FLER at APE

The UK government announced on April 29 that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill had received Royal Assent and become law. Under the new law, it is illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2009. The government said the law creates the UK’s first “smoke-free generation” and includes measures to ban the advertising and sponsorship of vapes and nicotine products, as well as powers to restrict packaging, branding and displays designed to appeal to children.

According to Reuters, major tobacco companies may emerge as key beneficiaries after the U.S. FDA loosened regulations on vaping and nicotine pouch products, a shift that has sparked debate over public health risks.

Summary Ispire Technology announced a strategic joint venture with Chinese pharmaceutical company Jincheng Pharma to manufacture and commercialize nicotine pouch products. The partnership combines pharmaceutical-grade production capabilities with Ispire’s global regulatory infrastructure and distribution network as the company expands beyond vaping hardware into oral nicotine products.

Philip Morris International says about 43 million adults worldwide now use its smoke-free products, with nearly 70% having stopped using cigarettes and smoke-free products accounting for about 43% of its net revenues.

Philip Morris Japan announced that it will launch “TEREA Blossom Pearl,” a new tobacco stick for IQOS ILUMA, on May 11. The new product will expand the TEREA lineup to 27 variants. It features a capsule menthol flavor with strawberry and subtle herbal notes and is priced at JPY 620, or about USD 4.14 based on an assumed rate of 1 JPY = 0.00668 USD. The exchange-rate source should be verified and added.

New convenience store industry data show nicotine pouches have become the primary growth driver in the tobacco category, with oral nicotine sales rising nearly 30% over the past year while vape sales declined.