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  • Filtrona Opens Upgraded Innovation Center

    Filtrona Opens Upgraded Innovation Center

    From left to right: Joyce Ng, global HR director; Hugo Azinheira, global director, innovation and ESG; Robert Pye, CEO, and Kow Lay Moi, global operations director. (Photo: Filtrona)

    Filtrona inaugured its expanded Filtrona Innovation Centre (FIC) in Surabaya, Indonesia, on May 29.

    The 2,242 square meter FIC houses an R&D facility and accredited scientific services labs that provide independent tobacco analytical testing services. The upgraded facility features a new exhibition area, co-working space and a heated tobacco product (HTP) testing lab that has tripled its capacity to meet growing demand. Filtrona also invested in a new HTP testing machine and a puff-by-puff aerosol analysis machine.

    The expansion of the facility follows Filtrona’s recent launch of its new Boreas range of HTP filters.

    The R&D facility includes a production area for manufacturing filter samples, a smoke test room, and a filter library with more than 11,000 filter designs produced from the 1950s to the present day.

    “With innovation at the heart of Filtrona, the FIC is a key node in our global operations and is instrumental in the design, testing and manufacture of specialty filter solutions for our customers,” said Filtrona CEP Robert Pye in a statement.

     “We will continue to invest in innovation and R&D to better serve our customers in product development and diversification, supported by our advanced knowledge on filtration, innovative designs, cutting-edge solutions for next-generation products, and alternative sustainable materials”.

    The FIC is part of Filtrona’s global network of innovation centers in Asia and Europe. Filtrona’s presence in Indonesia dates to 1976, when it established a site in Medan, North Sumatra. It moved to its current site in Surabaya in 1987.

  • CAPHRA Urges End to Vape Disinformation

    CAPHRA Urges End to Vape Disinformation

    Vapor Voice archives

    The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) states that as it celebrates World Vape Day on May 30, 2024, the organization is urging global leaders to recognize the life-saving potential of safer nicotine products and to expose the ongoing disinformation campaign led by the World Health Organization (WHO). 

    “Despite overwhelming scientific evidence supporting the reduced risk of vaping compared to combustible tobacco products, the WHO continues to ignore the facts and mislead the public,” said Nancy Loucas, executive coordinator of CAPHRA. “These products, including e-cigarettes, snus, and heated tobacco products (HTPs), offer a viable alternative for millions of smokers seeking to reduce their health risks.

    “The GSTHR reports have shown that these alternatives are not only effective in reducing harm but also play a significant role in public health by providing accessible and acceptable options for smokers worldwide.”

    CAPHRA has criticized the WHO’s exclusionary tactics, particularly at the 10th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP10). By excluding consumer groups and harm reduction advocates, the WHO has demonstrated a blatant disregard for the voices of those directly impacted by tobacco use, according to an emailed press release.

    “One of the most egregious aspects of the WHO’s stance is its use of children as pawns to propagate the false narrative that vaping is not a tobacco harm reduction product,” said Loucas. “This disinformation campaign not only undermines the credibility of harm reduction efforts but also jeopardizes the health of millions of adult smokers who could benefit from switching to safer alternatives.”

    CAPHRA is calling on all vaping industry stakeholders, including policymakers, public health officials, and the media, to recognize the truth about tobacco harm reduction. The release states that it is time to challenge the disinformation spread by the WHO and advocate for evidence-based policies that prioritize the health and well-being of smokers worldwide.

    “It’s time for the WHO and FCTC to listen to consumers and integrate harm reduction into their policies. Only then can we tackle both the public health crisis of smoking and the escalating illicit tobacco trade,” said Loucas. “The WHO’s stance not only ignores the evidence supporting these strategies but also undermines the global fight against the tobacco epidemic.”

  • Biden Rolls Back Bank Restrictions for Cuba

    Biden Rolls Back Bank Restrictions for Cuba

    TR Archive

    Accessing the global banking system just got easier for many of Cuba’s privately owned tobacco farms. The U.S. lifted some financial restrictions against the island country on Tuesday, in a move designed to boost private businesses.

    The measures will allow independent entrepreneurs to open and access U.S. bank accounts online to support their businesses. They also include steps to open up more internet-based services and expand private companies’ ability to make certain financial transactions.

