News analysis for professionals in the alternative tobacco sector

Switzerland finds smoking down, use of alternatives up in 30-year survey results

Written by Freddie Dawson | 18th July 2024

Swiss authorities have released results of a 30-year study on smoking and tobacco use in the country, tracking answers to a health survey conducted from 1992 to 2022 ...

Revival of UK birthdate ban on purchase of smoking products will impact HTPs

Written by Freddie Dawson | 18th July 2024

The Labour government used the king’s speech to announce it plans to introduce a Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is effectively a revival of the previous Conservative proposal ...

Dutch citizens’ initiative for birthdate ban on nicotine products moves to parliament

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 17th July 2024

In the Netherlands, the citizens’ initiative to achieve a nicotine-free generation has collected more than 40,000 signatures and has been declared admissible by the House of Representatives ...

Election of Sheinbaum spells trouble for Mexico’s tobacco alternatives industry

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 17th July 2024

The election of Claudia Sheinbaum as Mexico’s president is seen as a negative result for the tobacco alternatives sector, given her support for a constitutional ban on vapes and similar devices ...

Polish finance ministry eyes tax hikes on novel and conventional tobacco products

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 16th July 2024

The Polish Ministry of Finance has unveiled plans to amend the country’s excise tax legislation, declaring it will significantly increase the rates on e-liquids, novel tobacco products (NTPs), cigarettes and tobacco in 2025 ...

No timeline yet as Canada starts process of further restricting nicotine pouches

Written by Freddie Dawson | 12th July 2024

The Canadian government has initiated the process that will lead to new restrictions on nicotine pouches – restrictions some in the industry say should be extended to all nicotine replacement therapy products ...

Ditching smoking for ENDS products may improve oral health, Italian study finds

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 12th July 2024

Users of smoke-free nicotine products may enjoy better dental health than tobacco smokers, according to a study that found electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) to be associated with a lower accumulation of dental plaque ...

Pouches could hook youth on nicotine, says US assessment of available research

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 11th July 2024

The use of nicotine pouches may lead to potential harmful consequences in young users, according to a US assessment of the not-so-extensive research so far available on the topic ...

EC smoke-free recommendation revision (probably) arriving this year after delays

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 11th July 2024

Previous delays and European health commissioner describing the work as “particularly challenging” could indicate that the European Commission’s proposal for revising its smoke-free environment recommendation is at risk of further postponement ...

22nd Century set to fully launch VLN in South Korea after lessons learned in trial

Written by Freddie Dawson | 10th July 2024

US-based 22nd Century will move to a full roll out of its VLN brand very-low-nicotine cigarette products in the South Korean market, where it had previously launched a limited trial run ...

How UK and French election results could impact the tobacco alternatives industry

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 9th July 2024

The outcomes of the recent general elections in the UK and France could significantly affect the future of the tobacco alternatives industry in both countries ...

New UK government could favour harm reduction but also a generational ban

Written by Barnaby Page | 9th July 2024

As the new UK prime minister settles in, attempts are already being made to push novel nicotine regulation to the top of his agenda, and similar attempts are being made by lobbyists in every sector...

BAT’s Glo disappears from market in Malaysia, Philippines and South Africa

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 5th July 2024

The Glo heated tobacco device from British American Tobacco (BAT) appears to have been pulled from at least three international markets, where TobaccoIntelligence has noted that BAT no longer lists Glo as available ...

WHO issues its first-ever guidelines on clinical treatment for tobacco cessation

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 4th July 2024

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first recommendations on clinical treatment for tobacco-use cessation, aimed at helping users quit all types of tobacco products ...

Ten lessons learned over a decade of covering the novel nicotine industry

Written by Barnaby Page | 4th July 2024

In this part of a series of articles celebrating the tenth anniversary of Tamarind Intelligence, our editorial director shares ten things he’s learned about the sector in the last ten years ...

End of Chevron deference gives courts the potential to overrule US FDA decisions

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 3rd July 2024

The US Supreme Court has overturned the Chevron doctrine, which held that courts should defer to interpretations of expert federal agencies on ambiguous laws the agencies must implement ...

Spotlight on nicotine analogues in the US triggers regulatory and health questions

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 3rd July 2024

The tobacco industry, public health groups, and the World Health Organization have all recently drawn attention to nicotine analogues – what are these compounds and why the attention? ...

