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  • Report: 200 Influencers Illegally Promoted Nicotine in France

    Report: 200 Influencers Illegally Promoted Nicotine in France

    More than 200 social media influencers have illegally promoted nicotine products from tobacco companies to millions of people in the last five years, according to a report from the French Alliance Against Tobacco (ACT). Promoting tobacco products in France was outlawed in 1991 and expanded in 2016. In 2023, a new French law specified that online influencers cannot directly or indirectly promote nicotine products.

    The ACT report, however, found that such content had been promoted by 229 French-speaking influencers who participated in competitions, events, and partnerships with nicotine companies, reaching 24 million people since 2019. Most of the influencers had between 1,000 to 20,000 followers, allowing the companies to “promote their products in a subtle and indirect way,” the report said.

    An example cited in the report said Imperial Brands invited 52 influencers to festive events to promote a product containing nicotine.

    “It is unacceptable that the tobacco industry continues to circumvent the law to promote its products on social media, with complete impunity,” Marion Catellin, the director of ACT, said. “Their goal is not to create a ‘smoke-free world,’ but to attract young people and make them addicted to nicotine.”

  • NewCo Funding Clean Water in Kenya

    NewCo Funding Clean Water in Kenya

    NewCo announced a new initiative where it donates $300 to provide clean and safe water to Masaai communities in rural Kenya for every container of African-origin tobacco it sells.

    “As we celebrate 20 years of proudly serving our suppliers and customers, we want to give back to the communities that make our work possible,” NewCo owner Rainer Busch said. “Over 40% of Kenya’s rural population lacks access to clean drinking water, forcing families – especially women and children – to walk long distances daily just to fetch water. Many rely on contaminated sources, leading to severe health risks like cholera and dysentery.

    “With your support, we can fund sustainable water solutions; improving health, reducing hardship, and empowering entire communities.”

    NewCo is also accepting donations for the cause, with Busch saying, “Any amount, big or small, can accelerate our impact.”

  • BAT Announces Pricing of $2.5B Notes Offerings

    BAT Announces Pricing of $2.5B Notes Offerings

    British American Tobacco today (March 12) announced that B.A.T Capital Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of BAT, has priced an offering of $2.5 billion aggregate principal amount of guaranteed debt securities consisting of (1) $1 billion 5.350% notes due in 2032, (2) $1 billion 5.625% notes due in 2035, and (3) $500 million 6.250% notes due in 2055.

    The notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior and unsecured and joint and several basis by BAT, B.A.T. International Finance p.l.c., B.A.T. Netherlands Finance B.V. and, unless its guarantee is released in accordance with the relevant indenture, Reynolds American Inc.

    The issuance of the notes is expected to close March 13, subject to customary closing conditions.

    BAT intends to use the net proceeds of the offering of the notes for general corporate purposes, including the potential repayment of existing indebtedness.

    The preliminary prospectus supplement is available at: 424B2 (sec.gov)

    The shelf registration statement is also available at: F-3ASR (sec.gov)

  • Belgium’s Cigarette Black Market Soars

    Belgium’s Cigarette Black Market Soars

    Cimabel, the cigarette manufacturers’ federation for Belgium and Luxembourg, said that 36.5% of consumed cigarettes in Belgium dodged taxation in 2024, a staggering increase from the 20% in 2023. While only 1% of the cigarettes are counterfeit, Cimabel blames “excessive” tax hikes imposed by the previous federal government on legal products are allowing organized crime syndicates to smuggle in illicit product from Bulgaria to sell significantly cheaper.

    Already with a reputation as a smuggling hub for arms and drugs, Cimabel warns that Belgium authorities are now tasked with getting on the global bandwagon to reduce cigarette smoking without opening the door for criminals.

    “The state is hemorrhaging revenue while criminals rake in millions,” Cimabel said. “The federation is now calling for a rethink on excise policies, urging the government to strike a balance between public health and stopping illicit traders from lighting up their profits.” 