    “These regulatory amendments update and clarify authorizations in support of internet-based services to promote internet freedom in Cuba, support independent Cuban private sector entrepreneurs, and expand access to certain financial services for the Cuban people,” the Treasury Department said in a news release.

    One of the key changes will allow Cuban private business owners to open bank accounts in the United States and then access them online once back in Cuba — something they couldn’t do previously. The U.S. also is again allowing something called U-turn transactions, where money is transferred from one country to another but is routed through the United States.

    “This reinstated authorization is intended to help the Cuban people, including independent private sector entrepreneurs, by facilitating remittances and payments for transactions in the Cuban private sector,” the release said, according to the Associated Press.

    The Trump administration had removed permission for the U-turn transactions in 2019.

    The Cuban authorities downplayed the announcement. Johana Tablada, deputy director of the U.S. department in the Cuban Foreign Ministry, said the steps were “limited” and will do little to ease the embargo or sanctions that have most hurt the Cuban people.

  • Nollywood to Show Tobacco Warnings

    Nollywood to Show Tobacco Warnings

    Image: alexlmx

    The Nigerian government will adopt new measures to limit how tobacco can be depicted in Nollywood, one of the world’s largest film industries, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

    The first such measure in Africa, the new rules require filmmakers to display health warning labels at the beginning and end of films depicting tobacco or nicotine. In addition, they will have to show health warnings during scenes that depict tobacco or nicotine use.

    Filmmakers may not include tobacco or nicotine brands on screen and prevent any brand marketing in their products.

    The measures cover movies, music videos and skits produced in Nollywood.

    Last year, India became the first country to regulate how tobacco use could be depicted on streaming platforms.

    In February, the parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control adopted measures to restrict tobacco advertising in entertainment and social media.

    A recent report by the Truth Initiative suggests that tobacco imagery has been surging in social media, in music videos and in movies.

  • New Sampoerna Boss: Workforce has Value

    New Sampoerna Boss: Workforce has Value

    Ivan Cahyadi
    (Photo: Sampoerna)

    Ivan Cahyadi, the new president director of Sampoerna, emphasized the company’s commitment to human capital development during a May 14 media meeting reported by The Jakarta Post.

    Celebrating its 111th anniversary, Sampoerna prioritizes human capital as crucial for business sustainability and societal well-being in Indonesia. Cahyadi, who began his career at Sampoerna in 1996, credits the company’s development programs for his rise to leadership. Sampoerna’s policy of job rotation and training across various departments enabled him to understand the business comprehensively.

    Sampoerna’s human capital initiatives include job rotation, overseas assignments and training, fostering an inclusive environment irrespective of ethnic or cultural backgrounds, according to Cahyadi. This approach has positioned Indonesians among global scientists and experts in innovative tobacco products. The company also operates advanced laboratories in Karawang and Pasuruan, enhancing local talent’s potential.

    Cahyadi highlighted Sampoerna’s support for traditional retailers through the Sampoerna Retail Community program, which aids 250,000 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME), boosting their competitiveness and economic impact.

    Additionally, the Sampoerna Entrepreneurship Training Center has trained over 72,000 MSME players in various business skills. Emphasizing gender balance, Ivan noted that women represent 46 percent of department heads. Sampoerna’s commitment to human capital aligns with its “Three Hands” philosophy, aiming to advance Indonesia collectively through sustainable business practices.

  • High Leaf Prices Luring Growers in Bangladesh

    High Leaf Prices Luring Growers in Bangladesh

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    High prices have been attracting more growers to tobacco production in Bangladesh’s Lalmonirhat District despite reservations about the crop within the Department of Agriculture, reports The Financial Express.

    While tobacco is a notoriously laborious crop, farmers say its relatively low cost of production combined with the prevailing strong global demand make it financially more attractive than many other crops.

    According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), farmers have cultivated tobacco on nearly 10,000 hectares of land in five administrative regions of the Lalmonirhat District, but farmers’ sources claim the figure to be higher.

    “We are always motivating farmers not to cultivate tobacco,” said DAE Deputy Director Shaikhul Arefin. “But farmers are doing it only for good price. In recent years, maize farming has taken the place of tobacco farming in many areas. If fair prices can be ensured for other traditional crops, tobacco farming will reduce gradually.”

