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Tag: Shisha

  • Cigarette Plain Packaging Among Tobacco Law Changes Macau Considering 

    Cigarette Plain Packaging Among Tobacco Law Changes Macau Considering 

    The Macau government plans to amend its tobacco control law, with Health Bureau director Alvis Lo Iek Long saying that standardized “plain packaging” for cigarettes will be a key measure to reduce tobacco’s appeal to young people.

    In an interview with public broadcaster TDM, Lo confirmed authorities are speeding up preliminary work on such a measure but noted no timeline has been set due to the legislative process.

    The proposed revisions also include expanding outdoor smoking bans to areas near schools and daycare centers, mirroring existing bus stop restrictions. Authorities also plan to trial “designated smoking areas” based on international models, aiming to balance the rights of smokers and non-smokers. Additionally, the amendment seeks to prohibit the import and sale of novel tobacco products, such as Middle Eastern shisha and herbal cigarettes.

    The current law allows different management entities to designate no-smoking zones, however, Lo said officials are working on pilot programs to define “smoking points” and establish clear signage systems, though specific trial locations have yet to be finalized.

  • Study: Charcoal-Free Shisha Significantly Less Harmful

    Study: Charcoal-Free Shisha Significantly Less Harmful

    In what the company calls “the world’s first charcoal-free shisha product,” OOKA announced the results of a study conducted by ASL Analytic Service Laboratory GmbH in Germany that found emissions from its heated system showed zero detection of many of the most harmful by-products of combustion, including carbon monoxide, benzene, toluene, and benzo[a]pyrene – substances typically found in both cigarettes and charcoal-heated shisha. The peer-reviewed study was published today (April 30) in Nature’s Scientific Reports. 

    “As the first electronically heated shisha system, OOKA represents a major advancement in inhalation technology, providing a charcoal-free, smoke-free experience without compromising flavor or ritual,” the company said in a press release. “The product’s multi-patented design eliminates combustion-related toxicants while offering consumers a consistent and premium experience.

    “The study provides substantive new evidence that OOKA is a breakthrough in harm reduction, delivering one of the cleanest inhalation experiences currently available without any compromise on flavor and experience for users

    The study tested emissions from OOKA across 37 toxicants and showed that emissions of key aldehydes—including acrolein, acetaldehyde, and formaldehyde—were reduced by up to 96% in the charcoal-free device compared to traditional shisha. When typical real-world consumption is factored in, toxicant exposure was estimated to be up to 100 times lower than cigarette smoking.

    “These findings have significant implications, not just for public health but also for shisha regulation and consumer understanding,” Dr. Ian Fearon, study co-author and a leading global expert in the scientific basis for tobacco harm reduction, said. “Misconceptions around waterpipe use have gone unchallenged for too long, and studies like this help bring clarity and credible data to a rapidly evolving category.”

    OOKA is one of six shisha/hookah brands under AIR (Advanced Inhalation Rituals).

  • Zimbabwe to Double Shisha Output

    Zimbabwe to Double Shisha Output

    Despite only increasing planted land by 25%, Zimbabwe is expected to see its Shisha crop double in 2025. Mostly being produced under a contract spearheaded by Cavendish Lloyd Zimbabwe Pvt Ltd. (CLZ), the increase in production is being attributed to the adoption of good agronomic practices, collaboration between growers and technicians, and favorable weather conditions.

    “We are projecting a total of 800,000 kilograms of cured Shisha tobacco by the end of the season, a significant increase from last year’s 400,000 kg,” Dr Rebecca Manford, chief executive officer for CLZ said. “The price for the crop has remained strong, with the highest price recorded so far at US$5.75 per kg, an increase from last season’s US$5.70.”

    Shisha was introduced commercially in Zimbabwe in 2022, and last year was negatively impacted by the El Nino drought. The number of growers increased from 65 to 125 this year, yet the land committed only increased from 388 to 485 hectares. Production of the crop has presented farmers with more investment opportunities to widen their farming business as part of the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan.

  • Belgium Finds Violations in 80% of Shisha Bars

    Belgium Finds Violations in 80% of Shisha Bars

    Belgium’s  Ministry of Public Health announced yesterday that more than 80% of the nation’s shisha bars were found to have violations. Of the 131 shisha bars inspected, 106 violated the smoking ban regulation and 107 offered non-compliant tobacco products, according to L’Avenir.

