Japan-based air carriers reported a record 429 in-flight smoking incidents in 2025, the highest level since data collection began in 2004 and a sharp rise from 65 cases in 2019, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Authorities believe the growing use of heated tobacco products — now accounting for over 40% of domestic tobacco sales, per the Tobacco Institute of Japan — has contributed to the increase, as vapor can trigger aircraft smoke detectors. Smoking on board, including use of e-cigarettes and heated products, is prohibited under Japan’s Civil Aeronautics Act, with violators facing fines of up to ¥500,000 ($3,150) if they fail to comply with crew instructions.
Tag: HTPs
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EU HTP Report Seen as Harm Reduction Obstacle
Heated Community Hub has voiced strong concern over the approach taken by the European Commission in its recent evaluation report on the EU tobacco regulatory framework. According to the group, the document is heavily unbalanced in its assessment of next-generation products — particularly heated tobacco — focusing almost exclusively on potential risks while failing to adequately acknowledge reduced-risk considerations or the experiences of adult consumers who have reduced or quit smoking traditional cigarettes by switching to alternatives.
Francesco Luongo, president of Heated Community Hub, said the EU risks undermining its own “Tobacco-Free Generation” goal of reducing tobacco use to below 5% by 2040 by applying policies that could affect alternative products indiscriminately. Citing Sweden’s decline in daily smoking to 5.3% in 2024 compared with an EU average of 24%, Luongo argued that a more pragmatic approach is needed to avoid pushing former smokers back to combustible products or fueling illicit trade.
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Dutch Tobacco Shops Face Scrutiny for Saying HTPs ‘Healthier’
Tobacco retailers in the Netherlands are facing scrutiny after staff in specialist shops were found promoting heated tobacco products as “less harmful” or even “healthier” alternatives to cigarettes, despite strict national rules prohibiting such claims. An investigation by the consumer program Pointer documented multiple instances where employees described these products in ways that imply health benefits, with some suggesting improvements in users’ fitness or overall condition, statements experts say are not supported by scientific evidence.
Public health authorities emphasize that while heated tobacco may expose users to fewer harmful substances than conventional cigarettes, it still carries health risks, underscoring the legal and reputational exposure for shops and staff making unverified claims at the point of sale.
Pointer reached out to Philip Morris — which it says has close ties to many specialist tobacco shops in the country — for comment, with PMI saying it couldn’t respond to specific allegations of what was said by shop staff, but that the company remains steadfast in supporting a future without cigarettes and believes more information should be provided to smokers about alternatives.
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JT Reports Record Year with Revenue Up 13%
Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) reported record fiscal 2025 results, with revenue rising 13.4% to JPY 3.47 trillion ($22.6 billion) and adjusted operating profit increasing 21.5% to JPY 902.2 billion ($5.9 billion), driven largely by tobacco business growth and the acquisition of Vector Group. Profit climbed 188.9% to JPY 499.1 billion ($3.2 billion), while free cash flow rose to JPY 272.7 billion ($1.8 billion), and the company plans to pay an annual dividend of JPY 234 ($1.52) per share.
For fiscal 2026, JT forecasts continued growth, projecting revenue to increase 6.6% and adjusted operating profit to rise 7.9%, as it accelerates investment in heated tobacco products to complement its combustible cigarette portfolio and support long-term earnings expansion.
“These achievements are the outcome of the strategic investments we have actively pursued over the years,” said JT Group president and CEO Takehiko Tsutsui. “In our Business Plan 2026, we intend to accelerate investments in heated products with the aim of establishing them as the second pillar of profit growth, alongside combustibles, in future years. Furthermore, we are targeting high single digit growth at a [compound annual growth rate] in consolidated adjusted operating profit at constant FX, driven by the tobacco business.”
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Florida Moving Toward Taxing HTPs Differently
A Florida House panel advanced legislation that would establish a separate tax structure for heated tobacco products (HTPs), distinguishing them from traditional cigarettes under state law. The bill (HB 377), introduced by Rep. Chase Tramont, reinforces an existing Department of Business and Professional Regulation interpretation that classifies HTPs as “other tobacco products” rather than cigarettes. The change would allow HTPs to be taxed at a lower rate than cigarettes, which are currently taxed at approximately $1.34 per pack. The measure cleared the House Industries and Professional Activities Subcommittee with bipartisan support, though some lawmakers raised concerns about offering tax incentives for products that still pose health risks.
The legislation defines HTPs as tobacco-containing products used in electronic devices that heat, rather than burn, tobacco to produce an inhalable aerosol. Supporters, including Florida TaxWatch, argue that differentiated taxation could encourage smokers to transition away from combustible cigarettes. The bill now heads to the Commerce Committee, while a companion Senate measure (SB 754) continues moving through committee review.
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Cyprus Government to Ban Flavored HTPs
Image: Arid Ocean The Cyprus government is moving to ban the sale of flavored heated-tobacco products (HTPs) following the Ministerial Council’s decision to adopt the relevant European legislation, according to In-Cyprus.
HTPs still allowed on the market will have to apply special warning labels and images to packaging, which will align the packaging with that of conventional cigarettes.
The aim of these changes is to “harmonize national legislation with European directives, as today’s Ministerial Council approved an amendment to regulations regarding the withdrawal of certain exemptions for heated-tobacco products.”
The council decided on the “extension of the ban on the sale of tobacco products with characteristic aroma/flavor or containing aromatic substances in any of their ingredients and on heated-tobacco products.”
“It was also decided to include verbal warnings/notifications about the harmful effects of smoking on the packaging of heated-tobacco products. These warnings will be accompanied by deterrent images.”
“In the legislation for smoking control, established in 2017, these products were exempted, and the sale of conventional cigarettes and rolling tobacco that contained aromatic substances in their ingredients was prohibited,” said Health Minister Popi Kanari. “With these regulatory amendments, the sale of heated-tobacco products containing aromatic substances in any of their ingredients is prohibited beyond conventional cigarettes and rolling tobacco.”
“The amendment does not apply to vaping products that contain liquid but only to the category involving heated-tobacco products in which cigarettes with aromatic substances are placed,” said Kanari.