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  • UK Vaping Duty Takes Effect

    UK Vaping Duty Takes Effect

    The UK’s new Vaping Products Duty took effect today (Oct. 1), imposing an excise duty of £2.20 per 10ml of vaping liquid, including nicotine-free products, while a new vaping duty-stamp scheme is being phased in to improve supply-chain traceability and help combat illicit trade. Manufacturers, importers, and warehousekeepers are responsible for the duty, with existing unstamped inventory eligible to be sold through March 31, 2027. From April 1, 2027, all vaping products sold in the UK must carry a valid duty stamp. Retailers caught selling unstamped products after the grace period could face significant penalties. HMRC can seize non-compliant stock and issue fines of up to £10,000, with penalties increasing for repeat offences. In the most serious cases, businesses could also face criminal investigation, an unlimited fine or imprisonment.

    The government said the measures are intended to reduce vaping’s affordability and appeal, particularly among young people and nonsmokers, while tobacco duty is also increasing by an additional £2.20 per 100 cigarettes or 50 grams of tobacco on top of the existing duty escalator.

    The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) criticized the new duty, with Director General John Dunne calling it a public-health tax and arguing that higher prices could push some consumers toward smoking or illicit products. UKVIA cited its survey of nearly 3,500 adult vapers, which it said found about half would consider returning to smoking or the black market following the duty. Separately, Haypp’s Head of External Affairs UK and Scientific Affairs, Dr. Marina Murphy, said retailers face additional compliance requirements, including managing unstamped inventory, maintaining records, and ensuring new stock carries the required stamps.

    The government said the duty is expected to raise more than £550 million annually by 2030-31 and is providing £30 million a year through 2028-29 for Trading Standards, Border Force, and HMRC to tackle illicit and underage sales of tobacco and vapes.

  • Trump Administration Looking to Change PMTA Process

    Trump Administration Looking to Change PMTA Process

    The Trump administration is reportedly preparing changes to the FDA’s review process for new tobacco products that could make it faster and easier for products such as flavored vapes and nicotine pouches to receive marketing authorization, according to The Wall Street Journal. The FDA is expected to revisit requirements established in 2021 for Premarket Tobacco Product Applications (PMTAs), following years of industry criticism over lengthy reviews.

    Reuters reported it could not independently verify the report, but quoted an HHS spokesperson as saying, “The Trump administration is committed to keeping nicotine out of the hands of kids, getting ⁠counterfeit vaping products off the streets and providing safer alternatives for adults who want to quit smoking cigarettes.”

    Industry groups and companies welcomed the potential changes. Laura Leigh Oyler, vice president of regulatory affairs at Haypp Group USA, said the FDA has not met congressional review deadlines for noncombustible products and has authorized fewer than 100 reduced-risk products compared with thousands of combustible products. “An overhaul isn’t just welcome, it’s necessary,” Oyler said, adding that the current process has contributed to the influx of foreign, illicit products.

    Charlie’s Holdings also supported the reported changes, saying it has been seeking FDA authorization for certain tobacco-derived nicotine e-liquids since 2020 and hundreds of synthetic nicotine products since 2022. CEO Henry Sicignano said the PMTA process has imposed high costs on smaller U.S. businesses while illicit products have entered the market. Charlie’s said it currently retains 678 timely filed PMTA assets and expects a streamlined authorization process to increase the value of its portfolio.

  • Relaunched NicoLeaks.com Expands Product Info, Test Results 

    Relaunched NicoLeaks.com Expands Product Info, Test Results 

    Haypp Group announced that it has relaunched NicoLeaks.com, a publicly available database of independent nicotine pouch testing results, marking the platform’s fifth anniversary. The redesigned site includes dedicated product pages, expanded product information, and tools to filter and compare laboratory results by nicotine content, pH, moisture levels, and market. Each entry identifies the source and date of analysis, while laboratory reports are available to view and download.

    Testing is conducted by Eurofins and covers compositional parameters including nicotine content, pH, moisture, tobacco-specific nitrosamines, and trace metals. Haypp said the testing evaluates product composition only and does not assess health effects. The relaunch coincides with the Tobacco Science Research Conference in Charlotte, N.C., where Haypp scientists are presenting findings from independent testing of more than 400 nicotine pouch products in 2025. The company said it plans to add scientific articles, presentations, and other educational resources to NicoLeaks in the coming months.

