Author: David Palacios Rubio

The new year looks certain to become another significant one for the tobacco-alternatives industry across the globe, with a bunch of new regulations on the horizon…

After the eleventh-hour agreement of a Brexit deal on Christmas Eve, one of the first key issues for the go-it-alone UK to tackle will be the review of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations (TRPR)…

Norway’s majority coalition parties have agreed to drop 25% of the excise duties on snus in a bid to stop people buying it in from neighbouring Sweden…

US president-elect Joe Biden has unexpectedly named California attorney general Xavier Becerra as his choice for the vital role of heading the massive Health and Human Services (HHS) Department…

A survey has concluded that reduced-risk claims for snus are understood by smokers, but better wording and genuine statements from independent sources – not tobacco companies – would improve their credibility…

Italy’s draft budget for 2021 does not include any provision – for now – on taxing heated tobacco products, despite calls from health authorities and members of the country’s Senate…

The European Parliament approved by an overwhelming majority the EU health policy programme for the period 2021-2017 aimed at tackling some of the main health issues in Europe, including tobacco policy…

An Australian Senate committee to inquire into tobacco harm reduction strategies will meet for the first time in Canberra on Friday, and again week later in Sydney…

The purchase by BAT of nicotine pouch brand Dryft to “strengthen” its modern oral portfolio in the US is an opportunity for both to increase their share of the market…

The Norwegian government is proposing an increase of 3.7% in the tax applied to snus from 2021 with the aim to “limit health problems”, but the minority government must find an ally in the national Parliament (Storting) to implement such measure…

The tax authorities in Brussels are to give a final decision on introducing a new harmonised tax scheme for heated tobacco products in a year’s time, amid calls for action from top EU institutions…

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%…

Imperial Brands has revealed that the company’s net revenue for its next-generation portfolio is around 30% lower than 2019, while the overall company revenue looks set to remain flat this year…

Denmark has put on hold a proposal to extend the ban on flavours in tobacco products to hookah and chewing tobacco after the European Commission issued a negative opinion on the plan…

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…

The final countdown is on to Wednesday’s deadline for premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs), which the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially set at 4pm Eastern Time (ET) on 9th September…

Reynolds American has submitted a premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Velo nicotine lozenges to remain on the market after September…

The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has issued a final decision not to amend the country’s Poisons Standard – a decision which leaves the sale of heated tobacco products banned in the country…

KT&G heated tobacco products are available outside South Korea for the first time after Philip Morris International (PMI) began marketing them in Russia…

Japan Tobacco International (JTI) is to increase the price of some of its heated tobacco consumables in Japan from 1st October…

A proposal to allow the sale of non-tobacco nicotine pouches in New Zealand was left out of the final version of a new bill regulating vaping products that was adopted in parliament…

BAT’s revenue from its smokeless portfolio increased by 5.7% to £9.4bn ($12.3bn) in the first six months of the year, helped by higher revenue in the modern oral segment…

Altria has reported net revenue to be down by 3.8% in Q2 2020 due to the decrease of the traditional tobacco business, though a further drop was prevented thanks to the good performance of its smokeless products in the US…

PMI’s earnings fell in the second quarter of 2020 due to retail and travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this was partially offset by higher heated tobacco unit volumes…

The upcoming presidencies of the Council of the European Union have agreed to include the revision of the Directive 2011/64 on the structure and rates of excise duties applied to manufactured tobacco in their strategic agenda…

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Philip Morris International (PMI) modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) status for Iqos and its associated HeatSticks…

Germany’s anticipated decision to ban outdoor advertising of tobacco, including heat-not-burn (HnB) and vapour products, could cost the public finances an estimated €2.27m a year…

Representatives from different political parties in Italy have put forward various proposals to increase tax on tobacco-alternative products as the government seeks urgent financial responses to the COVID-19 crisis…

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has issued an interim decision against amending the country’s Poisons Standard on nicotine – leaving heated tobacco banned as dangerous poison…

The Council of the European Union considers it “urgent and necessary” to harmonise the definitions and tax treatment of novel tobacco products such as heated tobacco and vaping products…

World No Tobacco Day provides a good opportunity to consider the approach that public health authorities, policymakers, and advocates around the world have towards the role of tobacco-alternative products…

EU nations are to recommend to the European Commission that heat-not-burn products should be included in the forthcoming revised structure and rates of tax applied to manufactured tobacco products…

India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, has partially lifted its ban on the oral product pan masala following industry pressure and due to the state government’s need for cash…

Smokers in the US state of California can get free nicotine patches by mail to help them quit, as part of a research project on public health during the COVID-19 crisis…

Altria has submitted premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for 35 varieties of its On! nicotine pouches…

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked a judge to postpone the effective date of its new rule imposing graphic health warnings on cigarette packaging…

Big Tobacco manufacturers are expecting the effects of COVID-19 to hit hard in the second half of the year, despite a strong performance in the first quarter…

The French government is temporarily restricting sales of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products following research suggesting nicotine patches could be used in treatment for COVID-19…

British American Tobacco is suing Big Tobacco rival Philip Morris International in the US and in Europe for allegedly infringing its patents with its popular heated tobacco device IQOS…

Philip Morris International is braced for a significant dip in sales and use of its heated-tobacco device IQOS over the rest of 2020, with retail and travel restrictions currently imposed in nearly every country…

Lawmakers in Kentucky have passed a new bill setting out taxes for tobacco products – but a proposal to increase tax on smokeless products was left out of the final wording…

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has requested a 120-day extension to the deadline for premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) due to the challenges that the coronavirus outbreak is posing to companies…

The Food Safety and Drug Administration in Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state by population, has temporarily banned pan masala, a traditional oral product popular throughout India, to try to stem the spread of COVID-19…

The US International Trade Commission (USITC) is looking into a possible infringement of the patent for a nicotine pouch product, following a claim led by Swedish Match North America…

Dutch health secretary Paul Blokhuis has called for heated tobacco and any future new tobacco product to be banned from public use in order to help achieve the target of a “smoke-free generation”…

British American Tobacco (BAT)’s “modern oral” portfolio has been one of the main drivers helping the company achieve good results in 2019 for its next-generation products category, which overall increased globally by 36.9%…

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

The investment value of Altria in e-cig company Juul fell by 65% in almost a year due to the recent developments in the US affecting the brand…

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

The European Commission is delaying evaluating tobacco tax rates and the possible introduction of a new harmonised tax scheme for e-cigs and heated tobacco…