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Tag: Tadas Lisauskas

  • ATNF Panel Highlights Innovation Barriers and Regulatory Challenges

    ATNF Panel Highlights Innovation Barriers and Regulatory Challenges

    At the American Tobacco and Nicotine Forum (ATNF) preconference, an innovation-focused panel examined the challenges of bringing reduced-risk nicotine products to market, with moderator Ryan Selby, managing Director for Emerald Innovations Ltd., emphasizing the difficulty of changing consumer behavior despite decades of public health messaging. He noted that while the risks of smoking are well understood, millions continue to smoke, raising questions about whether innovation must be “perfect” or simply “better” to make an impact. Selby also highlighted the stigma surrounding nicotine products, the cost pressures facing innovators, and the difficulty smaller companies face in gaining shelf space and competing with low-cost combustible cigarettes.

    Tadas Lisauskas, president and co-founder of Greenbutts, said U.S. regulations are effectively pushing innovation abroad, with smaller companies unable to navigate the regulatory burden or secure funding without clearer rules. He argued that “capital follows clarity,” and warned that the current system favors large legacy players while limiting new entrants, even as demand for alternative products exists. Dr. Willie McKinney, founder and CEO of McKinney Specialty Labs, focused on the importance of responsible innovation, stressing the role of scientific oversight and toxicology in product development, while noting that inconsistent public messaging and regulatory communication create confusion for consumers.

    Dr. Anna Franzén, clinical and regulatory business development officer at Emplicure Consumer AB, said regulation can support innovation if it is clear and structured, but current frameworks—particularly in the U.S.—are better suited to large companies and hinder smaller innovators. She called for more guidance, pilot programs and engagement with regulators, while pointing to international markets such as Sweden as examples of successful product adoption. Amber Sandrock, Chief of Staff at Shelf Partners, compared nicotine regulation to the food industry, noting that the rigid PMTA process limits the ability to refine products after submission and slows innovation. She also highlighted the need for more flexibility, cost efficiency and support for sustainable product development within the regulatory system.

  • EU Considers Cigarette Filter Ban Ahead of WHO COP11, Sparking Industry Concerns

    EU Considers Cigarette Filter Ban Ahead of WHO COP11, Sparking Industry Concerns

    A proposal to ban cigarette filters is reigniting debate across the European Union, with public health advocates backing the move while several member states and industry players express hesitation. The draft EU position, prepared ahead of the WHO COP11 meeting in Geneva next month, highlights the potential of a filter ban to reduce smoking appeal, however, countries including Germany and Italy have opposed implementing the measure within the bloc.

    According to Eurativ, “a European Commission spokesperson has since clarified that the measure would not apply within the EU. However, despite resistance from some countries, the latest draft of the EU’s position retains a reference to a global filter ban, suggesting the EU executive may want to keep the option for future application in Europe.”

    Filters, the EU says, are a major source of environmental pollution, with the WHO estimating 4.5 trillion cigarette butts discarded annually worldwide. Gijs van Wijk of the Smoke Free Partnership called filters a “deceptive design feature” and urged regulators to consider similar restrictions for e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

    Making cigarettes harsher and less attractive theoretically makes sense, says Tadas Lisauskas, the CEO of Greenbutts, a company that focuses on eliminating the ecological impact associated with cigarette filters, but he points to decades of research that shows filters keep significant amounts of particles out of smokers’ lungs.

    “Public health must be grounded in science and practical outcomes—not symbolism,” Lisauskas said. “On closer inspection, a filter ban is both illogical and counterproductive.

    “Unfiltered cigarettes would reintroduce hazards society moved away from generations ago. A policy intended to protect public health should not expose consumers to additional, immediate physical harm.”

    The filter ban proposal comes amid broader regulatory pressure on the tobacco sector, including proposed excise tax hikes and the TEDOR levy, which could raise €11.2 billion annually.