    Smoking tobacco is allowed in shisha bars, but only outside or in designated smoking rooms with a smoke extraction system and restricted space, as mandated by the tobacco regulations. Non-compliant smoking rooms along with the sale of non-compliant tobacco products were reported to be the two main issues found, followed by improper tobacco labeling and illegal tobacco advertising.

  • Zimbabwe farmers nearing shisha tobacco target

    Zimbabwe farmers nearing shisha tobacco target

     Cavendish Lloyd Zimbabwe’s chief executive officer, Dr. Rebecca Manford, welcomed the government’s extension of the seedbed destruction date to January 15, saying it would allow more farmers to continue transplanting as the nation approaches its shisha tobacco target.

     “For the 2024-25 season, the target is 514 hectares, and so far, 450 have been planted, making the set goal achievable,” Manford said. “Cavendish Lloyd has contracted 149 growers to produce a target yield of 775,000 kilograms, and with the ongoing support to farmers, we are optimistic of achieving this goal while ensuring a high-quality crop.”

    Now in its third year in production in Zimbabwe, Manford said the nation could become a significant player in the global shisha tobacco market with the crop driving economic growth and farmer empowerment. For this to happen, the farmers need the government to continue with its incentives which include expanding irrigation infrastructure, helping secure new export markets, and investing in research to develop high-yielding varieties, as well as subsidized inputs, loans, or grants. Cavendish Lloyd is currently the only registered and licensed shisha merchant by the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB).

    Statistics from TIMB show commercial shisha production rose from 110 hectares in 2022-23 to 407 hectares in 2023-24, totaling nearly 400,000 kilograms worth US$1.3 million.

    Prolonged dry spells and insufficient irrigation facilities made farmers hesitant to jump into full-scale production, however, recent rains have made a positive impact on the crop. Cavendish Lloyd has begun an awareness campaign to attract more growers, that includes technical training and engagement with stakeholders to promote sustainable production solutions.

  • A Breath of Fresh AIR

    A Breath of Fresh AIR

    OOKA is the first heat-not-burn hookah device on the market. | Images: AIR Global

    AIR Global focuses on innovating the shisha and inhalation sphere, catering to growing markets and evolving needs.

    By Marissa Dean

    Paul Dawson

    Much like most of the tobacco industry, the shisha and hookah markets have been around for a long time. Unlike much of the industry, however, these markets have seen comparatively little innovation over the years. Advanced Inhalation Rituals (AIR) Global joined the fray with the goal of “revolutionizing the shisha experience by combining ancient social rituals with cutting-edge technology,” as AIR’s chief product officer, Paul Dawson, said.

    Shisha smoking is risky due to the use of chemical-laden charcoal and combustion. When asked why the company chose inhalation as its focus, Dawson said that they “saw an opportunity to innovate in a space that hadn’t evolved much over the centuries. By focusing on inhalation, we can deliver products that not only provide a better user experience but also reduce health risks and the environmental impact. There is a challenge within this industry sector to harness technology for better experiences and reduce the risk of inhalation rituals.”

    The OOKA device uses pods that contain an intelligent microchip rather than using loose shisha, making the setup much more user-friendly and convenient.

    A New Shisha Experience

    “We’re committed to offering reduced-risk, cleaner and more sustainable alternatives to traditional shisha,” Dawson said. The company’s OOKA product is the perfect example of this. OOKA is AIR’s pod-based heat-not-burn hookah device that heats shisha molasses rather than using charcoal to burn shisha as in traditional hookah smoking. According to the company, OOKA emits on average 94 percent lower levels of harmful chemicals—laboratory aerosol tests showed that carbon monoxide emissions were below the laboratory detection limit of 0.000097 mg per milliliter.

    OOKA uses specially made pods, which contain an intelligent microchip that automatically programs the device to heat to a specific temperature profile that is monitored 25 times per second, creating a consistent experience for users and preventing combustion. Dawson noted that OOKA is a game-changer for the hookah and shisha market. “It’s the world’s first charcoal-free, pod-based shisha device, and by eliminating charcoal, OOKA not only reduces harmful by-products like carbon monoxide but also makes the entire experience more convenient,” he said. “There’s no ash or mess, and the setup time is drastically reduced. This has transformed how people experience shisha, especially outside of traditional lounge settings, allowing them to enjoy it easily at home or even on vacation.”

