce smoke, they aren’t covered by that definition. The supermarkets used the same argument, with a statement from Morrisons saying, “On that basis, we are comfortable that it is legal for heated tobacco products to be advertised in store.”

    CTSI says the issue has never been tested in court, so it cannot say conclusively that running the ads is illegal.

    “The only people who can definitively test it are the courts,” said Kate Pike, lead officer for tobacco and vaping at CTSI. “Now the courts are chocka. Trading Standards is very stretched, and I think that’s probably the reason why you’re seeing more and more of these ads.”

    A spokesperson for the government would not weigh in on the current debate but said a forthcoming bill would expand the ban to all advertising of nicotine and tobacco products including nicotine pouches and vapes.

    “This government’s landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill will enhance existing legislation, including on advertising, and put us on track for a smoke-free UK,” the spokesperson said.

  • Denmark Goes All-In on Action Plan

    Denmark Goes All-In on Action Plan

    Health concerns are growing in Denmark as a reported 36% of people between the ages of 15 and 29 use at least one tobacco or nicotine product. To combat this, Denmark has enacted the entirety of a 30-point action plan aimed at protecting youth from using nicotine products and alcohol. The original plan was proposed in November 2023 and implementation of about half its point began in April 2024. The final 16 measures were recently approved and are beginning to be implemented.

    Some of the new measures include:

    • Penalties for selling tobacco and nicotine products that are illegal to market in Denmark and for selling tobacco, nicotine products, and alcohol to minors are being increased, with fines starting from €6,700.
    • The Danish Safety Technology Authority can permanently confiscate illegal tobacco and nicotine products without a court order.
    • In some situations, the authority can temporarily deprive retailers of the right to market tobacco and nicotine products.
    • The authority can use fictitious profiles and go undercover to search for sellers or ads marketing illegal goods on social media.
    • Beginning in July, appealing flavors—defined as tobacco or menthol—and scents in tobacco substitutes, such as nicotine pouches, will be banned.