top news
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PMI Announces Andolina as Next CFO
Andolina, currently president of PMI’s Europe Region, has been credited with driving strong smoke-free growth and financial performance.
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Scandinavian Reports Steady Progress in Seasonally Low Quarter
The company maintained its full-year 2026 guidance, expecting constant-currency net sales growth of -2% to +2%, EBIT margin of 13.0%–14.5%
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South Carolina Approves Tax on HNB
The bill keeps the current 3.5 mill tax on traditional combustible cigarettes unchanged and maintains the 5% of manufacturer’s price tax for other tobacco products.
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Universal Ups Dividend, Sets Annual Meeting for Aug. 4
The CEO said the dividend increase reflects the strength of the company’s business strategy, operational consistency, and long-term customer relationships.
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JT Receives Dividend from Subsidiary
The company approved a surplus dividend distribution of $470 million at a board meeting held on May 18, with payment expected on May 20.
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Durbin Urges RFK Jr. to Reject Flavored-Vape Progress
Durbin criticized the FDA’s recent authorization of flavored vape products and proposals to allow some nicotine products onto the market before full review.
Upcoming Events
ATNF 2026
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ATNF Talks Challenges in Communicating Tobacco Harm Reduction
Public health experts, physicians, and industry representatives to examine why reduced-risk messaging is failing to reach adult smokers.
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Farrelly, Industry Experts Debate Ways to Improve PMTA Pathway
The discussion focused on the disconnect between the framework and real-world market dynamics, with panelists agreeing the current system needs to improve.
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ATNF Panel Focuses on Harm Reduction for Adult Smokers
The discussion challenged prevailing narratives in public health, particularly the strong emphasis on eliminating all nicotine use and the skepticism toward dual use.
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FDA, Industry Leaders Explore Product Standards at ATNF
The discussion centered on whether clearer product standards could reduce uncertainty in the PMTA process, shorten timelines, and create more predictable pathways.
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ATNF Explores Shifting Dialogue in Tobacco Harm Reduction
The panel focused on the evolving relationship between public health and the industry, noting a gradual shift from outright exclusion toward cautious engagement.
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ATNF Panel Examines State-Level Policy Challenges for Harm Reduction
Speakers noted that policymakers are often making decisions without a clear grasp of existing frameworks, definitions, or scientific standards.
Global Regulation
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FDA Targets ‘Disguised’ Nicotine Products in Retail Crackdown
Bret Koplow said no tobacco product should look like candy and described the practice as a tactic to mask the products’ true nature.
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Imperial Backs UK’s Push to Fight Organized Crime
Under the initiative, offending premises will face tougher enforcement, including raids, closures, and asset seizures.
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Singapore’s Illicit Vape Trade Generated $8.1M Despite Ban
Singapore’s illegal vape market generated $8.1 million in revenue between 2024 and 2025, contributing to roughly 121.7 million in lost government revenue.
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Philippines Flagged ‘Elevated Risk’ for Illicit Cigarettes as Price Gaps Grow
The government lost nearly $980 million in 2024 and about $1.1 billion last year due to the illicit cigarette trade, plus another $400 million in losses to illegal vapes.
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Maldives Customs Seizes 2.3M Smuggled Cigarettes
The case also follows earlier incidents involving charges over the theft of a container holding previously confiscated cigarettes.
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MALAYSIA VAPE INDUSTRY WARNS OF $150 MILLION ANNUAL TAX REVENUE LOSS IF 15ML PRODUCTS ARE HASTILY BANNED
Malaysia’s local vape industry has warned that any abrupt move to ban 15ml vape products under the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852) could cost…
Agriculture & Sustainability
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Zimbabwe Reminds Tobacco Farmers Stalk-Destruction Deadline Passed
TIMB is also urging farmers to conduct soil testing before planting to optimize fertilizer use, improve leaf quality, and reduce input costs.
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CORESTA Extends Abstract Deadline
The event is calling for papers in Agronomy & Leaf Integrity, Phytopathology & Genetics, Product Science, and Product Technology.
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Zimbabwe Tobacco Eyes Record Output, Concerned About China
Growers report increasing concerns over debt exposure, fees, and pricing, particularly within systems dominated by Chinese contractors.
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Zimbabwe Suspends Tobacco Buyer Over Pricing Concerns
TIMB said it had identified concerning pricing patterns that could distort competition and harm grower viability.
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Pakistani Tobacco Growers Want FBR Raids Stopped
Growers alleged harassment during enforcement actions and demanded the withdrawal of law enforcement personnel from tobacco processing units.
