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  • ‘Reverse Spin Bias’ Impacting Vape Studies

    ‘Reverse Spin Bias’ Impacting Vape Studies

    A newly published academic commentary highlighted potential inconsistencies in how evidence on vaping for smoking cessation is interpreted, introducing the concept of “reverse spin bias.” Published last month in Research Integrity and Peer Review, authors Renée O’Leary, Giusy Rita Maria La Rosa, and Riccardo Polosa, reviewed 16 systematic reviews published between 2021 and 2025 and found that 13 reported e-cigarettes as significantly more effective than comparators such as nicotine replacement therapy or placebo. However, only three of those reviews ultimately recommended e-cigarettes as a cessation tool, while others either discouraged their use or declined to make recommendations despite reporting positive findings. The authors argue that this disconnect between statistical outcomes and policy-facing conclusions may undermine evidence-based decision-making in public health and clinical guidance.

    The paper suggests several mechanisms behind the trend, including discounting positive evidence as low quality without formal evaluation, emphasizing hypothetical long-term risks, and selectively omitting favorable subgroup outcomes. For the vape sector, the findings reinforce concerns that harm-reduction evidence may not be consistently reflected in academic and regulatory discussions. The authors are calling for greater scrutiny from journal editors and peer reviewers to ensure that study conclusions accurately reflect underlying data, warning that failure to address such reporting bias could limit the adoption of potentially effective smoking cessation tools.

  • Indian Motorcycle Premium Cigars Enter France

    Indian Motorcycle Premium Cigars Enter France

    Indian Motorcycle Premium Cigars, produced under licence by Phil S. Zanghi III, launched in France under an exclusive distribution agreement with Volutes et Vitoles, according to Halfwheel. The cigars, manufactured at the De Los Reyes factory in the Dominican Republic and available in three blends, went on sale in the French market last week, marking their first availability in the country. Zanghi described France as a key global premium cigar market and said the partnership with Volutes et Vitoles is intended to strengthen brand presence and support expansion across all Indian Motorcycle cigar lines in the region.

  • Morocco Creates Mandatory Standard for Smoke-Free Products

    Morocco Creates Mandatory Standard for Smoke-Free Products

    Morocco will implement mandatory standards for smoke-free nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, muassel, and nicotine pouches, from February 2026, under new rules developed by the Moroccan Institute of Standardization, according to Médias24. The framework introduces requirements covering product composition, labelling, traceability, and safety, and will apply to imports as Morocco has no domestic production of these products.

    Consumer groups say the regulations strengthen transparency by requiring detailed labelling, including manufacturer information, ingredients, origin, and production date, while supporting broader legal updates covering emerging nicotine categories such as heated tobacco. Authorities stress the measures are intended to improve consumer protection and market oversight rather than promote product use.

  • Secondhand Vape Plumes May Form Lung-Damaging Free Radicals: Study

    Secondhand Vape Plumes May Form Lung-Damaging Free Radicals: Study

    A laboratory study published in Environmental Science & Technology raised new questions about the potential risks of secondhand exposure to e-cigarette aerosols, finding that aged vape emissions may contain ultrafine particles, metals, and highly reactive compounds capable of generating free radicals linked to lung tissue damage. Researchers from the University of California, Riverside, led by Ying-Hsuan Lin, simulated indoor vaping conditions and found that aerosol particles contained metals including iron, aluminum, zinc, and trace levels of lead, arsenic, and tin. The study also reported that ultrafine particles, which can penetrate deep into the lungs, showed significantly higher concentrations of reactive peroxide compounds and produced substantially greater levels of free radicals when exposed to simulated lung fluid.

    The findings add to the growing body of research examining indoor air chemistry associated with vaping, particularly interactions between aerosol emissions and environmental ozone. While conducted under controlled laboratory conditions using simplified e-liquid formulations without nicotine, the researchers said the results highlight the need for further real-world and epidemiological studies to better understand potential health impacts of secondhand vape exposure.

  • Swedish Match Closing Richmond Office

    Swedish Match Closing Richmond Office

    According to a letter to the Commonwealth of Virginia, Swedish Match will be closing its Richmond office April 17, offering the majority of employees the opportunity to relocate to a location aligned with their role and function. Virginia Business magazine reported yesterday (Feb. 2) that Thomas G. Hayes, president of Swedish Match North America, sent a letter last week notifying Virginia Works of the imminent closure as part of a larger restructuring by its parent company, Philip Morris International. 

    In November 2025, PMI announced plans to restructure in 2026, dividing into two main business units, PMI International and PMI U.S.—along with Aspeya, its wellness business—as it continues to expand its smoke-free portfolio. In a statement, PMI said the Richmond closing is related to changes in its U.S. geographical footprint.

     “This decision was not made lightly, and we recognize the impact it will have on our employees and the local community,” the company said. “Centralizing key capabilities and functions in strategic location hubs will help us operate with greater speed, agility, and consumer focus—driving momentum behind our category-redefining brands, ZYN and IQOS as we work to accomplish a smoke-free America.”

