FLER at APE

UK vape brand IVG has launched the NEXiO reusable prefilled pod system, expanding its product portfolio beyond disposable vape products. The device features a 1,000mAh rechargeable battery, prefilled pods with a refill reservoir structure and a claimed capacity of up to 10,000 puffs. Officially launched in the UK on July 9, 2026, NEXiO debuted with 17 flavor options, reflecting IVG’s move into reusable pod formats.

Ahead of the Formula 1 race in Madrid, 67 Spanish and international public-health, medical and consumer organizations have sent an open letter to F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali calling for an end to sponsorships linked to the tobacco and nicotine industry, including nicotine pouches, vaping products and heated tobacco. The letter focuses on Philip Morris International’s ZYN partnership with Ferrari and British American Tobacco’s long-running partnership with McLaren and exposure for VELO. The campaign follows a March letter in which more than 160 organizations worldwide made a similar request to Formula 1.

Australian authorities have disclosed two major enforcement actions that go beyond product seizures and retail closures to examine how illicit tobacco and vape networks operate. On Aug. 14, the Multi Agency Strike Team said seven people had been charged and two criminal networks were valued by authorities at a combined A$80 million, or about US$56.8 million. Investigators allege the groups used bonded warehouses, freight businesses and “trusted insiders” in legitimate industries to circumvent border controls. In a separate operation on Aug. 11, more than 100 service stations were targeted as authorities sought information on illicit tobacco importation, distribution networks and the movement of sales proceeds.

Philip Morris Japan (PMJ) launched the IQOS ILUMA i PRIME Ginza Limited Model Set in Tokyo on September 4, 2026, alongside the opening of IQOS Flagship Ginza, the brand’s first global flagship store. The Oasis Blue edition is limited to 1,814 individually numbered units, with the figure derived from the store’s address at Ginza 1-8-14. The set also includes two Yamanaka-nuri glasses and special packaging, priced at JPY 11,980 and sold exclusively at the Ginza flagship.

Canadian Health Minister Marjorie Michel says she is not considering loosening retail restrictions on nicotine pouches. Canada regulates pouches containing 4 mg or less of nicotine per unit as non-prescription nicotine replacement therapy and requires newer NRT formats such as pouches to be sold from behind pharmacy counters. Meanwhile, Unsmoke Canada, linked to Philip Morris International's Canadian business, is pushing to allow pouches in convenience stores and other general retail outlets. Health Canada also acknowledges continued unauthorized sales, while recent research shows rising pouch use among Canadian youth aged 16 to 19.

South Korea's liquid-vape market is showing changes across raw-material imports, product types and sales channels after synthetic nicotine came under the Tobacco Business Act on April 24. Customs data show nicotine-analogue imports totaled 12,126 kilograms from April through August, while synthetic-nicotine imports over the same five months totaled 231,663 kilograms, just 39.3% of the amount imported in March alone. Physical liquid-vape stores tracked in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province fell 9.9%, unmanned outlets edged higher and online sales listings increased from 27,774 to 42,437. Government testing of 105 liquid inhalation products promoted as nicotine-free separately found nicotine in 13 and 6-methylnicotine in 12.