Next-gen growth and new launches put Imperial on track with five-year plan

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 15th November 2023 || News analysis |

Imperial Brands reported a performance in line with its five-year-plan expectations in the year ended 30th September 2023, with new product and market launches boosting its next-generation product (NGP) revenue ...

No 2024 e-cig tax hike in Italy, but the blow will land in the following two years

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 13th November 2023 || News analysis |

There would be no increase in Italian e-cigarette excise duties next year under the new 2024 Budget Bill, but rates would rise significantly for 2025 and 2026 ...

Altria reports year-to-date ‘resilient’ performance and progress with Njoy

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 27th October 2023 || News analysis |

Altria will look to strengthen the logistics behind its recent $2.75bn acquisition of the Njoy e-cigarette brand as it sets out to build on revenues from alternatives to conventional cigarettes ...

The rise and fall of Juul: a match made in heaven or a recipe for disaster?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 26th October 2023 || Blogs |

A new Netflix documentary attempts to provide a balanced narrative and a nuanced view on the rise and fall of one of the most famous brands in vaping ...

Tech innovations take off as vaping industry takes on concerns over waste

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 24th October 2023 || News analysis |

With disposable e-cigarettes increasingly the target of negative attention over their environmental impact as well as youth usage, interest is growing in other, less wasteful, approaches to product design ...

Is the UK government getting it wrong with a possible ban on disposable vapes?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 23rd October 2023 || News analysis |

While the British government may hope that a ban on disposable e-cigarettes would cut down both waste and youth vaping, others have warned that it could have negative consequences too ...

Supreme tackles under-age vaping and the environmental impact of disposables

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 23rd October 2023 || News analysis |

UK vape maker Supreme has outlined measures to mitigate increased interest from under-age consumers in its 88Vape brand and reduce the environmental impact of disposables ...

Could the UK’s generational smoking ban lead to unintended consequences?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 10th October 2023 || News analysis |

The UK’s plan to introduce a progressive age ban for tobacco products has been welcomed by many in the public health world, but others warn that it and other government-proposed measures might have unintended results ...

UK bill to ban e-cig marketing to kids may signal start of tougher vaping regulation

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 29th September 2023 || News analysis |

The era of light-touch vaping regulation in the UK may be over. A range of bills, consultations and proposals are looking at ways to increase regulatory scrutiny on vaping products ...

Regulating e-cig sales: are FDA warning letters just a drop of ink in the ocean?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 21st September 2023 || Blogs |

The US FDA recently notified more online retailers and manufacturers of significant violations related to the sale of e-cigarettes. But are these regular warning letters really enough to reassert the FDA’s control over the market ...

New EU battery regulation sparks both concern and optimism in the vape sector

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 25th August 2023 || News analysis |

Whether new battery rules in the European Union succeed in reducing waste will be down to details and enforcement, according to e-cigarette industry insiders ...

US FDA says education on smoking alternatives worthwhile but not priority

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 25th August 2023 || News analysis |

Educating consumers about reduced-risk alternatives to smoking is worthwhile – but encouraging them to use smoking-cessation methods should still take priority, according to the US FDA ...

Israel aims to eradicate youth e-cig use with ‘dramatic measures’

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 24th August 2023 || News analysis |

The Israeli Ministry of Health has published plans for tougher measures that would apply to all smoking and tobacco products, in advance of a public consultation aimed at amending the Tobacco Law ...

Njoy files complaint with US ITC over Juul Labs’ alleged patent infringement

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 23rd August 2023 || News analysis |

Altria subsidiary Njoy is taking action against Juul Labs over alleged patent infringements, filing a complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) and initiating a lawsuit in a federal court ...

Disposables can be recycled if collected and handled correctly, says UK study

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 11th August 2023 || News analysis |

Attempts to make e-cigarettes more recyclable could have unintended consequences and must still be supported by collection infrastructure to have any impact, industry members warn ...

US sales of disposables trebled following FDA policy on flavoured refill cartridges

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 11th August 2023 || News analysis |

Sales of flavoured and disposable e-cigarettes across the US rose significantly after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began its policy of clamping down against flavoured cartridges ...

Experts raise questions on Juul’s chances with its next-generation vapour system

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 7th August 2023 || News analysis |

Success for Juul with its premarket tobacco product application for its Juul2 next-generation vapour platform could lead to a complete reset of minimum youth prevention standards in the US, experts warn ...