  • Study: Students Vaping in South Africa 

    Study: Students Vaping in South Africa 

    Researchers from the University of Cape Town found that 16.8% of high school students in South Africa used e-cigarettes. The study focused on schools in major cities and included 25,000 students from 52 schools in eight of South Africa’s nine provinces. 

    Students who vaped were asked further questions about the habit, with researchers estimating 61% of the teen vapers could be seriously addicted to nicotine. They also found that household income was not a factor in the use of vape products. When asked why they began vaping, more than half cited social influences and the desire to fit in.

    Published in The Conversation, the study also found that 5% on the students used cannabis and 2% smoked cigarettes.

  • Connecticut Votes to Nearly Triple Budget in Tobacco Fight

    Connecticut Votes to Nearly Triple Budget in Tobacco Fight

    Connecticut’s Public Health Committee approved legislation to put $32 million into the Tobacco and Health Trust Fund for smoking cessation, a $20 million increase over the proposed budget from Gov. Ned Lamont. In 2023, the state invested $12 million into the program but it was suspended in 2024.

    The money to fund this program comes from the Tobacco Master Settlement agreement. Chris Collibee, budget spokesman for the Lamont administration, said the state will receive $109.6 million from the settlement in 2025, and $108.1 million in 2026. He also said each year $200,000 of the settlement money goes to the Attorney General’s office and the Department of Revenue Services to cover the costs of tobacco enforcement, with the rest going to the General Fund.

    The Connecticut Department of Public Health found that in 2023, 12.7% of high school students used a form of tobacco, down from 18.8% in 2022.

  • Wild Bill’s Breaks into Missouri Market

    Wild Bill’s Breaks into Missouri Market

    Wild Bill’s Tobacco, which has 240 retail stores in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia, announced the opening of its first store in Missouri. The 1,360-square-foot store is located in Raymore, and according to the company will have one of the largest walk-in humidors in the state.

    Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, and owned by LAMB Ventures, Wild Bill’s recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. The company said it has been anxious to get into the Missouri market and plans to expand around the state.

    “We’re thrilled to bring the Wild Bill’s experience to the Kansas City market, introducing our premium selection and unmatched customer service to a new community,” stated Jon Welzel, Chief Marketing Officer at Wild Bill’s Tobacco. “Raymore is the perfect place to begin our journey in Missouri, and we’re excited to become a part of this vibrant community, with plans to expand in the area for years to come.”

  • Report: Massachusetts’ Restrictions Created Huge Illicit Market

    Report: Massachusetts’ Restrictions Created Huge Illicit Market

    A new report says that Massachusetts, one of the states at the forefront of fighting tobacco and nicotine with taxes and regulations, saw a 21,000% increase in illegal vape seizures last year. The Massachusetts Multi-Agency Illegal Tobacco Task Force (which is under the umbrella of the state’s Department of Revenue) said state police vape seizures jumped from 1,326 units to 279,432.

    The report also found there is a thriving market for untaxed menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars, and other banned products, all presumedly powered by state policies like high taxes and strict prohibition.

    “It just shows that, in the state’s own report, black market sales will rise or thrive because of this,” V.J. Mayor, the CEO of the Northeast Wholesalers Association told Inside Sources. “And it doesn’t achieve the public health outcome that the state is looking for when it increases state excise taxes on cigarettes.

    “Massachusetts’ experience proves that overly restrictive policies do not eliminate the problem, they simply drive it underground. This fuels a thriving black market, undermines legitimate businesses, and ultimately shortchanges the state’s revenue.”

    The state’s restrictive policies date back to 2019’s “An Act Modernizing Tobacco Control” law, which banned the sale of flavored tobacco products, added new regulatory requirements, and placed a 75% excise tax on electronic nicotine systems. It also opened the door for local authorities to extend their own controls, with numerous towns adding more taxes, creating generational bans, and outlawing specific products.

