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Tag: HTP

  • Oklahoma Cuts Cigarette Tax for HTPs

    Oklahoma Cuts Cigarette Tax for HTPs

    Oklahoma lawmakers approved legislation amending the state’s cigarette stamp tax law to extend a 50% tax exemption to cigarettes “intended to be heated rather than burned,” effectively lowering the excise burden on heated tobacco products. The measure revises definitions in existing statute to clarify that products designed to be heated still fall within the legal definition of a cigarette, but then carves out a partial exemption for those products from the stamp excise tax. The change applies within Oklahoma’s long-standing cigarette tax framework under the oversight of the Oklahoma Tax Commission.

    The law directs the Tax Commission to create rules to implement the exemption and ensure appropriate tax stamps are available for heated products before the act takes effect on November 1, 2026.

  • S. Carolina Looking to Cut Tax on HTPs, Add for E-liquids

    S. Carolina Looking to Cut Tax on HTPs, Add for E-liquids

    South Carolina lawmakers are considering legislation that would cut the excise tax on heated tobacco products by more than half, arguing the devices pose lower health risks than traditional cigarettes and could help smokers transition away from combustible tobacco. Republican Sen. Tom Davis, chair of the Senate Labor, Commerce, and Industry Committee, said the products provide a similar experience to smoking but with fewer harmful chemicals, and argued the tax structure should reflect the relative risk compared with conventional cigarettes.  The bill, introduced last year, imposes a separate excise tax on heated cigarettes of 25 cents per pack of 20, effectively cutting the HTP tax rate by 45 cents from the combustible rate of 70 cents per pack.

    Public health groups oppose the proposal, with the American Heart Association warning that reducing taxes could encourage continued nicotine use or product switching rather than quitting. The bill would also introduce a new excise tax on vaping products of five cents per milliliter of vape liquid, as South Carolina currently has no tax on e-cigarettes. According to the state fiscal office, heated tobacco products are not currently sold in the state, though companies have marketed them there previously and could reenter the market if the legislation passes.

  • Panama Moves to Consolidate Vape Regulations

    Panama Moves to Consolidate Vape Regulations

    Panamanian authorities are working to unify three legislative proposals into a single regulation aimed at restricting the use, advertising, and commercialization of e-cigarettes, vaporizers, and heated tobacco products. The bills — 263, 347, and 467 — address prohibitions in public and private spaces, product marketing, quality, safety, and taxation of vaping devices. The initiative follows previous legal challenges, including the 2025 regulatory framework by the Ministry of Health, which focused on protecting minors while allowing controlled commercialization, and the earlier Law 315, struck down by Panama’s Supreme Court. Authorities, including the National Customs and Ministry of Health, stress enforcement, traceability, and public health.

  • Japan’s HTP Tax Changes Threaten JTI Growth: CFO

    Japan’s HTP Tax Changes Threaten JTI Growth: CFO

    Tax changes in Japan that will eliminate preferential tax treatment for heated tobacco products are expected to weigh on growth this year, according to Japan Tobacco International CFO Vassilis Vovos. The policy shift would tax heated tobacco at the same rate as traditional cigarettes, potentially raising retail prices by 70 to 100 yen ($0.46 to $0.65) per pack after sales tax. Vovos said the company plans to introduce incremental price increases throughout 2026 to offset the impact and avoid a single steep price hike.

    The tax change poses a challenge to JTI’s expansion of its Ploom heated tobacco device in Japan, the world’s largest heated tobacco market, which is currently led by rival Philip Morris International, according to Reuters. Parent company Japan Tobacco has relied on newer product categories to drive growth, with Ploom volumes rising more than 38% last year and reaching a 14.4% share of the heated tobacco segment. While executives warned the tax change could temporarily slow category growth, they said heated tobacco remains a key long-term revenue driver.

  • Taiwan Allows Travelers HTPs Only if Bought Locally

    Taiwan Allows Travelers HTPs Only if Bought Locally

    Taiwan announced revised customs rules that will allow visitors to possess up to 200 heated tobacco product sticks from February 1, but only if the products are purchased in duty-free shops at Taiwan’s airports or outlying islands. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said the change reflects the fact that the only heated tobacco products currently approved for sale in Taiwan are not available overseas, meaning travelers cannot legally import foreign products even within the new allowance.

    Lo Su-ying, head of the Tobacco Control Division at the Health Promotion Administration (HPA), said only two companies have approved heated tobacco products and component combinations in Taiwan. Health authorities warned that travelers attempting to bring in unapproved heated tobacco sticks bought abroad will still be in violation of the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act and face fines ranging from NT$50,000 to NT$5 million ($1,600 to $ 160,000).  The HPA said it will step up public communication to ensure travelers understand the rules and avoid penalties.

  • Bangladesh Bans Vapes, Tightens Tobacco Laws

    Bangladesh Bans Vapes, Tightens Tobacco Laws

    Bangladesh’s interim government issued an ordinance banning e-cigarettes and other emerging tobacco products, significantly tightening the country’s tobacco control regime. The Smoking and Tobacco Products Use (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, promulgated on December 31, expands the definition of tobacco to include electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches, bringing them under a single legal framework. Smoking and the use of all tobacco products are now prohibited in all public places and on public transport, with fines raised to a maximum of Tk 2,000 ($16.40).

    The ordinance makes the production, import, export, storage, sale, and use of e-cigarettes and similar products criminal offences, punishable by up to six months’ imprisonment, fines of up to Tk 500,000 ($4,100), or both. It also introduces a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship across all media, prohibits tobacco displays at points of sale, and bans sales within 100 meters of schools, hospitals and playgrounds. Packaging rules have been tightened to require health warnings covering at least 75% of packs, while enforcement powers have been strengthened to allow license cancellations, seizures, and criminal prosecutions.

  • Study: Switching to Vapes, HTPs Boosts Fitness in Just Weeks

    Study: Switching to Vapes, HTPs Boosts Fitness in Just Weeks

    A study published in Scientific Reports reveals that smokers who switch to electronic cigarettes or heated tobacco products (HTPs) can achieve significant improvements in aerobic capacity as early as four weeks after quitting cigarettes. The study, led by researchers at the Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) of the University of Catania in Italy, provides the first-ever prospective evidence that substituting combustible cigarettes with noncombustible alternatives can measurably enhance cardiorespiratory performance.

    The study, a secondary analysis of the CEASEFIRE trial, used the Chester Step Test to monitor changes in VO₂max, the gold-standard metric for aerobic fitness. Smokers who either quit entirely or substantially reduced their cigarette consumption showed rapid and clinically meaningful increases in VO₂max. These gains were observed equally in users of e-cigs and HTPs, highlighting the potential of combustion-free products as harm reduction tools that also restore physical performance.

    “For young smokers, improved cardiovascular health or reduced cancer risk may seem like distant concerns,” said Riccardo Polosa, a professor at the university and co-author of the study. “But the promise of better fitness, faster recovery, and enhanced athletic performance speaks directly to their lifestyle and aspirations. This could be a more persuasive argument for quitting than traditional risk-based messaging.”