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  • Analysis Shows Increased MEP Engagement with Industry Lobbyists

    Analysis Shows Increased MEP Engagement with Industry Lobbyists

    A POLITICO analysis of European Parliament disclosures found that lawmakers declared more than 400 meetings with tobacco and nicotine industry representatives since the current parliamentary term began in summer 2024, compared with about 100 during the entire 2019-2024 term. About 75% of the meetings involved lawmakers from three right-leaning political groups. Philip Morris International accounted for at least 178 meetings, followed by British American Tobacco with 60, according to data analyzed by POLITICO.

    The meetings covered proposed revisions to EU tobacco product and advertising rules, minimum taxes on tobacco and nicotine products, and public health initiatives. Public health advocates criticized the industry’s access to lawmakers, while industry representatives defended the meetings as legitimate engagement in the legislative process. The Smoke Free Partnership said the data showed increased lobbying around key policy initiatives, while noting that meetings alone do not establish direct influence on legislative decisions.

  • Zimbabwe Closing In on $7 Billion Tobacco Industry Target

    Zimbabwe Closing In on $7 Billion Tobacco Industry Target

    Zimbabwe is targeting a $7 billion tobacco industry by 2030 and could reach the goal ahead of schedule, Agriculture, Mechanization and Water Resources Development Minister Anxious Masuka said Oct. 26 at the 70th CORESTA Congress in Victoria Falls. The country aims to increase annual tobacco production to 500 million kilograms by 2030, from approximately 358 million kilograms in 2026. Masuka said growth would depend on higher yields, reduced post-harvest losses, and increased domestic processing rather than expanding cultivated land.

    Zimbabwe earns about $1.2 billion annually from semi-processed tobacco exports, supporting nearly 2 million people through direct and indirect employment. Smallholder farmers account for about 95% of growers and produce approximately 85% of the crop. The government plans to expand domestic manufacturing of cigarettes, shisha, and other tobacco products while moving away from indigenous firewood for tobacco curing by 2027 and promoting alternatives such as rocket barns.

  • Vape Critics Accuse RJR of Marketing to Kids

    Vape Critics Accuse RJR of Marketing to Kids

    A Semafor Healthcare article by David Lim reports allegations from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids that an R.J. Reynolds subsidiary is using colorful, scented mailers to promote fruit-flavored Vuse Pro vape pods in a manner critics compare to “scratch and sniff” cigarette advertising the company agreed to suspend about 20 years ago. The organization flagged the materials to state and federal authorities, alleging the marketing resembles tactics previously associated with youth appeal. Former FDA tobacco regulator Brian King, now the campaign’s executive vice president for U.S. programs, criticized the materials.

    R.J. Reynolds said the mailers were sent only to existing adult nicotine consumers whose ages had been verified and who had opted in to Vuse communications. The company said its products are intended for adults and that preventing youth access is fundamental to its marketing practices.

  • Gibraltar Plans Generational Tobacco Sales Ban

    Gibraltar Plans Generational Tobacco Sales Ban

    Gibraltar Health Minister Gemma Arias-Vasquez announced Oct. 26 plans to introduce a Smoke-Free Generations Bill that would prohibit tobacco sales to anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2009. The proposed legislation would also ban the sale and advertising of single-use vapes, regardless of age, and prohibit nicotine product sales to anyone under 18. Retailers would be required to verify customers’ ages and display age-restriction signage at points of sale. The bill follows a public consultation on a 2025 Command Paper published by the minister.

  • Morocco Projects $2 Billion in Tobacco Tax Revenue for 2027

    Morocco Projects $2 Billion in Tobacco Tax Revenue for 2027

    Morocco expects to collect MAD 23.3 billion ($2.3 billion) in taxes on manufactured tobacco and alcoholic beverages in 2027, up 10.1% from the MAD 21.2 billion ($2.1 billion) projected for 2026, according to the draft Finance Bill. Manufactured tobacco is expected to generate MAD 19.3 billion ($1.9 billion), a 9.05% increase from MAD 17.7 billion ($1.2 billion) in 2026, accounting for about 83% of the combined revenue. The draft bill proposes a specific tax of MAD 645 per 1,000 cigarettes ($64.50), an ad valorem rate of 57.5%, and a minimum tax of MAD 1,025 per 1,000 cigarettes ($102.50) in 2027. The minimum tax is scheduled to rise annually, reaching MAD 1,346 per 1,000 cigarettes ($134.60) in 2031.

