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The Tobacco Board of Zambia (TBZ) says measures have been put in place to protect farmers from contracting Covid-19 during the marketing season.
Chief Executive Officer James Kasongo said the booking of tobacco for sale during the marketing season will be done electronically—through email or text messaging.
The TBZ bright leaf system will book tobacco at Lusaka main sales floor and will be linked to the organization’s regional offices, according to Kasongo.
Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) has submitted two new premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). RAI is seeking marketing orders for its Vuse Vibe and Vuse Ciro vapor products, which would allow these products to remain on the market after the FDA’s deadline for PMTAs for electronic nicotine-delivery systems.
The applications include a range of scientific studies for Vuse Vibe and Vuse Ciro using well-known methodologies, including the comparative assessment of cigarettes and associated health risks. Though the PMTAs themselves are considered commercially proprietary and are thus confidential, the data and information submitted to the FDA include the results of product analyses, nonclinical health risk information and human health and population information, including the impact to both users and nonusers of tobacco products.
According to RAI, the results of these studies demonstrate that the continued marketing of the Vuse Vibe and Vuse Ciro products is appropriate for the protection of the public health.
“I am incredibly proud of our diverse team of scientists, researchers and regulatory experts, who have worked tirelessly together to complete these applications well ahead of the FDA’s May deadline for ENDS products,” noted Reynolds’ executive vice president and head of scientific and regulatory afairs, James Figlar.
The PMTAs for Vuse Vibe and Vuse Ciro are the second and third complete grouped PMTA applications submitted by Reynolds to the FDA for review, following the initial PMTA applications for Vuse Solo submitted in October 2019.
The government of India has banned the sale of tobacco, liquor and gutka (a form of chewing tobacco) to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The measures have been put in place in order to ensure social distancing, an important aspect of the fight against the coronavirus, is adhered to. The ban is part of a list of directives issued under the Disaster Management Act of 2005 and also prohibits acts such as spitting in public, which is now punishable by a fine.
The lockdown in India began on March 25 and was extended on April 14 for another three weeks. India has reported more than 10,000 coronavirus cases and 377 deaths.
Dominated by traditional tobacco products, such as bidis and chewing tobacco, India is one of the world’s largest tobacco markets.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned governments about engaging with the tobacco industry over the development of coronavirus vaccines.
British American Tobacco (BAT) announced this month that it had made a breakthrough in developing a potential plant-based vaccine candidate for Covid-19. Medicago, a biotechnology specialist based in Canada and partly owned by Philip Morris International, is also developing a vaccine for the virus.
However, the WHO says there is “a fundamental and irreconcilable conflict between the tobacco industry’s interests and public health policy interests.” What’s more, the global health body’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control restricts members in dealing with the tobacco industry.
David O’Reilly, director of scientific research at BAT, has said that the company has contacted healthcare departments to offer access to its research and plans to contact the WHO.
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has been working to set guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 during the tobacco selling season.
The board is expected to enforce a “deliver today, sell tomorrow” guideline, and only 20 farmers will be allowed to complete the sale of each batch before moving to the next one. Farmers will not be allowed to sleep overnight at the market, temperatures and IDs will be checked at the gate, and handwashing stations will be installed at the entrances.
“Tobacco is bought in the absence of the growers who shall come in to review after the sale. Floor marshals shall be deployed by the industry to ensure that rules set by the stakeholders are followed. They shall conduct random checks on gate passes and maintain the permitted number of people in a gathering,” the guideline proposal states.
Nonbooked tobacco will not be accepted, and sellers will be turned away.
British American Tobacco (BAT) is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) over suspected sanctions-busting. Britain’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is conducting a separate investigation relating to “suspicions of corruption in the conduct of business by group companies and associated persons.”
BAT has operations in several countries that are subject to sanctions, including Iran and Cuba. In its 2019 annual report, the company acknowledged that operations in these countries expose the company to the risk of “significant financial cost.”
BAT said that it is cooperating with the investigation.
“As the investigations are ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to provide further comment at this time,” BAT spokeswoman Anna Vickerstaff said.
Shares in the company fell 5.5 percent after The Times first reported the news on Tuesday
Financial services company Jefferies suspects the U.S. investigations may be linked to the SFO investigation. “If we are right, and it (the U.S. probe) does relate to the same accusations (as in SFO probe), the fact this has been ongoing in some form since 2017 with no apparent conclusion, we would not worry too much about it for now,” Jefferies analyst Owen Bennett wrote.