  • Surviving a Global Trade System: GTNF 2026

    Surviving a Global Trade System: GTNF 2026

    At GTNF 2026 in Lisbon, Chris Greer, senior vice president for regulatory and external affairs at Stryk Brands, moderated a panel examining how companies can navigate an increasingly fragmented global trade environment. “Surviving in a Global Trade System” focused on cross-border challenges involving taxes, tariffs, regulation, movement of goods and services, and labor, with panelists arguing that increasingly localized requirements are creating high costs and complexity for businesses.

    Greer said the panel was focused on systemic issues that are changing rapidly, including the growing influence of health regulations on international trade. He warned against one-size-fits-all approaches and said excessive non-tariff barriers can reduce market efficiency and contribute to illicit markets.

    Tracy Berry, vice president of tax compliance at Laudisi Enterprises, said the costs of increasingly complex requirements ultimately fall on consumers. She also highlighted the burden on small businesses, pointing to FDA treatment of an artisan pipe maker producing a single pipe in a garage compared with a large manufacturing facility.

    Chris Gemmell, chief product and innovation officer at Greentank Technologies, said the era of a single global product platform is ending as companies adapt products to individual markets. He suggested companies think of products like “Legos,” with modular components that can be changed quickly to meet different regulatory requirements. He also pointed to the cumulative costs of compliance, testing, taxes and tariffs, particularly when compliant companies compete against businesses that do not face the same costs.

    Markus Lindblad, head of legal and external affairs at Haypp Group, said companies may be international in scope but increasingly have to operate locally because regulations differ significantly between countries. He argued that regulators should pursue “purpose-driven regulation” rather than simply adding more rules and said global technology platforms also need greater regulatory attention. Lindblad said companies must consider not only whether they can enter a market but whether the market is stable and provides sufficient conditions to operate.

  • Supply Chain Resilience will Depend on Regulatory Readiness: GTNF26

    Supply Chain Resilience will Depend on Regulatory Readiness: GTNF26

    Suppliers to the nicotine industry will increasingly need to anticipate regulatory changes rather than react to them, according to speakers at GTNF 2026’s panel on global supply-chain challenges and opportunities. Moderated by Laura Leigh Oyler, vice president of regulatory affairs at Haypp Group, the panel emphasized that regulation—not supply disruptions alone—will remain one of the biggest risks facing suppliers as new nicotine products and requirements continue to emerge.

    Ross Kirsh, CEO and founder of Dymapak, said companies will need flexible supply chains and contingency plans rather than attempts to predict every potential disruption. Brands that wait until a regulatory change becomes a rule risk scrambling for solutions and facing delays of months or more. Kirsh also argued that standards should focus on performance rather than prescribe specific products or technologies, allowing innovation to determine the most effective and economical solutions.

    Rahul Mathew, director of sales for next-generation products at Leaf N Beyond, said regulatory changes will continue to influence supply and suppliers will need to build expertise to help customers navigate them. He argued that supply-chain planning should become part of product development itself, with companies preparing for multiple possible outcomes rather than trying to predict a single one. Mathew also pointed to sustainability, scale and science as key considerations as the industry evolves. He said traditional customer-supplier relationships will remain important, but the supply chain will become less efficient unless both sides improve communication and better understand each other’s needs.

    Przemysław Pitura, global head of procurement at Chemnovatic, stressed the importance of knowing the supply chain in detail and maintaining the ability to trace products back through every stage of production. He said suppliers should be involved before a product is finalized because making changes later can be difficult and expensive. Pitura also emphasized the value of developing alternative supply sources before they are needed, saying the best time to build an alternative is when there is no immediate need for one. He noted that changing requirements will continue to create challenges, but companies with experienced people and strong supplier relationships can turn that uncertainty into an advantage.

  • Mixed Reactions as UK Wants Planning Controls on Vape Shops

    Mixed Reactions as UK Wants Planning Controls on Vape Shops

    Today (August 11), the UK government announced plans to give councils greater control over high-street businesses, including requiring planning permission for new specialist vape shops and adult gaming centers. The government said the measures are intended to help communities manage the mix of businesses in town centers, address concerns about the concentration of vape and gambling outlets, and give local authorities greater powers to close premises linked to organized crime.