KT&G uses new fast-charging tech to revamp Lil Aible heated tobacco device

Written by Freddie Dawson | 2nd July 2024

KT&G has unveiled a new version of its Lil Aible heated tobacco device. The South Korean tobacco company highlighted the improved charging and pre-heating times of Lil Aible 2.0 ...

Halt of Zyn online sales: PMI likely using caution due to scrutiny of DC flavour ban

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 1st July 2024

Philip Morris International (PMI) recently suspended online sales of its nicotine pouch brand Zyn in the US, likely as a precautionary measure ...

Canada’s health minister has new powers to wield in battle over nicotine pouches

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 28th June 2024

Canada’s parliament has adopted legislation that will give the federal health minister sweeping new powers to regulate nicotine pouches, only days after Health Canada cracked down on two nicotine pouch brands ...

Altria seeks US FDA authorisation to market On! Plus oral nicotine pouches

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 27th June 2024

Tobacco giant Altria has submitted premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its On! Plus oral nicotine pouch products ...

EU countries called for flavour ban before Commission released related survey data

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 26th June 2024

Last week, 12 EU health ministers backed a paper calling on the European Commission to propose new legislation, which could include banning flavoured vapes and limiting nicotine content ...

Lessons learned from the thought-provoking Global Forum on Nicotine

Written by Barnaby Page | 21st June 2024

The Global Forum on Nicotine was in Warsaw again last week, and once again proved to be one of the most thought-provoking events on the tobacco harm reduction calendar ...

PMI suspends online sales of Zyn pouches in US due to District of Columbia probe

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 19th June 2024

Philip Morris International halted online sales of its Zyn nicotine pouches in the US after receiving a subpoena from the District of Columbia attorney general requesting information about sales of flavoured Zyn pouches in DC...

Swedish consumer ombudsman sues Westridge for TikTok nicotine pouch ads

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 18th June 2024

Santa opening an advent calendar and people taste-testing nicotine pouches on TikTok is not acceptable marketing, says the Swedish Consumer Agency, which is suing Westridge Group for breaking the legal requirements for nicotine product ads...

Health Canada issues recall for Zyn nicotine pouches not authorised for sale

Written by Freddie Dawson | 14th June 2024

Health Canada has issued a recall on Zyn nicotine pouches being sold in the country without proper market authorisation, which is only granted by the agency following an application process ...

With a right-leaning EU Parliament, what is the future of novel tobacco products?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 13th June 2024

The result of the latest European Union elections is a clear twist to the right, signalling a potential shift towards a more business-friendly and deregulated environment for the vaping and heated tobacco industries ...

Can a WHO witch hunt stop the next generation from getting hooked?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 6th June 2024

The World Health Organization (WHO) chose to dedicate this year’s World No Tobacco Day to exposing practices used by the tobacco industry to “hook the next generation” into becoming its customers for life ...

Latin America: regulatory news round-up

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 3rd June 2024

Developments in the alternatives category in some Latin American countries may feed new hopes for legality and regulation. However, the majority keep heading towards stringent regulations or prohibitions ...

Relative harm beats absolute harm when it comes to aids for smoking cessation

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 30th May 2024

Relative harm is a far more important consideration than absolute harm when it comes to deciding whether to use e-cigarettes to quit smoking, according to addiction specialist Garrett McGovern ...

Smoke-free targets could have been met had the EU embraced harm reduction

Written by Freddie Dawson | 30th May 2024

If the EU had embraced harm reduction from the outset, it would have already achieved its smoke-free goals, according to Swedish member of European Parliament (MEP) Johan Nissinen ...

Sunak’s UK smoking ban on pause, not fast forward, but Labour may press ahead

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 29th May 2024

UK prime minister Rishi Sunak’s smoking ban bill is likely to be scrapped after it was not mentioned in the final business in the House of Commons following Sunak’s call for a snap general election...

Colombia updates tobacco law to regulate, not ban, popular smoking alternatives

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 27th May 2024

A law to regulate vaping, heated tobacco and oral nicotine products in Colombia for the first time was signed into law by president Gustavo Petro on 9th May. Products are now legal, with some restrictions...