Altria reports solid performance despite lower revenue, talks Njoy expansion

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 2nd August 2023 || News analysis |

Altria reported a solid performance in the first half of 2023, supported by the $2.75bn acquisition of e-cigarette manufacturer Njoy, which was finalised in June ...

US FDA warns three distributors selling unauthorised youth-appealing e-cigs

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 31st July 2023 || News analysis |

The US Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to three distributors for selling unauthorised vaping products across the US that appeal to under-age consumers ...

BAT records ‘resilient’ H1 performance, remains confident about Vuse Alto PMTA

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 28th July 2023 || News analysis |

British American Tobacco’s vapour brand Vuse was the key driver of the company’s positive performance in the first half of the year, and it remains confident in its Vuse Alto pre-market tobacco product application submission to the US...

Juul submits the first PMTA for its next-generation vapour platform

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 24th July 2023 || News analysis |

Juul Labs has submitted a premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) for the company’s next-generation vapour platform to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ...

88Vape maker lands UK distribution deal for China’s Elf Bar and Lost Mary brands

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 11th July 2023 || News analysis |

UK fast-moving consumer goods company Supreme expects to see a new distribution deal with Elf Bar push revenue from its e-cigarette business past the £100m mark for the first time ...

Health charity urges Scotland to consider an Australian-style prescription regime

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 4th July 2023 || News analysis |

Fear of the effects of an increase in youth vaping has led a UK anti-smoking charity to call for e-cigarettes to be made available on prescription only, matching public health policy in Australia ...

Altria completes $2.75bn acquisition of Njoy, banks on FDA-approved Ace sales

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 2nd June 2023 || News analysis |

Tobacco giant Altria confirmed it had completed its acquisition of e-cigarette maker Njoy for $2.75bn, having cleared antitrust checks in the US ...

US FDA warns makers of Breeze and Esco Bars on illegal flavoured disposables

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 29th May 2023 || News analysis |

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warning letters to the manufacturers of Breeze and Esco Bars disposable vape products to protect young people against illegal flavoured disposable e-cigarette products ...

New research has Scotland concerned about young vapers and dual users

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 29th May 2023 || News analysis |

New data released by the Scottish government based on research looking at a dozen surveys puts current vaping use somewhere between 5% and 13.2%, and shows use has been increasing over time ...

Upcoming EU battery law could mean change-or-die time for disposables

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 26th May 2023 || News analysis |

Disposable e-cigarette products will be forced to change design or face being banned as new battery regulations are brought into the EU, experts predict ...

Follow the Swedish model to cut smoking rates, Italian tells fellow EU lawmakers

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 10th May 2023 || News analysis |

The best way to reduce smoking rates is by encouraging smokers to switch to new, reduced-risk categories, according to Italian MEP Aldo Patriciello, who recommends the Swedish approach ...

Imperial shrugs off Myblu denial in US with next gen expansion elsewhere

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 19th April 2023 || News analysis |

Expanding sales of Imperial Brands’ next generation products into new markets has more than compensated the company for the effect of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s marketing denial order (MDO) for Myblu ...

UK launches national ‘swap-to-stop’ scheme for smokers to switch to vapes

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 14th April 2023 || News analysis |

Up to 1m UK smokers could be given vouchers to purchase their own preferred vaping products under a new national initiative that is being called a world first ...

‘Bad legal advice’ led Smoore to pursue patent case it was never going to win

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 6th April 2023 || News analysis |

A claim by Smoore Technology that 38 cannabis companies infringed the Chinese firm’s patents had very little chance of success with the US International Trade Commission, according to legal experts ...

US FDA refuses 17m products for lack of environmental assessment with PMTA

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 24th March 2023 || News analysis |

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has refused marketing authorisation for around 17m e-liquid products because the company behind the application did not provide the required environmental assessments ...

E-cigs, including disposables, continue to avoid UK tax as tobacco rates are raised

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 21st March 2023 || News analysis |

UK smokers are facing a hike in the price of tobacco following last week’s Spring Budget – but no tax on vaping products was announced, leaving them much more affordable than other alternatives ...