    Headquartered in Stockholm, Swedish Match AB employs about 1,300 people in the United States. “According to Hayes’ letter, employees of PMI subsidiaries and affiliates Triaga Retail, PMI Global Services Unit, Swedish Match Cigars, Swedish Match North America, and Pinkerton Tobacco Co. are impacted,” Virginia Business reported.

  • BAT CEO Talks Investment in Italy

    BAT CEO Talks Investment in Italy

    British American Tobacco CEO Tadeu Marroco was recently in Rome meeting with stakeholders, and spoke with Milano Finanza about how the company views Italy as a strategically important market, citing its stable regulatory and taxation framework, strong supplier base, and growing adoption of next-generation products, which now account for around 45% of BAT’s Italian revenue compared with 18% globally.

    “Italy represents one of the most strategic markets for BAT and [is] one of the countries in which the group can concretely realize its vision for the future,” he said. “From Italy, we continue to buy tobacco up to 15 thousand tons, which will be purchased in the three-year period 2026-2028, supporting over 400 small and medium-sized enterprises that employ 6,000 people.”

    Marroco said BAT is reinforcing its European innovation and production footprint through its Trieste Innovation Hub, where the company is investing €500 million through 2027 to expand non-combustible product manufacturing. The facility is expected to reach full capacity with 16 production lines and generate employment growth linked to BAT’s broader supply chain investments, including continued tobacco sourcing agreements supporting domestic agriculture and SMEs. The company maintains its target of deriving 50% of global revenue from smoke-free products by 2035, while also navigating regulatory complexity and illicit market growth in key regions, which BAT argues can hinder innovation and undermine public health and fiscal outcomes.

  • Korea to Regulate Synthetic Nicotine as Tobacco

    Korea to Regulate Synthetic Nicotine as Tobacco

    South Korea announced today (Feb. 3) that it will extend full tobacco regulatory controls to synthetic nicotine liquid e-cigarettes from April 24, bringing them in line with conventional tobacco products following amendments to the Tobacco Business Act and National Health Promotion Act. The measures require manufacturers and distributors to include graphic health warnings on packaging and restrict advertising to limited channels, while banning promotional content targeting women or minors or highlighting flavors. The revised framework also prohibits the use of all tobacco and nicotine products, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco, in designated smoke-free areas, with violations subject to fines of up to 100,000 won ($69). The regulatory expansion, the first major update to the tobacco definition since 1988, aims to close loopholes that previously allowed synthetic nicotine products to be marketed and sold with fewer controls, particularly amid concerns around youth access and public health risks.

  • India Withdraws 18% Duty on Unmanufactured Tobacco

    India Withdraws 18% Duty on Unmanufactured Tobacco

    India’s Union government withdrew the 18% central excise duty on unbranded, unmanufactured tobacco and tobacco refuse for retail sale, according to a gazette notification issued on Feb. 1, 2026, the same day the Union Budget for 2026–27 was presented. The move revokes a duty imposed in December 2025 and follows representations from tobacco farmers and industry stakeholders, including a delegation led by the Tobacco Board chairman, who warned the tax would burden growers and disrupt the market. The withdrawal does not affect existing excise duties on cigarettes, which remain unchanged and continue to be levied based on stick length.

  • PM India Fighting Illicit Trade with Intelligence

    PM India Fighting Illicit Trade with Intelligence

    Illicit cigarettes are not a new problem in India, but they are one that continues to grow, Navaneel Kar, managing director of Philip Morris India, told Statesman News Service. According to Euromonitor International, India is now the fourth-largest market for illegal cigarette consumption in the world after China, Brazil, and Pakistan. To get an idea of how big the problem is, Kar said PM India carried out a large intelligence-gathering exercise in 2025 that covered more than 3,000 shops across 10 states. By also engaging with more than 50 government stakeholders, the goal was not just observation but building reliable intelligence that could, in turn, support enforcement agencies and policy discussions.

    Public reports indicate enforcement agencies seized smuggled cigarettes worth about ₹600 crore ($7 billion) in FY25, with data from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence showing the North-East as the largest hub for seizures, followed by Maharashtra–Goa, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.

    PM India said it is supporting the government’s rollout of a Track & Trace system for tobacco products, drawing on global experience from markets where digital tagging of cigarette packs is used to improve supply-chain visibility and curb illegal trade. The company also “supported capacity-building efforts for over 145 officers from customs and tax departments,” according to Stateman News Service.

  • 14 Newcastle Shops Closed for Illicit Tobacco

    14 Newcastle Shops Closed for Illicit Tobacco

    Authorities in Newcastle, England, have issued three-month closure notices to 14 West End shops since beginning a crackdown on illicit tobacco sales in December. The latest bust on Jan. 20 seized 4,350 illegal cigarettes (£74,000) and 370 pouches of rolling tobacco (£16,650). Three tobacco-sniffing dogs—Bran, Cooper, and Griff—have been integral to the operations, finding contraband hidden in chairs, stock boxes, and behind a fake wall, as well as discovering a “tab tube” that was used to move goods to the shop from an upstairs flat.