  • Brazil Mulls Higher Minimum Price

    Brazil Mulls Higher Minimum Price

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    Brazil’s plans to raise the minimum cigarette price, reports Reuters, citing a government source. The goal is reportedly to offset losses from tax benefits granted to companies in some sectors and small municipalities.

    Brazilians now pay at least BRL5 ($1) for a pack of 20 cigarettes.

    The finance ministry’s executive secretary, Dario Durigan, told reporters the government was not raising taxes on cigarettes. He did not comment on the reports of plans to raise the minimum price to sell them.

    Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said on May 27 that measures to increase revenue are ready and that the government is considering whether to send them to Congress this week or next via an executive order.

  • China Tightens Smoking Restrictions

    China Tightens Smoking Restrictions

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    China is ramping up its efforts to control smoking. In 2023, 44 cities introduced or revised regulations, bringing the total number of cities with relevant regulations to 254 nationwide, according to national health authorities.

    According to the Xinhua News Agency, 24 regions at the provincial level in China have rolled out smoking regulations, and the proportion of the population protected by comprehensive smoke-free regulations is continuing to increase.

    Experts from the National Health Commission (NHC) released the data on Saturday ahead of World No Tobacco Day on May 31.

    Meanwhile, as China pledges to protect 80 percent of its population with smoke-free laws by 2030, experts on tobacco control on Sunday called for the country to introduce a national smoking control regulation as soon as possible.

    Smoking control, including preventing smoking and encouraging smokers to quit, is a viable approach for both population-wide disease prevention and individual healthcare, according to Wang Lu, a health expert from the NHC.

    Curbing smoking doesn’t aim to deprive people of their right to smoke, but to free people from being hurt by secondhand fumes, Zhang Jianshu, a senior expert at the Chinese Association of Tobacco Control, told the Global Times on Sunday.

  • Bidi Workers Demand Better Conditions

    Bidi Workers Demand Better Conditions

    Photo: Brandy Brinson

    During a public meeting in Rangpur, Bangladesh, representatives of the Bidi Workers Federation presented several demands for improving their working conditions, reports the Daily Sun.

    Among other things, they want multinationals to increase the price of low-end cigarettes from BDT45 ($0.38) to BDT65 per pack and the government to close down illegal bidi factories. The bidi workers also demanded a halt to “the brokering” of BAT.

    Rangpur Mayor Mostafizar Rahman, who also spoke at the gathering, urged the government to protect the bidi industry from “the conspiracies of international companies.”

    He highlighted that approximately 2 million workers across the country earn their livelihood by working in bidi factories. Rahman advocated for wage increases, the withdrawal of duties on bidi products and for the bidi industry to be declared a cottage industry, a designation that would give companies operating in this sector access to low-interest loans and subsidies on raw materials, among other benefits.

    A recent survey revealed that many bidi workers in Bangladesh are dissatisfied with their working conditions.

  • BAT Kenya Ups Leaf Price to Secure Supply

    BAT Kenya Ups Leaf Price to Secure Supply

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    BAT Kenya is paying more for leaf to ensure the security of its supply, reports Business Daily Africa.

    In fiscal year 2023, the cigarette manufacturer increased its per-kilo price by 5 percent to KES198.75 ($1.50) even as the number of contracted farmers dropped to 1,672, down nearly 20 percent from the previous fiscal year.

    Only five years ago, BAT had access to 5,700 tobacco growers in Kenya. The drop has been driven in part by farmers abandoning tobacco in favor of alternative crops such as beans and maize, along with pressure from anti-smoking activists.

    To help stem the decline, the company has been offering free tobacco seedlings, fertilizer and personal protective equipment. In addition, it has encouraged crop diversification by issuing farmers subsidized maize and avocado seeds, allowing them to earn extra income without abandoning tobacco.

    The company has also been introducing hybrid tobacco seed varieties to boost crop yields and disease resistance, and low-cost technologies such as mechanized ploughing and ridges to help growers cut cost and maximize returns.

    BAT Kenya paid KES954 million for its total tobacco requirements in 2023 compared with KES946 million in 2022. Last year, it purchased 4.8 million kg of leaf, down from 8.9 million kg in 2019.