News analysis for professionals in the alternative tobacco sector

PMI in negotiations to acquire rival Swedish Match for a reported $15bn

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 10th May 2022

Philip Morris International (PMI) is in talks to buy European rival Swedish Match in an estimated $15bn deal that could affect both the oral and smoking tobacco markets ...

US ban on menthol combustibles will go ahead ‘in the spring’ despite controversy

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 17th February 2022

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed that a plan to ban menthol in combustible smoking products by the end of spring 2022 "remains on track" ...

‘Modified risk’ VLN cigarettes ready for launch in ‘major metropolitan market’

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 15th February 2022

22nd Century Group is to announce its full year results on 1st March, after confirming the launch of its two low-nicotine cigarettes as modified risk tobacco products ...

Global Trends report reveals extent of alternatives’ growing market share

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 12th January 2022

Alternative tobacco products, including heated tobacco and nicotine pouches, have taken worldwide sales from combustibles over the past three years, with the cigarette segment declining by 5% ...

2021 in review: As smoking declines, tobacco alternatives take up the slack

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 10th January 2022

2021 may have been a downer in many other areas but the year saw phenomenal growth across tobacco alternatives, including in the oral segment, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches ...

Health experts accuse US FDA of taking ‘backward step’ over VLN cigarettes

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 29th December 2021

The US FDA’s marketing authorisation of two low-nicotine cigarettes as modified risk tobacco products – including a menthol cigarette – has not gone down well with public health associations or all harm reduction experts ...

A boost for very-low-nicotine cigarettes as US FDA grants modified risk order

Written by Barnaby Page | 23rd December 2021

The prospect of very-low-nicotine cigarettes becoming the next alternative product on the US market has come a significant step closer, with the FDA issuing modified risk orders for two products from 22nd Century Group ...

New Zealand’s cunning birthdate-based scheme to wipe out smoking for good

Written by Aidan Semmens | 22nd December 2021

New Zealand has designated a cohort of young people – those who will be 14 or younger when the government’s proposed law comes into effect – who will never be old enough to smoke ...

Swedish Match is ready to shake up the industry by getting out of combustibles

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 15th September 2021

Swedish Match has announced that the company is to become 100% smoke-free by next year with the separation of its cigar business in the US, a decision that is likely to have an impact in...

Why is the boss of Marlboro maker PMI talking up the end of smoking days?

Written by Barnaby Page | 29th July 2021

Jacek Olczak, CEO of Philip Morris International (PMI), says the company could stop selling combustible cigarettes in the UK within a decade ...

Is plain packaging all it’s cracked up to be when it comes to stubbing out smoking?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 22nd July 2021

A new study by researchers from the Luiss Business School in Rome and Deloitte comes to an unexpected and counterintuitive conclusion ...

A ‘significant step’ – FDA moves to ban menthol cigarettes in the US

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 30th April 2021

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced plans to ban menthol tobacco in 2022, a “significant step” towards increasing smoking cessation and reducing youth uptake ...

Netherlands bans the sale of tobacco products in supermarkets from 2024

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 23rd November 2020

Supermarkets in the Netherlands will no longer be allowed to sell tobacco, including heated tobacco products, from 2024, health minister Paul Blokhuis has announced ...

HnB growth provides the silver lining to PMI’s declining overall earnings

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 20th October 2020

While Philip Morris International (PMI)’s earnings fell slightly in the third quarter of the year due to the ongoing COVID-19 challenges, shipments of the company's heated tobacco units were up by 18.7% ...

Heated tobacco yields 1% of tobacco tax revenue in Italy as smoking declines

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 16th September 2020

Demand for tobacco products in Italy has fallen steadily over the past four years, while heated tobacco products have hugely increased their share of both total tobacco sales and tax revenues ...

The doctor will sue you now: AMA joins court action against FDA on menthol

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 14th September 2020

The largest doctors’ association in the US has joined a court case accusing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of failing in its duty to issue regulations to ban menthol in tobacco products ...

Nigeria considers a switch from smoking to tobacco alternatives by 2024

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 3rd September 2020

The Nigerian government is currently studying a new policy for regulations aimed at achieving a transition from combustibles to tobacco alternative products by 2024. ...

