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  • FDA Issues Final Guidance on Testing Methods

    FDA Issues Final Guidance on Testing Methods

    The FDA has published final guidance for the tobacco industry on the “Validation and Verification of Analytical Testing Methods Used for Tobacco Products.” This guidance provides recommendations for tobacco manufacturers on how to generate validation and verification data for analytical methods supporting regulatory submissions, including Substantial Equivalence (SE) reports, Premarket Tobacco Product Applications (PMTA), and Modified Risk Tobacco Product Applications (MRTPA). It also applies to testing and reporting harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) in tobacco products and tobacco smoke.

    The updated guidance finalizes the draft issued in December 2021, incorporating comments received from stakeholders. Key changes include updates reflecting recent statutory revisions, such as the inclusion of synthetic nicotine under the definition of tobacco products, and clarifications on alternative validation procedures. The guidance also supports the use of national and international standard test methods and provides detailed recommendations on laboratory accreditation, statistical methods, and analytical test method validation, helping the industry produce more reliable and consistent data for regulatory purposes.

  • FDA Tightens Oversight on Vape, Pouch Imports

    FDA Tightens Oversight on Vape, Pouch Imports

    The FDA has updated import alerts 98-07 and 98-06 to strengthen the regulation of unauthorized e-cigarettes and other tobacco products entering the country. The changes clarify that all new vapor products must have FDA authorization to be marketed legally in the U.S. Under Import Alert 98-07, unauthorized vapor imports may face detention or refusal of entry without physical examination. The update also provides clearer guidance for importers, customs brokers, and federal partners, including links to the FDA’s searchable database of authorized tobacco products.

    Import Alert 98-06 focuses on non-e-cigarette tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco and nicotine pouches such as NOIS, LYFT, and SKRUF. These products, like vapor products, may also be detained if unauthorized. The FDA emphasized that mis-declared products remain a key focus, citing the seizure of three million units of unauthorized vapor products worth $76 million in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. To date, the FDA has authorized only 34 vapor products and devices, underscoring its commitment to enforcing compliance and preventing illegal products from entering the market.

  • Optimism High as Zimbabwe Tobacco Harvest Begins Despite Weather Challenges

    Optimism High as Zimbabwe Tobacco Harvest Begins Despite Weather Challenges

    The early harvesting of Zimbabwe’s tobacco crop is underway, with farmers optimistic about achieving the annual target of 300 million kilograms despite earlier setbacks. Edward Dune, president of the Tobacco Farmers Union Trust, reported that most irrigated farms have started reaping, although recent heatwaves have compromised leaf weight in some areas. Encouraged by the December rains, small-scale farmers are still planting, and Dune anticipates an early start to the marketing season if favorable weather continues. The influx of labor to tobacco farms, particularly in arid regions like Binga and Muzarabani, reflects the sector’s importance for local livelihoods.

    To support farmers, the government has extended the deadline for seedbed destruction to January 15, 2025, following a recommendation by the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB). The extension, prompted by delayed rains and transplanting, allows growers to maximize their efforts amidst challenging conditions. With 84,661 hectares transplanted as of late December—exceeding last year’s figure—TIMB is optimistic about the industry’s growth and resilience. Efforts to ensure high-quality tobacco, proper handling, and competitive pricing remain priorities as TIMB prepares for a crop assessment exercise in January to evaluate the main dryland crop’s progress.

  • Queensland Cracks Down on Illicit Trade

    The Queensland government is intensifying efforts to combat the illegal trade of tobacco and vapes, which it claims is being exploited by criminal gangs. Health Minister Tim Nicholls revealed that 350-400 stores, including repeat offenders, are under surveillance, with recent raids seizing millions of illicit cigarettes, tons of loose tobacco, and tens of thousands of illegal vapes. Nicholls emphasized the need for stricter financial penalties, arguing that current fines, capped at $3,200 for individuals and $10,000 for corporations, are insufficient to deter the lucrative trade. Discussions are underway with the attorney-general to introduce harsher penalties.