    Traditional hookah devices require the user to pack what is called a bowl, which sits at the top of the device, with shisha tobacco. The tobacco is then heated using charcoal, creating smoke through the waterpipe as users inhale through an attached hose. Some hookahs include multiple hoses for multiple users at once while others only have one hose. Hookah smoking is usually a social experience shared with friends or family, whether in a lounge setting or elsewhere.

    When asked what inspired OOKA, Dawson noted that OOKA was born out of a desire to modernize the traditional shisha experience by using cutting-edge technology to create something cleaner, more efficient and more user-friendly. “We saw a gap in the market where people loved the social ritual of shisha but were looking for an alternative to the mess of charcoals and packing the bowl, as well as the time taken to prepare traditional shisha and the health concerns associated with charcoal heating,” he said. “So, we wanted to create something which eliminated charcoal, was quicker to set up and [was] mess-free which could revolutionize the shisha inhalation experience. Importantly, we must also recognize that whilst most people enjoy consuming shisha, very few enjoy setting it up and even fewer can recreate a decent shisha experience at home. We wanted to create a decent shisha experience that people could love and fit into their busy lives.”

    “There is a challenge within this industry sector to harness technology for better experiences and reduce the risk of inhalation rituals.”

    Expanding Innovative Inhalation

    While AIR offers other inhalation products as well, OOKA is “definitely [the company’s] most revolutionary and innovative product yet,” said Dawson. The shisha device seems to currently have much of the company’s focus as it moves to expand its markets. “That said, each of our products serves a specific market need, and we see strong demand across different regions,” Dawson said. “Traditional shisha products remain popular in regions like the Middle East, but we are seeing OOKA rapidly gaining traction everywhere—for instance, in Germany, OOKA saw off many competitors and was awarded the Best Hookah Award at the Shishamesse 2024 show earlier this year and already has many admirers in the U.S.”

    Hookah and shisha are traditionally more prevalent in the Middle East, but Dawson noted that there is demand for the products elsewhere. AIR has now opened offices in the U.S., among other countries, and factories in the United Arab Emirates as well as Poland, which focus on high-demand markets in the Middle East and Asia and markets in Europe, respectively, with further expansion forming part of the company’s goal. “Our presence in the U.S. has allowed us to tap into a growing interest in shisha among new demographics, but as with all new products, we started with a test market in California to understand our U.S. customers better,” Dawson said. “While the tradition originates in the Middle East, there’s also significant demand in Western markets, particularly as people look for new social experiences post-pandemic. With products like OOKA, we’ve been able to attract a wider audience, including more health-conscious consumers. The U.S. national launch of OOKA begins in October, and we’re excited to see how others in the U.S. respond to the latest innovation.”

    Recently, AIR opened a Research, Design and Development (RDD) Lab in Dubai, which focuses on “creating revolutionary inhalation products.” AIR’s future is in continuing to expand into new markets, launch innovative products, improve consumer experiences and further commitment to sustainability, health-conscious design and revolutionizing the inhalation space, according to Dawson. “RDD is one of the most exciting teams to be part of within AIR, and we’ve brought together a diverse mix of creative people from over 20 different nationalities to spearhead our innovation portfolio,” he said.

    OOKA is by no means the end of the line for AIR’s innovation, according to Dawson. “While I can’t share too much just yet, we have several exciting products in development that we expect to launch later this year and in 2025 and ambitious plans for the next five years,” he said. “These innovations will continue to push boundaries in terms of health-conscious design, convenience and sustainability.”

    Marissa Dean joined Tobacco Reporter in the summer of 2018 as a copy editor. Since that time, she has taken on additional responsibilities, including feature writing. Her skills span the publishing industry from layout and design to copy editing to content creation.
  • Air Global Launches R&D Facility in Dubai

    Air Global Launches R&D Facility in Dubai

    Photos: Air Global

    Advanced Inhalation Rituals (AIR Global) has launched a new research, design and development (RDD) lab in Dubai.

