IQOS Smoking Room at Manila International Airport

In an interview with Romanian marketing publication IQads, Marek Gębski, Director of Smoke-Free Products at Philip Morris Romania, said IQOS experience spaces are evolving from traditional retail locations into platforms for consumer engagement and brand connection. Through locations such as IQOS Boutique Victoriei, PMI aims to use design, culture and consumer experiences to strengthen communication with adult consumers about smoke-free products. The interview highlights how tobacco companies are expanding smoke-free strategies beyond products toward experiential marketing and consumer relationships.

Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration published a final decision on September 25 to classify 6-methylnicotine as a Schedule 9 prohibited substance under the Poisons Standard, effective October 1, 2026. TGA said the chemical has been reported in e-cigarette liquids sold in Australia and marketed as nicotine-free or nicotine alternatives, while evidence also indicates its use in preparations such as oral pouches. The government originally proposed a Schedule 7 classification but ultimately adopted the stricter Schedule 9 designation, citing acute toxicity, dependence risk, use in unapproved consumer products and misleading marketing.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized 11 ZYN ULTRA nicotine pouch products made by Swedish Match USA through the premarket tobacco product application pathway on August 21, 2026. Ten of the authorized products have a labeled nicotine content of 9 mg, while ZYN ULTRA Smooth was authorized at 11 mg. The reviews were conducted through FDA’s nicotine pouch PMTA pilot program. FDA has now authorized 43 nicotine pouch products, including 23 through the pilot.

The UK's Vaping Products Duty will take effect on October 1, 2026, at a flat rate of £2.20 per 10ml of vaping liquid. Ahead of implementation, DOJO, PIXL and Hayati have introduced or been reported to be adding lower-capacity tiers alongside larger products. DOJO has added a 6ml BLAST7K Fresh below its 10ml BLAST10K Fresh, PIXL offers both a 12ml 8000 and a 6ml 5K, while retailer Ninja Vapes says Hayati is preparing a 7ml 4K alongside its existing 12ml 6K. The pattern points to a growing lower-capacity tier in the UK market, although the brands have not all explicitly linked the changes to the new duty.

Philippine lawmakers are considering an overhaul of the country's vape excise-tax regime to eliminate the wide gap between taxes on nicotine salt and freebase nicotine liquids and reduce incentives for misdeclaration. House Bill 5364, filed by Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr., would impose a unified ₱10-per-milliliter tax on vapor products, with 5% annual increases beginning in 2027. Rodriguez says the proposal could generate an average ₱6 billion in annual collections from 2027 through 2030. The debate comes as the Philippine government considers tobacco, vape and other health-tax reforms to help offset around ₱66 billion in revenue expected to be forgone under a proposed tax-relief package.

Philip Morris Malaysia Managing Director Naeem Shahab Khan met Perlis Mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin on September 17 and presented the company's shift from conventional cigarettes toward alternative products. The mufti said a product could be considered halal if it is clean, its side effects are not harmful or can be controlled, and it does not involve excessive waste. His remarks did not mention IQOS or any other specific PMI product and did not amount to a new product-specific religious ruling. It was at least the second publicly reported engagement between Philip Morris Malaysia and a Malaysian religious institution over cigarette alternatives within six months.