US FDA issues MDOs for Vuse menthol e-cigs but OKs Copenhagen snuff as MRTP

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 17th March 2023 || News analysis |

The US Food and Drug Administration has issued marketing denial orders against two menthol e-cigarette products currently marketed by RJ Reynolds Vapor Company under the Vuse Solo brand ...

FDA’s new standards could be too costly and too late for smaller manufacturers

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 15th March 2023 || News analysis |

Fears have been raised that new product standards proposed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to protect consumer health may be costly to implement and overly burdensome for smaller companies ...

Altria cuts its losses on Juul, accepting a 98% collapse in its $12.8bn investment

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 6th March 2023 || News analysis |

Altria has swapped its 35% stake in Juul Labs for heated tobacco intellectual property rights, ending an investment which plummeted in value from $12.8bn to only $250m in just over four years ...

Big Tobacco still laying out the road towards a promised smokeless future

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 3rd March 2023 || News analysis |

Big Tobacco’s 2022 full-year results show that their collective commitment to transition away from combustible products is not just the companies blowing smoke ...

Has the rumour mill got it badly wrong in predicting a UK tax on vaping products?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 2nd March 2023 || News analysis |

Rumours stirred up by recent media reports that the UK is set to impose a tax on e-cigarette products are overblown and appear to be well wide of the mark ...

Tobacco giant Altria ‘in $2.75bn bid to buy Njoy’ while preparing to pull out of Juul

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 28th February 2023 || News analysis |

Altria is reported to be in advanced talks to buy e-cigarette company Njoy for around $2.75bn and plans to divest its stake in Juul Labs. Nothing has been finalised, but an announcement could come this week ...

Turning Point Brands seeks a turning point of its own after 2022 decreases

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 27th February 2023 || News analysis |

Turning Point Brands (TPB) has blamed the continuing “challenging regulatory environment” in the US that affected its NewGen segment for declines over the course of 2022 ...

Marketing vapes to children in UK ‘appalling’ and ‘utterly unacceptable’

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 24th February 2023 || News analysis |

England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, has urged the UK government should be “much more serious” in its attempt to reduce vaping and smoking among children ...

Four small firms hit as US FDA takes a new step in war on unauthorised vapes

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 23rd February 2023 || News analysis |

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has for the first time filed civil money penalty (CMP) complaints against four small vaping companies for manufacturing and selling e-liquids without marketing authorisation ...

Mission Impossible? It’s sure to be tough at the top for new CTP science chief

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 22nd February 2023 || News analysis |

Matthew Farrelly will have a lot on his desk, and a lot of big calls to make, as the new director of the Office of Science at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Center for Tobacco Products...

No health or safety risk but Elf Bar recalls disposables with tanks too big for UK

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 21st February 2023 || News analysis |

The UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has met Elf Bar to discuss action the company is taking after some of its disposables were found to have bigger tanks than are allowed in the UK ...

Israel slashes taxes on vaping products but they’re still the world’s highest

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 17th February 2023 || News analysis |

Although Israel has just adopted a significant reduction from the previous tax rate on vaping products, the country still has the highest duty rates on them in the world ...

BAT sees big growth across all three new categories, led by Vuse showing in US

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 9th February 2023 || News analysis |

British American Tobacco (BAT) enjoyed a 37% rise last year in revenues from novel products, with growing contributions across all three of its new categories, led by its vapour brand Vuse ...

Disposables vs the environment: how some UK companies are facing the issues

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 7th February 2023 || News analysis |

A solution to the environmental impact of disposable vaping products must be found if the industry wants to avoid seeing product bans pop up in more jurisdictions. Such a solution could come from the UK ...

Health professionals call on Australian government to tighten vaping rules

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 27th January 2023 || News analysis |

Several Australian public health bodies have urged the government to ban flavours in e-cigarettes, reduce their nicotine concentration, and prohibit the sale of disposables ...

US FDA denies two Vuse menthol e-cig products, cites public health standards

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 25th January 2023 || News analysis |

The US Food and Drug Administration has denied the premarket tobacco product applications of two menthol e-cigarette products by RJ Reynolds Vapor Company, following the agency’s determination that these products do not meet public health standards ...

E-cigarettes could face new restrictions under Morocco’s tobacco regime

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo || 24th January 2023 || News analysis |

Morocco is considering including e-cigarettes under its regulatory regime for tobacco, increasing possible fines for advertising, imposing restrictions on public use, and establishing a minimum purchase age ...