    Backed by an AED100 million ($27.23 million) investment, the facility will be used to develop and hire tech talent, drive innovation in the shisha industry and speed up the development of new products.

    The global hub will develop new inhalation products that build on the success of OOKA, a charcoal-free, pod-based shisha device, which, according to AIR Global, provides a cleaner alternative.

    OOKA currently delivers approximately 30 percent of AIR Global’s revenue in the United Arab Emirates region.

    The lab will boast newly designed laboratories and deliver purpose-built workshops; new products are in early phases of testing and intended for launch in 2025.

    “I have always drawn personal inspiration in my career from the power of technology—to create entirely new industries, disrupt existing sectors and develop products that no one else has thought of,” said AIR Global Chief Product Officer Paul Dawson.

    “And it’s this exact mindset and ethos that we will achieve through the RDD Lab. With an aspirational team from around the world and cutting-edge technology at our fingertips, we’ll be creating new prototypes and combining them with our existing range of products to fundamentally change how people experience shisha. It’s an exciting time to be part of such a talented team that will drive forward innovation.”

    The RDD Lab will employ 26 people and 19 different nationalities, with equal numbers of men and women in its workforce.

    “The business is embarking on the next phase in its growth journey at an incredibly exciting time, where consumers are showing appetite for more eco-conscious, reduced-risk shisha experiences. The RDD lab will not only create new products that put sustainability, science and technology at the forefront but enable us to break ground into new global regions,” said Chief Legal and Corporate Officer Ronan Barry.

    “The recent launch of OOKA in Germany, a significant shisha market, was a milestone moment for us as we aspire to bring new inhalation experiences to a European market. The launch of this lab gives us even more momentum to build on as we expand our product range and presence globally.”

  • Farmers Earn $1.3 Million From Shisha Leaf

    Farmers Earn $1.3 Million From Shisha Leaf

    Photo: Cavendish Lloyd

    Farmers in Zimbabwe have earned $1.3 million so far after selling 92 percent of the projected shisha crop size this marketing season, reports The Herald. The season is coming to a close with only one outstanding sale before the 2024 marketing season ends.

    Yield projections dropped from 800,000 kg to 500,000 kg due to the El Nino weather pattern, which caused drought and negatively affected the 2023/2024 agricultural season.

    Recent Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board statistics showed that growers sold 387,559 kg of shisha leaf valued at $1.27 million. The average price dropped from $3.44 per kilogram to $3.28 per kilogram. The highest price of the season was $5.70 per kilogram, and the lowest price of the season was $0.75 per kilogram. There has been an 8 percent rejection rate.

    “We are left with only one sale to clear all the produced shisha crop,” said Tinashe Mukadzambo, CEO of Cavendish Lloyd, the country’s sole shisha buyer.

    The 2024/2025 season is expected to be more lucrative due to forecast La Nina weather patterns. Cavendish Lloyd has begun contracting farmers. 

    “Growers should have enough arable land for crop rotations, preferably sand to sandy loam soils with priority given to those with a good source of water and can irrigate,” said Mukadzambo. “A risk assessment will be done to check on whether the grower has any outstanding loans from their previous tobacco seasons.”

    Shisha production increased 270 percent from 110 hectares during the 2022/2023 season to 407 hectares in the 2023/2024 season. Production is expected to increase to 500 hectares in the 2024/2025 season. 

  • Jochamp Upgrades Shisha Equipment

    Jochamp Upgrades Shisha Equipment

    Photo: Jochamp

    Jochamp has upgraded its JCZ-100 and JCZ-250 shisha tobacco packaging machines, enabling them to package 50-gram and 250-gram boxes.

    “By incorporating the 50-gram shisha tobacco packaging capability, Jochamp aims to align itself with the dynamic market needs while ensuring our clients remain competitive,” said Jochamp Sales Manager Senary Lin in a statement. “With our new packaging technology, we want shisha manufacturers to achieve flexible packaging solutions that are scalable, robust and sustainable.”

    Jochamp has adopted a new dosing system for weight accuracy within the ±1.5 percent range. The shisha tobacco packaging line is fully automatic with production capacity varying from 60 packs per minute to 100 packs per minute.

    Jochamp JCS-100 and JCZ-250 can dose shisha into packages, handle carton/box packaging and overwrapping, among other functions. All these processes are integrated for an efficient, accurate and contamination-free shisha packaging process, according to Jochamp.

