HEADLINE

South Korea’s revised Tobacco Business Act will take effect on April 24, bringing synthetic nicotine liquid vapes into the legal definition of tobacco and subjecting both retailers and manufacturers to formal regulation.

2Firsts explored whether hookah can evolve into a more mature and governable category by interviewing Dubai-based hookah company AIR. AIR argues that strong margins, OOKA’s closed-system model and the prospect of differentiated regulation could support that shift. The larger question is whether this is simply AIR’s capital-markets narrative, or an early sign that competition, regulation and category boundaries in hookah are beginning to change.

As the FDA advances efforts to streamline its PMTA review process, including support for small businesses, expectations are rising that additional product authorizations may follow. Age-verification technology is emerging as a key consideration in future approvals.In this interview, California-based Glas discusses its G2 platform, integrating smartphone-based identity verification, proximity controls and anti-counterfeit systems, and outlines its positioning under the FDA’s PMTA framework.

After months of debate, Russian lawmakers have retreated from plans for a nationwide vaping ban, opting instead for a single-region pilot. The shift reflects pressure from business groups and fiscal authorities, amid warnings that sweeping prohibitions could fuel illegal trade while undermining efforts to regulate the market.

As nicotine pouches gain global traction as a lower-risk alternative to smoking, questions are emerging about their potential oral health effects. In a 2Firsts interview, Stingfree AB founder Bengt Wiberg discusses why gum irritation and oral lesions warrant closer scrutiny within the broader framework of tobacco harm reduction.