    Meanwhile, the government faces mounting pressure to release the delayed Mid-Year Fiscal and Economic Review (MYFER). Labor’s Shannon Fentiman criticized the delay, suggesting the government is buying time to address fiscal mismanagement and accusing the LNP of stalling after their October election victory. Nicholls defended the postponement, citing efforts to uncover past Labor overspending and ensure an accurate portrayal of state finances. He dismissed opposition criticism as desperation, maintaining that the government is prioritizing transparency and accountability in its economic reporting.

  • Pakistani Farmers Plan Protests Over Quota Cuts

    Pakistani Farmers Plan Protests Over Quota Cuts

    Tobacco growers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have announced a protest campaign against the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) and purchasing companies, accusing them of favoring corporate interests and exploiting farmers. During a meeting led by Tehreek-e-Ittehad Kashtkaran Pakhtunkhwa (TIKP), leaders outlined a phased protest strategy, including public rallies in key tobacco-producing districts and sit-ins outside the PTB in Peshawar, Parliament House, and federal government offices in Islamabad. The growers are protesting a 14.2% reduction in the tobacco quota for 2024, claiming it was announced too late for them to adjust their planting decisions.

    The leaders demanded timely quota announcements, curbs on the smuggling of foreign cigarettes, and increased government support for tobacco exports to boost revenue and benefit farmers. They also criticized the lack of investment in tobacco-producing regions, despite legal obligations for companies to allocate 6% of profits to local development. Additionally, they called for the abolition of the contractual employment system in the tobacco sector and the removal of advance taxes on re-dried tobacco to improve growers’ livelihoods and ensure fair labor practices.

  • TIMB Extends Seedbed Destruction Deadline Amid Delayed Rains

    TIMB Extends Seedbed Destruction Deadline Amid Delayed Rains

    In Zimbabwe, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has extended the deadline for destroying tobacco seedbeds for the 2024/25 season to January 15, 2025, citing delays caused by a slow start to the rainy season. Under the Plant Pests and Diseases (Tobacco) Regulations of 1979, seedbeds were initially required to be destroyed by December 31 to prevent pest and disease cycles. However, the prolonged dry spell and insufficient water resources delayed transplanting, prompting the extension to protect farmers’ investments and enable them to recover from the challenging conditions.

    Tobacco remains Zimbabwe’s second-largest foreign currency earner, primarily cultivated by smallholder farmers. Despite adverse conditions caused by an El Niño-induced drought in 2023/24, the industry showed resilience, with 236 million kilograms produced and an increase in registered growers and transplanted hectares by the end of 2024. TIMB has set a target of 300 million kilograms for the upcoming season, urging growers to adopt climate-smart practices such as efficient water management and weed control to mitigate the effects of erratic weather. The recent rains have renewed optimism for the season’s success.

  • Morocco Cigarette Prices to Increase

    Morocco Cigarette Prices to Increase

    Morocco will see an increase in cigarette prices this year, reports Morocco World News.

    Some packs will increase by up to MAD2 ($0.20) while premium brands will have minimal or no increase.

    The increase is aimed at narrowing the gap between low-cost and premium cigarettes to create a more balanced market, according to the Moroccan government.

    Entry-level brands are the main targets of the increase. Societe Marocaine des Tabacas raised prices of Gauloises and Marquise by MAD1. Philip Morris International increased L&M and Chesterfield prices by MAD2. Japan Tobacco International increased prices of Monte Carlo by MAD2 and LD by MAD1. Camel saw an increase of MAD0.5.

    Morocco’s 2025 finance bill introduced measures to boost tax revenues while increasing public spending and investment, with a goal of reducing the budget deficit to 3.5 percent of GDP. In order to achieve this goal, the government plans to raise domestic consumption taxes on products like hard alcohol, beer, and manufactured tobacco. This is projected to bring in MAD657.8 billion, which is a 14.49 percent increase. Tax revenues from cigarettes are expected to be MAD13.7 billion.  