  • Gaining Momentum

    Gaining Momentum

    Photos courtesy of Cavandish Llloyd

    Cavendish Lloyd is eager to expand shisha tobacco production in Zimbabwe and elsewhere.

    By George Gay

    When I corresponded in 2022 with the president of Cavendish Lloyd, Koen Monkau, he was bullish about the market for shisha-style, low-nicotine flue-cured tobacco (LNFCT), the production of which his company was trialing in Zimbabwe. And, earlier this year, he was still bullish. The major manufacturers of shisha might have experienced a drop in sales recently, mainly due to vaping, he said, but a lot of new players had entered the market in the past few years, and shisha consumption was still growing worldwide. Five years ago, for instance, there were no shisha bars in Harare, but now there are plenty of establishments that offer shisha. “This is a worldwide trend,” he added.

    While this sounds like good news for Cavendish Lloyd, it seems to also be good news for Zimbabwe. As part of an email exchange in May, Monkau told me it was important for Zimbabwe’s tobacco industry that it diversified the portfolio of tobacco it offered buyers and, ultimately, manufacturers. “An industry is not sustainable in the long run if half its crop is sold to one customer, as is the case now,” he said. “LNFCT—and also other tobacco varieties—can assist in diversifying the industry so that it is able to stand the test of time.”

    Although Cavendish Lloyd is the only company currently producing LNFCT in Zimbabwe, it is certainly the case that the country’s tobacco industry, at least in the guise of the Kutsaga Tobacco Research Board (TRB), seems aware of the desirability of diversification. Monkau said his company had enjoyed a good cooperative relationship with the TRB, which had this season, 2023–2024, grown 7 ha for it on a commercial basis. At the same time, the TRB was continuing to experiment with alternative growing methods and different shisha tobacco seeds.   

    This season, Cavendish Lloyd is hoping that its Zimbabwe crop will reach 600,000 kg, and Monkau is looking for investors to help him expand LNFCT production into other countries, including Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. His company, he said, was now looking to hold talks with the tobacco research institutes of these countries, following initial approaches that had been made by the chief executive officer of the TRB, Frank Magama. In fact, Tanzania had already expressed serious interest in growing this crop, and representatives of the country’s Tobacco Research Institute had attended this year’s sales, which were ongoing at the time this story was written.

    Many Zimbabwean farmers are growing it for the first time this season.

    Challenges

    It would be wrong, however, to give the impression that everything has been going without a hitch. Monkau readily admits that his company was hit by financial and other constraints during the 2022–2023 season and that its crop of 150,000 kg was well below what had been initially targeted. And while the 600,000 kg crop expected this season would represent a major increase, it would have been even bigger, perhaps 1 million kg, but for the El Nino weather effect.

    But then El Nino affected all tobacco (and other) crops in Zimbabwe (and elsewhere, and the resulting drought was eventually declared a national disaster. The unhelpful weather conditions did not come out of the blue, however, and, in mitigation, Cavendish Lloyd was able to focus on growing an irrigated crop from the start. At the same time, Monkau said, the dryland crop had had to be scaled back to ensure that growers did not plant crops that they would not have been able to sell.

    Unfortunately, the current situation implies that things could reverse next season and create problems for those who use irrigation for growing tobacco because there has not been enough rain to fill dams and reservoirs.

    Despite these setbacks, it is not proving difficult to attract farmers to LNFCT. Cavendish Lloyd started out on this project three seasons ago with just one grower, who is still on board, but he has been joined by about 40 others, ranging from commercial to small-scale farmers. Monkau said that LNFCT was relatively easy to grow and provided good returns when cultivated well, so farmers had been lining up to produce this variety.

    LNFCT is closer grown than standard flue-cured tobacco; it requires the application of less fertilizer; it is not topped; it provides for faster harvesting because more leaves are reaped with each pass; and it requires less energy during curing. All this adds up to efficiency savings and better returns, not to mention environmental gains.

    Nevertheless, the switch from growing a regular flue-cured crop to LNFCT requires some adjustments on the part of the grower, who is presented with logistical challenges if he grows LNFCT alongside regular flue-cured. For instance, because LNFCT cures faster than regular flue-cured, growers need good barn management skills when scheduling curing. In fact, Monkau believes it is preferable for growers to concentrate on either LNFCT or regular flue-cured.

