Tag: Featured

Stories featured at the top of tobaccoreporter.com

Relaunched Puff Bar Under Scrutiny

Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating Puff Bar’s redesigned fruit-flavored disposable vaporizers, reports The Hill.
In early 2020, the Trump administration banned fruity flavored e-cigarettes in reusable devices like Juul, the blockbuster brand that helped trigger the teen vaping craze in the U.S. Under that policy, only menthol and tobacco flavors were allowed for those devices. But the flavor ban did not apply to disposable vaping products like Puff Bar, which is offered in more than 20 flavors, including pina colada and pink lemonade.
Following the ban, Puff Bar quickly emerged as the vape of choice among young people.
In mid-2020, the FDA told Puff Bar to stop selling its fruity vaporizers as part of a broader crackdown on underage vaping. In a letter to Puff Bar, the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products said Puff Bar products hadn’t been authorized for sale by the agency and that the company had made unauthorized claims on its website that its vaporizers were less harmful than traditional cigarettes. In July 2020, Puff Bar announced that it would cease all online sales and distribution in the U.S. until further notice.
However, the brand resumed sales on its website last month with a changed product. To get around the ban, Puff Bar is now using tobacco-free nicotine, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The FDA said it was aware of Puff Bar’s move but would not say whether the agency’s ban was still applicable, citing the ongoing investigation.
Puff Bar has fallen to No. 3 in the disposable category this year, after Bidi Stick and Blu, according to Nielsen data.
It’s unclear who owns Puff Bar. Previous owners include Cool Clouds Distribution in California and DS Technology Licensing in China.
March 3, 2021
Reynolds American Appoints Senior Leaders

Photo: RAI
Reynolds American Inc. has appointed two senior leaders.
Shay Mustafa, currently senior vice president of modern oral, will assume the role of senior vice president of business communications and sustainability, reporting to Reynolds’ president and CEO, Guy Meldrum. Mustafa will serve on the Reynolds management team and will also serve on the global business communication and sustainability leadership team.
Mustafa has successfully held leadership roles within the corporate sector and as co-founder of a technology start-up. Within the Reynolds companies, she has held a range of positions, including leading the Newport, Pall Mall and Grizzly brands. She has also set up the new modern oral business unit, which includes the Velo brand.
Leila Medeiros, currently senior vice president of vapor, will become senior vice president of new categories, which combines the leadership of the Reynolds companies’ Vuse vapor and Velo modern oral brands.
Medeiros joined the BAT Group in 2001 in Brazil and has successfully served in numerous leadership roles in different BAT geographies before assuming her current position in the U.S.
March 3, 2021
Researcher Urges Vapor Regulation

Photo: Hazem Mohamed | Dreamstime
Health researchers have called on the South African government to revive legislation intended to regulate e-cigarettes, saying the products don’t help people quit smoking as advertised, reports Business Day.
The Control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill was released for public comment in 2018, but the legislation has yet to be submitted to Parliament. As a result, e-cigarettes and other nicotine-delivery devices remain unregulated in South Africa.
Presenting recent research on e-cigarette use in South Africa, Lekan Ayo-Yusuf, director of the Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, said that more than 95 percent of e-cigarette users continued to smoke and few of them managed to stop smoking for more than six months.
Compared to people who had never used e-cigarettes, the likelihood of kicking the smoking habit for six months to 12 months was 77 percent lower among regular e-cigarette users.
“While the tobacco and e-cigarette industry likes to position e-cigarettes as cessation aids, the limited effectiveness of these products for long-term quitting, the health harms associated with usage and the industry’s clear and targeted marketing to youth are facts which are conveniently omitted from their narrative,” said Ayo-Yusuf.
According to one of the prevalence studies, 2.71 percent of adults, or 1.09-million people, used e-cigarettes daily or occasionally during 2018. Almost all these people (97.5 percent) were regularly smoking cigarettes as well. A separate study found vape shops were clustered in the wealthier parts of urban centers, and two-thirds were within a 20 km radius of a university or college campus.
E-cigarettes have been available in South Africa for more than 10 years but remain untaxed. Recently, the treasury department said it plans to release a discussion paper on tax proposals for electronic nicotine devices.
The recent research has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
March 2, 2021
John Miller President and CEO at Swisher

John Miller (Photo: Swisher)
Swisher’s board of directors has elected John J. Miller to serve as the company’s president and chief executive officer. Miller has served in senior leadership roles during his tenure at Swisher, including most recently as president since 2017. Prior to that, he was senior vice president of sales and marketing with responsibility for its core tobacco and adjacency businesses, overseeing sales, marketing, trade and business analytics
Miller joined Swisher in 2012, and since then, he has guided the company through significant strategic change, highlighted by year-over-year record-breaking growth. A principled leader with a deep understanding of the adult consumer market, Miller has been instrumental in transforming the organization and refocusing priorities on growth and innovation. This includes the redesign of Swisher’s corporate brand identity in conveying the company’s purpose, mission and vision to reflect its guiding principles and strategic goals.
Under Miller’s leadership, Swisher has doubled the size of its field sales force, tripled the size of its national accounts team and has recognized Swisher’s talented employees by awarding more than 175 promotions throughout the organization.
Miller has guided Swisher’s strategic vision as the company has worked to establish programs to adapt and innovate, meeting the needs of trade partners and its millions of adult consumers across the country. In support of the company evolution, Miller announced the creation of a chief growth officer function in late 2020 and expanded the innovation team to realize its diversification goals into new product categories and to accelerate expansion beyond its core tobacco portfolio.
March 2, 2021
THR Groups Worried About ENDS Advice

