Tobacco Regulation: Latin America
October 2026: Guyana Bans Recreational Vaping Products, Restricting Imports Amid Public Health Concerns GEORGETOWN — The government of Guyana has announced a ban on the importation and distribution of recreational vaping products, moving to restrict electronic cigarettes to safeguard youth and combat rising rates of nicotine addiction. Under the new
Tobacco Regulation: Asia
October 2026: Mongolia Overhauls Tobacco Control Laws After 13 Years, Banning Flavored Products and Regulating Vapes Mongolia’s State Great Khural has officially approved sweeping amendments to the Law on Tobacco Control, marking the first major update to the nation’s smoking regulations in 13 years. The newly passed legislation, slated to
USA: Tobacco Regulation – States
October 2026: South Dakota and Pennsylvania Roll Out New Nicotine and Vape Rules State legislatures and enforcement agencies across the United States are aggressively stepping into the regulatory vacuum left by federal oversight, tightening the reins on alternative nicotine and electronic cigarette markets. Two prominent state-level developments illustrate this shifting
Tobacco Regulation: European Union
October 2026: Eight EU Nations Demand Comprehensive Ban on New Nicotine Products and Flavors A coalition of eight European Union member states has formally called on the European Commission to introduce sweeping restrictions on nicotine products, including a market ban on new releases, a broad prohibition on flavorings, and tighter
Tobacco Regulation: Europe
October 2026: Ireland Increases Excise Duty on Tobacco and E-Liquid Products The cost of smoking and vaping in Ireland is set to reach record highs following significant excise increases announced by the Minister for Finance during the presentation of Budget 2027 in Dáil Éireann. Under the new measures, the excise
US FDA – Tobacco: News
October 2026: GAO Urges FDA to Systematically Monitor Timeliness of Tobacco Product Application Reviews The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a new report advising the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to overhaul its tracking systems, citing critical data gaps that prevent the agency from evaluating whether it is
USA: Tobacco Regulation & Legislation
The regulatory landscape for tobacco in the United States is notably complex, involving multiple layers of authority that sometimes come into conflict. At the federal level, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches, under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco
USA: Tobacco & Vape Tax
August 2026: South Carolina Introduces First Statewide Vape Tax Starting October 1, 2026 South Carolina will introduce its first statewide excise tax on vaping products and electronic cigarettes beginning October 1, 2026, following the passage of House Bill 4303 (Act 234). The new law brings e-liquids and disposable vape devices
USA: Nicotine Pouch Tax
June 2026: New York enacts 75% wholesale tax on nicotine pouches The New York Governor signed a 75% wholesale tax on nicotine pouches into law. The measure differs from the state’s cigarette tax, which is set at $5.35 per pack. The state expects the tax to generate an additional $50
Taxation: E-cigarettes
E-cigarette is invented two decades ago in China and became available in Europe and the US as early as 2006/2007. Following years of turbulent growth, e-cigarette sales now surpassed the $20Bn mark (global retail turnover per year). Therefore, the category is no longer under the radar and is a subject
Tobacco & Nicotine Tax: USA – 2026
U.S. States Move to Expand Nicotine Excise Taxes in 2026 With the 2026 state legislative session in full swing, excise taxation on cigarettes, vaping products, nicotine pouches and other tobacco-related items has emerged as a central policy focus across the United States. Faced with persistent budget pressures and declining cigarette
Cigarette Tax: International
Below is the list the most recent tobacco tax changes across the world. Note that there is a separate write-up on e-cigarette taxation. November 2025: Bulgaria to Gradually Increase Tobacco and Nicotine Excise Taxes from 2026 Bulgaria will implement a phased increase in excise duties on all tobacco and nicotine
Synthetic Nicotine Derivatives
Synthetic Nicotine Derivatives Synthetic nicotine is a manufactured form of nicotine, produced in a laboratory, as opposed to being extracted from tobacco leaves. Synthetic nicotine (tobacco-free nicotine) is chemically identical to natural nicotine (tobacco-derived nicotine) but is made in a laboratory using synthetic processes. Several synthetic derivatives of nicotine are being
Research: E-cigarettes
July 2026: Synthetic Cooling Agents in E-Cigarettes Actively Enhance Nicotine Reinforcement and Dopamine Signaling A recently published study is challenging a foundational assumption in the Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) market. Researchers have discovered that synthetic cooling agents – most notably WS-3 and WS-23 – do far more than simply
Research: Nicotine Pouches
July 2026: Questions Raised Over ZYN Safety Review Following Former FDA Scientist’s Claims Questions have been raised over the safety review of Philip Morris International’s ZYN nicotine pouches after a former U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) toxicologist alleged that the agency authorized the products without fully determining the composition
Research: Tobacco Products
October 2025: 70% of Policy Experts Misidentify Nicotine as Primary Cause of Smoking-related Diseases Based to a multi-market survey of 450 policy experts conducted across 15 different markets in 2024/25, British American Tobacco (BAT) stated that 70% of policy experts continue to misidentify nicotine as primary cause of smoking-related diseases.