    To help growers further, Cavendish Lloyd is currently looking at employing more sophisticated ways of crop management than are now used. “By using satellite imaging to monitor crops, we can deploy our agronomy team more efficiently to areas that need immediate and special attention rather than have them do their weekly rounds of farmers,” he said. “It is a relatively cheap way of potentially increasing crop yields dramatically, and it is quite amazing what kind of information can be gathered on a day-to-day basis.”

    Looking to the future, I asked if African-grown LNFCT might be used for purposes beyond shisha manufacture, to which Monkau replied that his company had already had inquiries from companies operating in the cigarette and RYO markets that were interested in obtaining a bright, low-nicotine-style tobacco that fitted their established blends. In addition, a recent sale of 10,000 kg of LNFCT to a flavor extraction plant in Zimbabwe had shown that there were other outlets for this type as well.

    In finding and establishing these other outlets, it probably helps that as well as being involved in LNFCT production, Cavendish Lloyd has contacts made through some of its other operations, which include the marketing and distribution of cigarettes, and the trade in tobacco, cut rag and tobacco production materials, such as packaging. And since 2023, cigarette manufacturing can be added to that list since the company last year established a manufacturing plant in Lusaka, Zambia.

    This season, Cavendish Lloyd is hoping that its Zimbabwe shisha tobacco crop will reach 600,000 kg.

    Limits to Production

    Looking away from the demand side and toward the supply side of the LNFCT business, I also asked what limited the amount of this type that could be grown. “Limits are mainly defined by how much capital we can raise to fund the growers,” Monkau said. “I believe there is room to expand production to 5 million kg in Africa on a sustainable basis,” he added before providing an interesting comparison, “which would be comparable with the crop size of Germany.”

    This comparison chimes with a point Monkau had made to me in response to an earlier question about whether LNFCT could now be seen as an established commercial crop in Zimbabwe. No, it was not, he replied. Many farmers this season were growing it for the first time, so it would be an experiment to see if it worked for them. Only one farmer was growing it for the third time, and for several, it was their second season. Even with the volume of all Zimbabwe’s flue-cured crops expected to total less than 250 million kg this year because of El Nino, LNFCT would account for only 0.2 percent of the total.

    That, for sure, seems to be only a modest amount of LNFCT, but I was interested to know if it had been a smooth ride getting to that point. There was no such thing as a smooth ride in Zimbabwe, Monkau told me. The financial/economic situation in the country always kept you on your toes. For instance, on Cavendish Lloyd’s first sales day of 2024, April 5, the government had abolished the Zimbabwe dollar and introduced a new currency, the ZiG, which put the whole financial system on hold for a few days, and the company was still dealing with the fallout from that. Such changes did not make doing business easier, but, apart from that, things had gone quite well. There was a lot of interest and support from the government to make the LNFCT business successful, and the company’s efforts were the subject of regular local press reports.

    Of course, the real test of how things are going and will go in the future concerns whether growers are content with the prices they are receiving, and, in the short term, the answer is probably that they are. Nevertheless, Monkau made the point that pricing was something of a thorny issue in respect of LNFCT. His company was required to follow the pricing arrangements specified by the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB), arrangements that could lead to anomalies since LNFCT fell outside the regular classifications of the TIMB. It wasn’t too much of an issue for the tobacco that met shisha standards, but, in the case of lower grades that were unsuitable for shisha, the company was obliged to pay regular market prices for tobacco of substandard quality.

    But at least the next season, 2024–2025, should see farmers keen to grow LNFCT—in fact, any tobacco type or variety. “Overall, prices for all tobacco have been good this year, so I don’t see many farmers complaining,” said Monkau. “I expect current prices will push more farmers back into tobacco growing until we see more balance between supply and demand.”

    George Gay is Tobacco Reporter’s European editor, but his territory spans the globe. Based in London, George has covered the tobacco industry since 1982, initially for a U.K.-based publication and since 2004 for Tobacco Reporter. George’s understanding of industry issues, combined with his keen sense of observation and dry wit, have earned him a loyal following among Tobacco Reporter’s readers.