Photo: Vaperesso
Vapor advocates have expressed concern about recent recommendations made by the World Health Organization (WHO) study group on Tobacco Product Regulations to prohibit electronic nicotine and non-nicotine delivery systems where the user can control device features and liquid ingredients. The WHO has also called for a ban on vaping systems that have a higher “abuse liability” than conventional cigarettes, for example by controlling the emission rate or flux of nicotine.
Clive Bates
Clive Bates, a tobacco harm expert and former director of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), called the advice irresponsible and bizarre. “If governments take it seriously, they will be protecting the cigarette trade, encouraging smoking and adding to a huge toll of cancer, heart and lung disease,” he said.
The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) said the WHO is out of touch with growing evidence on the public health potential of vaping. “Certain WHO positions are now so out of date, and so thoroughly refuted by the experts, that they may as well be saying the earth is flat,” said John Dunne, director general at the UKVIA, in a statement. “They deviate dramatically from leading experts, including Public Health England and Action on Smoking and Health.”
Dunne cited the WHO’s assertion that there is “little evidence” for vaping’s role in helping people quit smoking. As early as 2019, clinical trials were finding vaping to be almost twice as effective as nicotine-replacement therapy, he noted.
This month, Public Health England (PHE) found in its Vaping Evidence Review 2021 that smoking quit rates involving a vaping product were higher than with any other method in every single English region.
John Dunne
“For the WHO to hold such contrary views is either bad science or bad faith. Both risk it becoming an enemy of harm reduction,” said Dunne.
“Vaping’s success as an industry, and its potential for public health improvements, is built on empowering personal choice,” he added. “Different systems, styles and flavors give consumers the options they need to leave combustible cigarettes behind. I would urge the WHO to engage with vapers, to hear their stories and discover the life-changing decisions they’ve made in their lives. Prohibition is simply not the answer.”
The WHO is scheduled to hold a summit on vaping, during the Conference of Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP9) in The Hague in November 2021. Following its exit from the European Union, the U.K. will send a national delegation to the meeting. The UKVIA was among expert guests invited by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Vaping to advise on the COP9 delegation’s approach.
“The U.K. has a genuine opportunity to promote harm reduction as a valid, progressive strategy for public health on the world stage,” said Dunne. “We must not allow misinformation to undermine this potential, irrespective of the source.”
March 2, 2021
Minister May Appeal Tobacco Ban Ruling

Photo: Alexlmx | Dreamstime.com
The Western Cape High Court has granted South African Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma permission to appeal the ruling that last year’s lockdown ban on tobacco sales was unconstitutional and invalid.
However, the court indicated that the minister’s prospects of success are slim in terms of the applicants’ constitutional law arguments.
From March to August 2020, the government prohibited sales of tobacco products and alcohol to help stem the spread of the coronavirus. Market leader British American Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) and smaller companies united in the Fair-Trade Independent Tobacco Association (FITA) challenged the ban, arguing that a short-term ban on a product whose health risks become evident only in the long run makes no sense.
They also questioned the rationale of the argument around cigarette sharing. Tobacco shortages and high prices of black market cigarettes would only increase the likelihood of smokers sharing their “stompies,” the tobacco companies said.
The government lifted the ban before the matter had been heard in court, but BATSA decided to proceed with the court action to prevent the ban from being reintroduced at a later stage of the pandemic.
On Dec. 11, the High Court ruled that South Africa’s ban on tobacco sales during the country’s hard lockdown earlier this year was unconstitutional.
“BATSA and our nine co-applicants had a resounding success in December with a strong judgment delivered in our favor,” said Johnny Moloto, the general manager of BATSA, in a statement. “Based on the strength of the High Court’s findings, we are confident that the Supreme Court of Appeal will uphold the Western Cape’s judgment and rule in our favor.”
BATSA said that, instead of taking futile challenges to the Supreme Court, the government should immediately ratify the global Illicit Trade Protocol that has been sitting on its desk for close to a decade and roll out a compliant tobacco track-and-trace system.
“Despite our confidence in the success of our case, we think the government would be wiser allocating its resources to combating the illicit trade in cigarettes, which was fortified by the ban and is now running rampant across South Africa,” said Moloto.
In a press note, BATSA said it supports a recent call by the FITA and the South African Tobacco Organization for an investigation into the illegal trade in cigarettes.
“This is an issue of utmost national importance that is taking huge sums out of the pockets of South Africans and putting it in to the pockets of criminals every single day. It deserves a fully resourced investigation or Commission of Inquiry with real powers,” said Moloto.
BATSA expects the investigation to pay for itself by identifying the culprits behind the illegal trade, prosecuting them and shutting down the illegal market to return billions in lost taxes to South African citizens.
March 2, 2021
Supports for Innovative THR Approaches