A recent study in the European Respiratory Journal shows that smokers and those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are more likely to develop severe coronavirus infections because they have a higher number of the virus’ entry receptor enzyme (ACE2) in their lungs.
“The data emerging from China suggested that patients with COPD were at higher risk of having worse outcomes from Covid-19,” said lead author Janice Leung, a researcher at the University of British Columbia and St. Paul’s Hospital. “We hypothesized that this could be because the levels of ACE2 in their airways might be increased compared to people without COPD, which could possibly make it easier for the virus to infect the airway.”
The study found higher levels of ACE2 in individuals suffering from COPD as well as current smokers. The levels in individuals who had quit smoking were similar to those who had never smoked.
In light of the continuing fight against Covid-19, the organizers of World Tobacco (WT) Europe have announced that the event will now take place Oct. 27–28, 2020.
More than 1,000 tobacco professionals from across Europe were due to convene in Sofia at the end of May when the Bulgarian capital was originally due to host the event.
“We are obviously disappointed, but the safety of our attendees and staff must come first. We now have a clear window of opportunity to revisit our plans for the event and will be using this time to ensure we are delivering a powerful platform for the industry to begin its recovery after Covid-19,” states Tony Crinion, managing director of Quartz Business Media, organizer of the highly successful series of WT Events.
“We would like to thank all our exhibitors, sponsors, visitors and speakers for their continued support and patience during this challenging time. Please stay safe and well, and we look forward to bringing the industry together again very soon,” Crinion adds.
All existing bookings, content and visitor registrations remain in place and will be transferred automatically to the new dates.
With leaf cultivation dating back to the late nineteenth century, Sofia has a long and proud association with the tobacco industry, and tobacco remains an important cash crop for the entire region.
Supported by industry associations, major suppliers and manufacturers from across the continent, WT Europe provides a unique opportunity for the European tobacco industry to focus on the latest issues surrounding the sector and to strengthen communication between players in the industry.
Exhibition of international suppliers
Visitors will be able to try new products and see the latest innovations from international suppliers, including Aiger Engineering, KT International, Socotab EOOD, Star Agritech International, Focke & Co. and Miquel Y Costas.
Products on display will include agricultural machinery; processing and packaging equipment; flavoring and aromatic materials; packaging solutions; tipping and plug wrap; adhesives; inspection, testing and laboratory equipment; and tobacco products.
Two-day conference program
Organized by the European Leaf Tobacco Interbranch, the conference includes a carefully designed mix of keynote sessions, panel discussions, technical presentations, case studies and Q&A sessions all under the central theme of “The Future of European Leaf Tobacco.”
Sessions will study market updates, regulation developments, sustainability, the EU common agricultural policy, impacts of the single-use plastic EU directive, international trade issues and alternatives for the tobacco supply chain.
The exhibition and conference are free to attend for preregistered visitors. Further information can be found at wtevents.com/europe.
Please add WT Europe to your event calendars:
World Tobacco Europe
Oct. 27–28, 2020
Inter Expo Centre, Sofia, Bulgaria
The Ugandan government has proposed an amendment to the 2015 Tobacco Control Act to tax processed and unprocessed leaf tobacco.
Under the bill, processed and unprocessed tobacco consigned out of Uganda would be taxed at a rate of $0.80 per kg. The tax would be paid by the consigner to the Uganda Tobacco Authority.
The Uganda National Health Consumer’s Organization (UNHCO) has proposed an amendment to the Excise Duty Act of 2019 to remove tax exemptions and incentives to conform with the amended section of the 2015 Tobacco Control Act.
UNHCO has suggested a uniform tax tier with a specific rate, an excise duty of UGX250,000 ($66.48) per 1,000 cigarettes, and the elimination of soft cap and hinge-lid packaging. The organization has asked the government to increase tobacco taxes beyond 70 percent in conformity with the World Health Organization tobacco tax standards.
The South Korean health ministry is revising the images used on cigarette packs to discourage smoking.
Nine of the 12 photos currently used will be replaced; “Warning images showcasing heightened risk of laryngeal cancer, sexual dysfunction and dangers posed by electronic cigarettes will be retained,” according to the Yonhap News Agency. “Images showing a greater chance of smokers contracting lung and oral cancer, heart disease, stroke and early death are set to be altered, along with images highlighting the dangers of secondhand smoking and smoking during pregnancy.”
The new images will take effect on Dec. 23 and remain in place for two years.
Under current regulations, 75 percent of a cigarette pack must be covered in warning images and text, and they must be revised every two years.