Research: Cannabis
Cannabis potency Potency Monitoring Program, a project led by the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, reports that the average amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC: the plant’s main psychoactive component) in cannabis almost quadrupled over the last 25 years, mainly due to US growers selecting more potent strains. In the same
Tobacco Lawsuits: USA
October 2026: US Judge Pauses Altria Lawsuit as FDA Reconsiders Tobacco Product Review Framework A US federal judge has temporarily paused a lawsuit brought by Altria-affiliated companies challenging the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) premarket review framework for tobacco products, following the agency’s announcement that it intends to evaluate potential
Patents Wars: International
Patent wars, long associated with the technology and software sectors, refer to legal battles between companies seeking to protect, challenge, or leverage intellectual property rights. The tobacco industry’s rapid transition toward reduced-risk products has triggered a similar wave of patent disputes in recent years, particularly since 2018, with no clear
Patents Wars: USA
Patent wars, long associated with the technology and software sectors, refer to legal battles between companies seeking to protect, challenge, or leverage intellectual property rights. The tobacco industry’s rapid transition toward reduced-risk products has triggered a similar wave of patent disputes in recent years, particularly since 2018, with no clear
Tobacco: Investor Lawsuits
September 2026: British American Tobacco Faces Third UK Investor Claim Over Historical North Korea Disclosures British American Tobacco (BAT) is facing a third UK shareholder lawsuit in the High Court of England and Wales over allegations that it failed to adequately disclose its historical North Korean operations and associated sanctions
Tobacco Lawsuits: International
August 2026: JUUL Labs and Altria Appeal B.C. Court Decision Certifying Mass Class Action JUUL Labs and Altria Group have launched a formal appeal against a British Columbia court decision that certified a nationwide class-action lawsuit accusing the companies of deceptively marketing vaping products to Canadian consumers. The companies filed
Canadian Tobacco Lawsuit & Settlement
August 2025: Imperial Tobacco Canada exits bankruptcy protection British American Tobacco (BAT)’s Canadian affiliate, Imperial Tobacco Canada (ITCAN) formally exited protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). ITCAN stated that the Court-approved Plan of Compromise and Arrangement concludes the tobacco litigation provides maximum recovery for claimants while bringing stability
Tobacco Industry Highlights: October 10 – October 16, 2026
Stay on top of the tobacco industry. Get weekly highlights straight to your inbox. Become a Free member today: Tobacco Insider – Free Membership — India: Cigarette Market The Indian government is considering a proposal to ban foreign brand licensing, franchising, and technology agreements in the tobacco sector to close
Tobacco Industry Highlights: October 3 – October 9, 2026
Stay on top of the tobacco industry. Get weekly highlights straight to your inbox. Become a Free member today: Tobacco Insider – Free Membership — US FDA – Tobacco: News A new U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report calls on the FDA to overhaul its tracking systems to systematically monitor
Tobacco Industry Highlights: September 26 – October 2, 2026
Stay on top of the tobacco industry. Get weekly highlights straight to your inbox. Become a Free member today: Tobacco Insider – Free Membership — Scandinavian Tobacco: News Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) has completed the DKK 1.3 billion ($190 million) sale of its BREAK and Moro fine-cut tobacco brands to
Tobacco Industry: Acquisitions
Since 1990s, the fall of the Iron Curtain in the East and the fast decline of cigarette market volumes in the West have triggered a series of acquisitions in the Tobacco Industry as the leading companies try to maintain the economies of scale and boost the top-/bottom-line growth. As a result,
Tobacco Industry Highlights: September 19 – September 25, 2026
Stay on top of the tobacco industry. Get weekly highlights straight to your inbox. Become a Free member today: Tobacco Insider – Free Membership — Generational Tobacco Ban Turkey, the fourth largest cigarette market in the world, is preparing a landmark anti-tobacco bill featuring a generational ban that will permanently
Tobacco Industry Highlights: September 12 – September 18, 2026
Stay on top of the tobacco industry. Get weekly highlights straight to your inbox. Become a Free member today: Tobacco Insider – Free Membership — Philip Morris International: News Philip Morris International (PMI) raised its quarterly dividend by 8.8% to an annualized $6.40 per share, marking its 18th consecutive annual