    “These numbers are absolutely staggering and prove what [we] warned from the start—Massachusetts has created the perfect environment for illegal smuggling,” said Peter Brennan, executive director for the New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association. “Our members are losing customers to the illicit market every day, and the state is bleeding tax revenue because criminals are filling the void created by excessive taxes and product bans.”

    Paul Craney, from the free-market Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance think tank, says Massachusetts has one of the highest rates of consumers who buy tobacco products without paying state taxes as people cross the border into New Hampshire to buy the products significantly cheaper, and then also end up doing more shopping for alcohol, groceries, and more. The Tax Foundation and Mackinac Center for Public Policy found that between 2007 and 2022, New Hampshire’s government received $955 million from Massachusetts smokers.

    “This report is also clear evidence of just how misguided additional prohibitions would be,” Brennan said. “Ideas like creating a so-called nicotine-free generation or limiting sales of nicotine products to adult-only stores will only make a bad situation worse—driving even more consumers to illegal sellers, costing even more tax revenue, and putting even more pressure on our small businesses.”

  • Study: Young Dutch Vapers Unaware of Nicotine

    Study: Young Dutch Vapers Unaware of Nicotine

    A study in the Netherlands found that nearly 40 percent of young people who vape monthly do not know if their e-cigarette contains nicotine, according to a report from the Trimbos Institute. The findings, which expand on 2023 data, highlight a significant gap in awareness about the potentially addictive substance.

    “Young people seem less aware of the nicotine in vapes. This is a serious issue because once addicted, it is very difficult to quit,” said Esther Croes, a tobacco expert at the Trimbos Institute. She added that nicotine use can disrupt brain development in the long term.

    The report surveyed Dutch youth between the ages of 12 and 25 who vape at least once a month. While many said they continue vaping because they enjoy it, nearly 40 percent admitted they did not know whether their device contained nicotine. Additionally, more than two-thirds of respondents said they do not feel addicted.

    According to NL Times, data shows that young people feel more addicted to traditional cigarettes than to vapes. Among those who vape monthly, only 28 percent reported feeling addicted, compared to 50 percent of cigarette smokers. Despite these figures, addiction experts warn that nicotine dependence may develop gradually, and that young people may underestimate the difficulty of quitting.

    According to the study, many respondents cited flavors as their main reason for starting. Social influence and curiosity were also key factors.

  • Zimbabwe Court Approves Urgent Hearing in Pacific Cigarette Tax Dispute

    Zimbabwe Court Approves Urgent Hearing in Pacific Cigarette Tax Dispute

    Pacific Cigarette Company secured approval from Zimbabwe’s High Court for an urgent hearing after it entered into voluntary business rescue over a $19 million tax dispute. The demand from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) rendered Pacific insolvent, threatening the operations of the nation’s second-largest indigenous tobacco producer.

    The case centers on whether the tax obligations imposed on Pacific during its corporate rescue contravene established insolvency protections or represent enforceable liabilities under Zimbabwean law.

    Pacific argues that the tax demand infringes insolvency protection and so its formal request for a tax clearance certificate from ZIMRA should be granted. The authority, through its tax and revenue management system, established conditions for issuing such certificates in 2023, which Pacific asserts it complied with yet faces contested liabilities following ZIMRA’s revised taxation approach for toll manufacturers. This change saddled Pacific with the disputed tax obligations, compounded by ZIMRA’s garnishment of its bank accounts to make sure the money was paid.

    Justice Gibson Mandaza recognized the urgency of Pacific’s application and directed the case to proceed. He said the draft order under challenge required adjudication on its merits, specifically concerning whether a company under corporate rescue is exempt from tax obligations. The court acknowledged that corporate rescue, a process governed by insolvency laws, aimed to enable companies to reorganize their affairs without undue liabilities and needed to be assessed on a case-by-case basis and could not be presumed at the earlier stages.