Netherlands edges closer to full ban on nicotine pouches with new proposal

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 27th May 2024

The Dutch House of Representatives gave the green light to a proposal seeking to ban nicotine pouches completely in a move that seems to illustrate how the Netherlands is becoming increasingly anti–novel nicotine ...

Poland set to regulate HTPs for first time to obtain product data and test results

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 24th May 2024

The Polish Ministry of Health has released a new draft bill that regulates heated tobacco products (HTPs) in the country for the first time and introduces a new definition of HTPs into the country’s legislation ...

An industry win as Panama’s Supreme Court rules HTP ban unconstitutional

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 24th May 2024

In a victory for Panama’s heated tobacco and vaping industries, the country’s Supreme Court declared a 2022 law unconstitutional that completely banned e-cigarettes as well as heated tobacco and similar devices ...

MEP elections: navigating the rightward shift and its impact on the tobacco sector

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 23rd May 2024

A rise in support for radical and nationalist right-wing parties across Europe is not expected to dismantle the existing grand coalition of political groups during the upcoming elections for members of European Parliament, analysts suggest...

Ireland looking to have 21 be the new 18 when it comes to legal age for tobacco use

Written by Freddie Dawson | 23rd May 2024

Ireland will look to raise the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products to 21, affecting heated tobacco products but not (yet) nioctine pouches or vapour products ...

In Italy, Philip Morris aims to recycle up to 500,000 Iqos and Lil devices by year’s end

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 21st May 2024

Philip Morris in Italy has launched a project that aims to recycle up to 500,000 heated tobacco devices by the end of 2024, reusing more than 80% of their raw materials ...

Slovakia plans annual increase to a tax on nicotine-containing products, from 2025

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 17th May 2024

The Slovakian government plans to introduce taxes on e-cigarettes and other nicotine-containing products starting next year, with further annual increases planned ...

Moves to apply excise tax to nicotine pouches for the first time in Poland

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 17th May 2024

The Polish Ministry of Finance has released a legislative proposal which indicates that an excise tax will be imposed on nicotine pouches for the first time – with support from tobacco companies ...

Inhaling device submitted for UK MHRA approval as nicotine replacement therapy

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 16th May 2024

UK medical device manufacturer Ventus Medical has submitted a marketing authorisation application for an inhaling device to be used as a nicotine replacement therapy (NTR) in the UK ...

Compromise is key for the future of novel products and harm reduction in Europe

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 16th May 2024

The next European Parliament may feature a new mix of members who are likely to change Europe’s conservative stance on novel products and include harm-reduction strategies as part of the debate ...

Next-gen product innovation bolsters Imperial Brands’ half-yearly revenue

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 15th May 2024

Imperial Brands delivered a solid performance for the first half of the year ended 31st March 2024, boosted by scaling up its existing footprint and stepping up innovation across all next-generation product categories ...

EU elections may bring harm-reduction issues into focus, says tobacco group rep

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 15th May 2024

With EU elections looming, tobacco harm-reduction issues could play an important role and contribute to potential shifts in policy focus, despite the varying political stances across parties, says Frank Henkler-Stephani ...

New budget act to give health minister sweeping powers over pouches in Canada

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 15th May 2024

Canada’s health minister, Mark Holland, is about to get new powers to govern nicotine pouches as well as other products approved under Canada’s natural health products regime ...

Next EU Parliament should listen to consumers on novel tobacco products

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 13th May 2024

The next European Parliament should make sure that consumers’ demands are met, as its soon-to-be-elected members carry out the revision of the EU tobacco policy framework, according to current parliamentarian Pietro Fiocchi ...

Ploom X is the feather in JTI’s cap as reduced-risk products boost Q1 results

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 9th May 2024

Japan Tobacco International (JTI) delivered a robust performance in the first quarter of 2024, partly thanks to a double-digit increase in reduced-risk product revenue – driven mainly by the heated tobacco sticks segment ...

With another White House menthol ban delay, is it just politics in an election year?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 9th May 2024

The US government has once again dropped its plans to issue an immediate ban on menthol cigarettes, despite efforts from numerous civil rights organisations and medical associations urging for a ban to protect targeted communities...

Retail sector wants to play bigger role in EU’s policies on novel tobacco products

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 3rd May 2024

The European Confederation of Tobacco Retailers (CEDT) has called for greater involvement of the retail sector when EU lawmakers formulate policies on tobacco alternatives and nicotine products ...

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