    The proposal has received qualified support from parts of the vaping industry, although concerns have been raised over its scope. Dr Marina Murphy, Head of External Affairs at Haypp UK, said specialist, compliant vape retailers should retain a place on high streets, arguing that a planning framework recognizing vape retail as a distinct category could support responsible businesses while giving councils more control over poorly run or non-compliant outlets. Riot Labs CEO Ben Johnson similarly backed the objective but criticized the mechanism, describing planning permission as “a location test applied to a conduct problem.”

    Riot Labs and Action on Smoking and Health both noted that the proposed planning requirement would apply to new premises, meaning it would not directly address existing shops that breach regulations. Johnson is calling instead for the government to implement the retail licensing provisions contained in the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, which would apply to both existing and new retailers.

  • Women Fueling UK Pouch Market Growth

    Women Fueling UK Pouch Market Growth

    A new Nicotine Pouch Report from Haypp indicates that women are becoming a major driver of growth in the UK nicotine pouch market. According to the report, the number of female customers on Haypp.com and Northerner.com more than tripled during 2025, with nicotine pouch sales to women increasing 202% compared with a 25% increase among men. Women now account for 40% of nicotine pouch sales on Haypp Group platforms, up from 22% previously, reflecting a shift toward broader adoption similar to trends seen in Sweden.

    The report found that discretion is the leading reason women choose nicotine pouches, while flavor ranks as their top purchasing factor, compared with price for men. Among female pouch users, 55% said they had quit smoking after switching to nicotine pouches, and 75% reported encouraging others to move away from cigarettes, suggesting growing consumer acceptance as the category expands.

  • Human Smuggling Case Should Make UK Consider Dutch Bibob Act: Opinion

    Human Smuggling Case Should Make UK Consider Dutch Bibob Act: Opinion

    Following a BBC investigation into a convicted human smuggler operating vape shops in the UK, Dr. Marina Murphy, the senior director of scientific affairs at Haypp, called for the adoption of a licensing framework modeled on the Netherlands’ Bibob Act. She argued that incorporating enhanced background checks into the UK’s proposed licensing scheme for nicotine and vape retailers would allow authorities to deny licenses where there are credible links to organized crime, rather than waiting for illegal activity to occur.

    Under the Dutch system, licensing authorities can assess applicants and associated individuals using public records and law enforcement information before approving or revoking business licenses.

  • Quitting Smoking Motivated Nearly Half of Pouch Users: Study

    Quitting Smoking Motivated Nearly Half of Pouch Users: Study

    Haypp Group, the parent company of Nicokick.com and Northerner.com, released its Nicotine Pouch and Oral Nicotine Report 2026, based on purchasing data from more than 172,000 customers and a survey of 2,245 adult nicotine pouch users. The report found that 46% of respondents said quitting smoking, vaping, or both was a reason they first tried nicotine pouches, while 88% had previously used another nicotine product before adopting pouches. The average age of a first-time online nicotine pouch purchaser was 45, and adults aged 55 to 64 represented the fastest-growing customer segment in 2025.

    The report also highlighted differences between online and physical retail channels. Among surveyed customers, 98% recalled completing age verification when purchasing online, compared with 75% for purchases made in physical stores. Respondents who reported obtaining nicotine pouches while underage most commonly cited local shops (52%), friends (23%), and supermarkets (10%), while only 5% reported obtaining them online. Haypp Group said sales through Nicokick.com and Northerner.com increased 22% in 2025 after adjusting for sales interruptions in certain states and supply constraints affecting leading brands. The company noted that the survey reflects the experiences of its own customers and is not intended to represent the broader U.S. nicotine pouch market.

  • Haypp Announces Zyn Ultra Launch Across U.S.  

    Haypp Announces Zyn Ultra Launch Across U.S.  

    Haypp Group announced that Zyn Ultra nicotine pouches are available through its U.S. online retailers, Nicokick.com and Northerner.com, as of June 15. The new Zyn format contains 20 pouches per can, compared with 15 in the flagship lineup, and will initially launch in 9 mg strength across eight flavors, with an 11 mg range scheduled to follow later in June. Haypp said the rollout expands its portfolio of more than 300 nicotine pouch products and follows the resumption of direct-supplied Zyn sales in the U.S. in September 2025.