PHE questions whether new UK cigarette brands violate EU menthol ban

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 13th August 2020

Public health authorities in England have launched an investigation into a number of cigarette products for possible violation of the menthol ban that came into force in May ...

Sweden proposes snus tax rise and new rules on distance sales

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 20th July 2020

Sweden is proposing amendments to increase the tax of snus and create a new tax on raw tobacco from 1st July 2021 to close a tax loophole on this kind of tobacco-alternative...

Post-Brexit Britain may be prepared to scrap the prohibition of snus

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 15th July 2020

The UK government will assess the possibility of allowing the sale of snus in the country once the Brexit transitional period ends and the European Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) no longer applies ...

Retailers face puzzle of what to stock as EU menthol cigarette ban looms

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 12th May 2020

Retailers in Europe are playing a guessing game as they plan how to fill the gap on the shelves with new tobacco-alternative products in preparation for the fast-approaching ban on menthol cigarettes ...

TobaccoIntelligence
COVID-19 news round-up

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 30th April 2020

All TobaccoIntelligence's COVID-19-related news briefings can now be found in one place here ...

Studies find reduced nicotine strength doesn’t lead to increased smoking

Written by Barnaby Page | 9th March 2020

Further evidence that reducing the amount of nicotine in combustibles does not lead to heavier smoking may provide encouragement for those who want to see reductions legally mandated ...

Norway and Denmark give up the smoking habit, turn to snus instead

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 20th February 2020

Snus is booming in popularity in Norway and Denmark – especially among the young – while cigarette-smoking appears to be losing its appeal fast ...

Is Australia ready to rethink its approach to reduced-risk products?

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 19th February 2020

For several decades, Australia’s political and medical establishments have taken a hard line against smoking; but do developments like heated tobacco call for a different approach? ... ...

Could menthol cigarette ban boost uptake of heated tobacco products?

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 18th February 2020

The upcoming ban on menthol cigarettes across Europe may create opportunities for increased adoption of alternative tobacco products, such as heated tobacco ...

US Senate raises legal purchasing age for tobacco products from 18 to 21

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 20th December 2019

The US Senate has passed an act which raises the minimum sale or purchase age for tobacco products from 18 to 21 nationwide ...

Spanish campaign attacks smoking and alternatives in one blast

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 19th September 2019

A new anti-smoking campaign by the Spanish government takes on smoking, vaping, heated tobacco and hookahs under the motto “El tabaco ata y te mata” (“Tobacco ties and kills you”) ...

Altria revises US cigarette industry volume down; vapour drives revenues

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 31st July 2019

US tobacco company Altria has revised its expectations for the US cigarette industry downwards, with a predicted decline up to 6% through 2023 ...

Next-generation products drive profits for British American Tobacco

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 1st March 2019

British American Tobacco’s (BAT) 2018 financial results were driven by its reduced risk portfolio, which includes products such as Vuse and Vype and Glo ...

The future is not in combustibles, as Altria’s sales continue to decline

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 1st February 2019

The 2018 results from the Altria Group revealed a slump in sales of combustibles. The company is now turning its attention to alternative sectors such as cannabis and Juul, and preparing for the US launch...

FDA moves on nicotine levels in combustibles, leaving e-cigs alone

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 15th March 2018

The US FDA has taken a step closer to regulating nicotine levels in combustible cigarettes, but excluded vapour products from its proposals, even predicting a low-nicotine regime might encourage smokers toward electronic alternatives ...

The FDA’s new philosophy: ‘We need to take a fresh look at nicotine’

Written by Freddie Dawson | 31st July 2017

Scott Gottlieb, commissioner of the US FDA, appeared on Friday to go further than any federal official – or most politicians – previously had in supporting alternative nicotine products for harm reduction ...

Banning novel tobacco products could violate world trade pact, lawyers say

Written by Barnaby Page | 25th November 2016

Countries that ban tobacco alternative products could be breaking world trade agreements by unfairly privileging combustibles at their expense, two lawyers have warned ...

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