IQOS Smoking Room at Manila International Airport

Industry Insight by Ellesmere Zhu

Oct.31.2022

“Heated Tobacco only” as the IQOS brand may imply, guests in the room were all smoking traditional cigarettes.

Article by Ellesmere Zhu | photo by David Yu

2FIRSTS correspondent notices that in the international departure of Manila International Airport lies a smoking room labeled IQOS, an HTP brand of PMI.

IQOS Smoking Room at Manila International Airport

The room was not crowded but always occupied as people went in and out. “HTP only” as the IQOS brand may imply, guests in the room were all smoking traditional cigarettes.

IQOS Smoking Room at Manila International Airport

IQOS Smoking Room at Manila International Airport

#Africa #Egypt #Regulation

*This article is an original article of 2FIRSTS Technology Co., Ltd. The copyright and license rights belong to the company. Any entity or individual shall make link and credit 2FIRSTS when taking actions to copy, reprint or distribute the original article. The company retains the right to pursue its legal responsibility.

China Tobacco Regulation Shift：Policy Updates and Market Impact

China Tobacco Regulation Shift：Policy Updates and Market Impact

Pennsylvania Vape Directory Law Survives Court Challenge From Nova Distro and Others Amid Similar Rulings Across States

Pennsylvania Vape Directory Law Survives Court Challenge From Nova Distro and Others Amid Similar Rulings Across States

A U.S. federal court upheld Pennsylvania's vape directory law on October 14, rejecting a challenge brought by Nova Distro, 101 Distributors and companies operating Tobacco Hut retail stores. Court records show that vaping accounts for about 60% of Tobacco Hut's profits and that the chain held approximately $2 million in inventory potentially subject to seizure under the law as of June 2. Pennsylvania began enforcement on October 19. The ruling follows similar appellate decisions in other states, even as new research shows that unlisted vaping products continue to account for substantial sales in states with established directories.

JTI Proposes 25-Cent Irish Cigarette Tax Increase, Says It Could Raise €45 Million

JTI Proposes 25-Cent Irish Cigarette Tax Increase, Says It Could Raise €45 Million

Japan Tobacco International's Irish business has proposed a €0.25 tax increase on a pack of 20 cigarettes in its pre-Budget 2027 submission, below the €0.50-or-more increases typically imposed in recent Irish budgets. JTI says the proposal could generate around €45 million in additional Exchequer revenue while limiting further movement toward illicit and non-Irish-tax-paid tobacco. Revenue's existing estimate for a comparable €0.25 increase, including pro-rata rises on other tobacco products, is about €18 million for a full year.

Sep.18 by 2Firsts Perspectives

2Firsts Data｜China’s Vape-Related Exports Rose 3.3% in August 2026 as UK Shipments Jumped 51.4% and U.S. Exports Fell 12.4%

2Firsts Data｜China’s Vape-Related Exports Rose 3.3% in August 2026 as UK Shipments Jumped 51.4% and U.S. Exports Fell 12.4%

China exported $979 million of vape-related products in August 2026, up 3.3% from a year earlier but down 6.4% from July. The UK replaced the U.S. as the main source of growth: UK-bound shipments jumped 51.4% to a 2026 high of $177 million, while exports to the U.S. fell 12.4% to $339 million. Shipments to markets outside the U.S. increased 14.2%, broadening growth beyond the market that had driven July’s rebound.

Sep.23 by 2Firsts Perspectives

Product | KIWI Launches Spark 2 and Spark 2 Pro in Germany, Two Hardware Tiers Share Backward-Compatible 2ml Pods

Product | KIWI Launches Spark 2 and Spark 2 Pro in Germany, Two Hardware Tiers Share Backward-Compatible 2ml Pods

KIWI has launched the Spark 2 and Spark 2 Pro refillable pod systems in Germany at official prices of €18 and €29, respectively. Spark 2 uses an 800mAh removable lithium-ion battery in a pen-style body, while Spark 2 Pro features a 1,400mAh removable battery, a box-shaped design and vibration feedback every 20 puffs. Both devices use the same 2ml Spark V2 pods in 0.8Ω and 1.2Ω versions, with AirSync airflow adjustment and a choice between Cotton Tips and conventional Drip Tips. The new pods also remain compatible with the original KIWI Spark.

Sep.29 by 2Firsts Perspectives

Latest UK ONS Data: Vaping Rate Edges Down to 9.9% in 2025, a Year After Overtaking Cigarette Smoking

Latest UK ONS Data: Vaping Rate Edges Down to 9.9% in 2025, a Year After Overtaking Cigarette Smoking

Vaping prevalence in Great Britain edged down to 9.9% in 2025 from 10.0% in 2024, with the number of adult users holding at approximately 5.4 million for a second consecutive year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). E-cigarette use had risen from 6.4% in 2020 to 10.0% in 2024, when it exceeded cigarette smoking prevalence for the first time. Cigarette smoking continued to decline to 8.7% in 2025, widening the gap to 1.2 percentage points. Daily vaping declined slightly, while usage among adults aged 25–34 increased despite falling rates in other age groups.

PMI Expands Its Second Global and First Asian Business Services Hub in the Philippines, Serving 160 Markets and Scaling Up AI Capabilities

PMI Expands Its Second Global and First Asian Business Services Hub in the Philippines, Serving 160 Markets and Scaling Up AI Capabilities

Philip Morris International's PMI Business Solutions Philippines has expanded its global business services hub in Makati and plans to add more than 80 positions. Established in 2021 primarily to provide finance and IT support to about 20 markets, the center now employs 519 professionals delivering roughly 600 services across 160 markets. Its functions now span finance, human resources, IT, commercial operations, data analytics, supply chain and project management. PMI says the hub's next phase will focus on AI-enabled and higher-value work. The company did not disclose the size or investment cost of the expansion.

Related Topics

Related Read

Pennsylvania Vape Directory Law Survives Court Challenge From Nova Distro and Others Amid Similar Rulings Across States

Pennsylvania Vape Directory Law Survives Court Challenge From Nova Distro and Others Amid Similar Rulings Across States

JTI Proposes 25-Cent Irish Cigarette Tax Increase, Says It Could Raise €45 Million

JTI Proposes 25-Cent Irish Cigarette Tax Increase, Says It Could Raise €45 Million

2Firsts Perspectives

2Firsts Data｜China’s Vape-Related Exports Rose 3.3% in August 2026 as UK Shipments Jumped 51.4% and U.S. Exports Fell 12.4%

2Firsts Data｜China’s Vape-Related Exports Rose 3.3% in August 2026 as UK Shipments Jumped 51.4% and U.S. Exports Fell 12.4%

2Firsts Perspectives

Product | KIWI Launches Spark 2 and Spark 2 Pro in Germany, Two Hardware Tiers Share Backward-Compatible 2ml Pods

Product | KIWI Launches Spark 2 and Spark 2 Pro in Germany, Two Hardware Tiers Share Backward-Compatible 2ml Pods

2Firsts Perspectives

Latest UK ONS Data: Vaping Rate Edges Down to 9.9% in 2025, a Year After Overtaking Cigarette Smoking

Latest UK ONS Data: Vaping Rate Edges Down to 9.9% in 2025, a Year After Overtaking Cigarette Smoking

PMI Expands Its Second Global and First Asian Business Services Hub in the Philippines, Serving 160 Markets and Scaling Up AI Capabilities

PMI Expands Its Second Global and First Asian Business Services Hub in the Philippines, Serving 160 Markets and Scaling Up AI Capabilities