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CORESTA Hosting Tobacco Plant Breeding Webinar June 24
The session will explain how new varieties are tested in the field, including how trial design changes depending on the type of tobacco and stage of development.
Science & Innovation
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Survey Finds Widespread Confusion Over Nicotine Risks
It said 73% think vaping is as harmful as, or more harmful than, smoking; 60.6% said the same of nicotine pouches, and 64.9% incorrectly believed nicotine causes cancer.
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How LIMS supports GMP compliance
Regulators are no longer just inspecting facilities; they are interrogating data.
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Cannabis and Tobacco Co-Use Increases Psychosis in High-Risks: Study
Researchers suggested that tobacco may enhance THC absorption, potentially amplifying neurological impact.
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South Africa: 80% of Smokers Back Risk-Based Regulation
The findings also highlight significant awareness gaps, with up to 70% of smokers unfamiliar with alternatives such as nicotine pouches.
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German Study Finds Strict Laws Don’t Equate to Cessation Success
Researchers found a gap between policy and outcomes, indicating that regulatory measures prompt quitting efforts but do not guarantee cessation.
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FDA Expands AI Capabilities to Improve Efficiency
The FDA said the enhanced AI infrastructure is designed to improve efficiency and support faster decision-making.
Business & Finance
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PMI Announces Andolina as Next CFO
Andolina, currently president of PMI’s Europe Region, has been credited with driving strong smoke-free growth and financial performance.
-
Scandinavian Reports Steady Progress in Seasonally Low Quarter
The company maintained its full-year 2026 guidance, expecting constant-currency net sales growth of -2% to +2%, EBIT margin of 13.0%–14.5%
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Universal Ups Dividend, Sets Annual Meeting for Aug. 4
The CEO said the dividend increase reflects the strength of the company’s business strategy, operational consistency, and long-term customer relationships.
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JT Receives Dividend from Subsidiary
The company approved a surplus dividend distribution of $470 million at a board meeting held on May 18, with payment expected on May 20.
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BATB Sales Choked by Taxes, Illicits
British American Tobacco Bangladesh reported a sharp downturn in first-quarter FY2025-26 performance as higher tobacco taxes, consumer downtrading, and rising competition from illicit cigarettes weighed heavily on sales. Domestic cigarette…
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Cabbacis Talking Future at Sidoti Micro-Cap
The appearance highlights investor interest in Cabbacis’ patented iBLEND risk-reduction tobacco products.
Around the Industry
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South Carolina Approves Tax on HNB
The bill keeps the current 3.5 mill tax on traditional combustible cigarettes unchanged and maintains the 5% of manufacturer’s price tax for other tobacco products.
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Durbin Urges RFK Jr. to Reject Flavored-Vape Progress
Durbin criticized the FDA’s recent authorization of flavored vape products and proposals to allow some nicotine products onto the market before full review.
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Hong Kong Moves to Ban Smoking at Construction Sites
The changes would designate construction sites as no-smoking areas and empower officers to issue $390 fines to offenders.
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Researchers: Flavored-Vape Debate Needs to Follow Science, Not Politics
The authors urged lawmakers and regulators to follow scientific findings when shaping vape policy, as researchers continue to discover the benefits and risks of vape use.
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PMI Accused of Hypocrisy for Cigarette Ads While Pivoting to Smoke-Free
PMI disputed the criticism, saying 43% of its net revenue came from smoke-free products and that its marketing is restricted to adults.
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Campaigners Accuse WHO of ‘Dangerous Misinformation’ on Nicotine Pouches
The WHO raised concerns about youth-oriented marketing, flavors, and discreet-use messaging while calling for tighter controls.
Thought Leaders
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The Conglomerate Cigar Brands Are Losing Inside ChatGPT — and the Retailer Channel Is the Reason Why
Cigar Aficionado’s 2025 Cigar Insider Retailer Survey told the same story Cigar Insider has told every year for the last decade. Padrón at #1, Arturo Fuente at #2, Drew Estate…
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The FDA’s evolving approach to youth-risk mitigation
Lilian Ortega explains the latest developments from regulators across pouches and ENDS and the latest enforcement of rules in the United States.
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The Arithmetic of Harm
Why the World Cannot Afford America’s Regulatory Model By Dr. J. Preston Campbell, Cancer Researcher, Harm Reduction Scientist Heavy lifetime smoking kills approximately half of long-term users. That is not…
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The Butt Stops Here
Because filters are small, lightweight, and routinely discarded in public spaces, they are disproportionately represented in stormwater runoff and shoreline debris counts despite their size.
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Rethinking Nicotine Regulation
How harm reduction, illicit markets, and regulatory gridlock are reshaping the future of nicotine policy in the United States.