    The Domestic Consumption Tax’s specific quota will increase to MAD550 while the minimum tax per 1,000 cigarettes will increase to MAD953.

  • Latvia: Tobacco Sellers Look for Loopholes in New Regulations

    Latvia: Tobacco Sellers Look for Loopholes in New Regulations

    Tobacco sellers in Latvia are reportedly looking for loopholes in the new regulations that go into effect this month, according to Euro News.

    Beginning January 2025, tobacco products, including disposable vapes, refillable e-cigarettes, and nicotine pouches, cannot be sold to individuals under 20 years old, and vaping products can no longer have flavors other than tobacco. The amount of nicotine in nicotine pouches will also be reduced.

    According to Latvijas Televizija, a Latvian public television channel, companies selling refill cartridges are looking for ways to circumvent the new rules and continue selling the same products—some are planning to sell separate bottles of flavoring and nicotine that customers can mix themselves.

    “Certainly, after the new year, there will be alternatives that can be offered to the client, but they will not have such a wide range. Let’s increase the range bit by bit and, after some time, it will definitely be bigger,” said Jakaterina Smirnova, representative of e-cigarette company Ecodumas.

    “I assume that, similarly to other products, relatives and friends who travel will be able to bring them [the banned products] from abroad. Like all illegal things, Telegram trading will probably also develop. And it’s hard to stop,” said Anrijs Matiss, a board member of the Traditional and Smokeless Tobacco Products Association.

    The association estimates a state budget loss of €10 million annually following the new laws.

    The nicotine pouch industry expects that products will disappear from retail shelves, at least temporarily.  

  • Milan Bans Outdoor Smoking

    Milan Bans Outdoor Smoking

    Milan has banned smoking in outdoor and public areas, effective Jan. 1, 2025, reports Euro News.

    The ban includes “all public spaces, including streets” but provides an exception for isolated spaces as long as smokers maintain a distance of at least 10 meters from other people. Those caught violating the ban face fines ranging from €40 to €240.

    The ban aims to improve the city’s air quality and protect the health of citizens from secondhand smoke. Milan is one of Europe’s most polluted cities in terms of air quality.  

    The new law does not apply to electronic cigarettes, however.

  • Study: One Cigarette Decreases Life Expectancy by 20 Minutes

    Study: One Cigarette Decreases Life Expectancy by 20 Minutes

    Photo: Nopphon

    A new study in Addiction shows that smoking a single cigarette decreases life expectancy by an average of 20 minutes, reports CNN Health. The study is based off British smokers and was commissioned by the U.K. Department for Health and Social Care.

    The research, which came out of University College London, estimated that the loss of life expectancy for men was about 17 minutes and for women was about 22 minutes.

    According to Sarah Jackson, lead author of the paper and a principal research fellow in the UCL Alcohol and Tobacco Research Group, “20 cigarettes at 20 minutes per cigarette works out to be almost seven hours of life lost per pack.”

    “The time they’re losing is time that they could be spending with their loved ones in fairly good health,” Jackson said. “With smoking, it doesn’t eat into the later period of your life that tends to be lived in poorer health. Rather, it seems to erode some relatively healthier section in the middle of life. So when we’re talking about loss of life expectancy, life expectancy would tend to be lived relatively good health.”

    The research used mortality data from the British Doctors Study and the Million Women Study, showing that people who smoked throughout their lives lost, on average, around 10 years of life compared to nonsmokers. Life expectancy is similar in the U.S. for smokers versus nonsmokers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    The amount of life expectancy that can be recovered by quitting smoking can depend on several factors, according to the new research.

    “In terms of regaining this life lost, it’s complicated,” said Jackson. “These studies have shown that people who quit at a very young age—so by their 20s or early 30s—tend to have a similar life expectancy to people who have never smoked. But as you get older, you progressively lose a little bit more that you can’t regain by quitting.

    “But no matter how old you are when you quit, you will always have a longer life expectancy than if you had continued to smoke. So, in effect, while you may not be reversing the life lost already, you’re preventing further loss of life expectancy.”