Photo: PMI
A new international survey commissioned by Philip Morris International (PMI) and conducted by independent research firm Povaddo reveals a public appetite for a better approach to reducing the societal harm caused by cigarettes. Seven in 10 respondents (71 percent) believe that encouraging those adults who would otherwise continue to smoke to switch to smoke-free alternatives instead can complement other efforts to reduce harm.
Conducted in December 2020 among 22,500-plus adults in 20 countries and territories, the survey explores attitudes regarding the role of smoke-free alternatives in improving public health. The results reveal broad support for novel approaches to accelerating the decline of cigarette smoking. Specifically, the survey found that: 73 percent of adults agree that governments should consider the role alternative products can play in making their country smoke-free; 77 percent agree that adult smokers should have access to and accurate information about smoke-free alternatives that have been scientifically substantiated to be a better choice than continued smoking; and 67 percent of respondents say that if it is possible to end cigarette sales in their country within 10 to 15 years (through smokers quitting tobacco or switching to better, science-based alternatives), their government should dedicate time and resources to making that a reality.
Three in four respondents (76 percent) believe it is important for governments to dedicate time and resources to reducing smoking rates. However, a majority (58 percent) believe that more regulation and taxation of cigarettes will not be enough to achieve a smoke-free future.
Jacek Olczak
“Smoke-free products have already started to play an important role in lowering smoking rates,” said Jacek Olczak, chief operating officer at PMI, in a statement. “With the right regulatory encouragement, support from civil society and the full embrace of science, I believe it is possible for the public’s call to be answered and for cigarette sales to be a thing of the past in many countries within a decade to a decade and a half.”
Most adults surveyed want to see a shift in the societal approach to tobacco harm reduction, including more collaboration between governments and tobacco companies. Moreover, nearly seven in 10 respondents (68 percent) support tobacco companies working with governments, regulators and public health experts to ensure smokers have access to and accurate information about the better, smoke-free alternatives science has made available. Further, eight in 10 respondents believe both governments (88 percent) and businesses (81 percent) have a responsibility to embrace the latest scientific and technological developments.
March 2, 2021
Hungarian Tobacco Down by a Quarter

Illustration: Gordon Johnson from Pixabay
Hungarian tobacco farmers harvested 4.33 million kg last year, down 23 percent from 2019, reports the Budapest Business Journal citing Illas Benyei, chairman of professional association Madosz.
The average yield dropped to 1,325 kg per hectare, the lowest level in 30 years. Benyei said bad weather had affected the crop while the pandemic had made the labor-intensive work of cropping leaves more difficult.
The harvest included 3,354 tons of Virginia tobacco and 759 tons of burley.
Universal Leaf Tobacco Magyarorszag, the biggest leaf merchant in Hungary, said the quality of the crop it bought from local farmers was average or a little under average.
March 2, 2021
Women in Tobacco to Celebrate Women’s Day

Women in Tobacco (WIT) will celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8 with a virtual meeting starting at 16:30 U.K. time.
During the meeting, WIT will highlight the work of two female authors—Karen Blakeley and Katherine Graham.
Blakeley, who previously published a book on change management, will offer a sneak preview of her latest work, Leading with Love, which is scheduled for release in July. Graham, previously with Japan Tobacco International in Geneva and London, will share excerpts from her debut novel, Salt Sisters, which will be published on March 11.
Participants in the WIT meeting will have an opportunity to win a signed copy of each book.
Click here for more information about the meeting and the authors. To register, please contact Kathryn Kyle.
March 2, 2021
Call for Crackdown on Illicit Cigarettes

Photo: gloverbh222 from Pixabay
Philippine Representative Joey Salceda has called for a crackdown on the illicit cigarette trade, reports The Inquirer.
The lawmaker, who chairs the ways and means committee, estimates the Philippines loses at least PHP30 billion ($618.29 million) annually due to cigarette smuggling. He attributes the problem to lax law enforcement.
Salceda said the Bureau of Internal Revenue should reverse a rule from 2015 that exempts cigarette manufacturers from tax stamps for exports and instead requires them to have unique identification codes (UIC). Because the rule relies on self-declaration, it is prone to abuse, according to Salceda.
“Stricter enforcement is absolutely critical, so the policy fix will involve closing the loopholes that lighten enforcement,” he added.
Cigarettes top the Philippines’ Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) list of most smuggled products.
According to the Department of Finance (DOF), more than half of contraband seized by the BOC in 2020 was illegal cigarettes.
The DOF said that out of the PHP9.75 billion in smuggled goods that the BOC seized in 2020, 53.5 percent in terms of value, or PHP5.22-billion worth, were tobacco and cigarettes.
March 1, 2021