  • CORESTA Holds 70th Congress in Zimbabwe

    CORESTA Holds 70th Congress in Zimbabwe

    The Cooperation Centre for Scientific Research Relative to Tobacco (CORESTA) opened its 70th congress in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, on Oct. 25, bringing together more than 330 delegates from 30 countries. CORESTA President Helena Digard called for greater international research collaboration, transparency, and adoption of emerging technologies. Held under the theme “Science for Sustainability and Harm Reduction in the Transforming Tobacco Landscape,” the congress covers agricultural research, product characterization, toxicology, exposure science, biomarkers, and analytical methodologies.

    The event marks CORESTA’s 70th anniversary and is the first time Zimbabwe has hosted the congress in 63 years, according to Kutsaga Research Board Chairperson Aaron Denenga.

  • Report Compares UAE and Swedish Tobacco Policies

    Report Compares UAE and Swedish Tobacco Policies

    A new report from Smoke Free Sweden, Tale of Two Nations: UAE v Sweden, compares tobacco-control policies and smoking rates in the United Arab Emirates and Sweden. The report states that the UAE’s adult smoking rate fell from 14.7% in 2019 to 11.1% in 2024, while Sweden’s daily adult smoking rate reached 5.3% in 2024.

    The report attributes Sweden’s decline to a combination of traditional tobacco controls and access to alternatives, including snus, nicotine pouches, and vapes. It recommends that the UAE establish a national tobacco harm reduction framework, align regulation and taxation with product risk, improve data collection on product use and switching, and expand public information about alternatives while maintaining protections against underage use.

  • Turning Point Brands to Review Q3 Results Nov. 9

    Turning Point Brands to Review Q3 Results Nov. 9

    Turning Point Brands will review its third-quarter 2026 financial results during a conference call Nov. 9 at 9 a.m. EST. The call will be available via live webcast on the company’s investor relations website, with a replay available two hours after the call.

  • Report Examines Illicit Nicotine Pouch Markets

    Report Examines Illicit Nicotine Pouch Markets

    TobaccoIntelligence’s released its Global Illicit Nicotine Pouch Report 2026 today (October 26), determining that illicit nicotine pouch markets are prevalent in countries with strict regulations, including bans, nicotine-content limits, online sales restrictions, and high taxes.

    Among the findings, the report said Germany, which has a de facto ban on pouches, still has the ninth-largest market in the world, estimated at $195 million. France, despite its ban, is the No. 22 pouch market in the world at $34 million, with fewer than half of French consumers knowing the ban exists.

    “Illicit nicotine pouches are a by-product of rapid growth, fragmented regulation, and limited enforcement, and they affect consumers, governments, and compliant businesses alike,” said Tim Phillips, founder of TobaccoIntelligence. “This report is an attempt to define the nature and scale of the problem. Our role is to provide independent data and analysis, and we hope it supports a better-informed debate.”

  • Philip Morris T&T Warns Vaping Duty Could Fuel Illicit Trade

    Philip Morris T&T Warns Vaping Duty Could Fuel Illicit Trade

    Philip Morris T&T Ltd. has warned that Trinidad and Tobago’s proposed 20% customs duty on vaping devices and e-liquids could increase illicit trade. The measure was announced by Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo in his Oct. 12 budget presentation and is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2027. The government also plans to prohibit vaping in public places and the sale of vaping products to people under 21.

    Marisa Bernard, corporate affairs manager for Caricom at Philip Morris T&T, said the company supports stronger measures to prevent underage access, including raising the minimum legal age for tobacco and vaping-related purchases to 21. She said the company is still assessing the proposed duty’s commercial impact and called for tax policy to balance revenue objectives, public health goals, and efforts to curb illegal trade.