Santa Cruz Police Receives Funding to Combat Illegal Tobacco Sales

Regulations by 2FIRSTS.ai
Feb.28.2024
Santa Cruz Police Receives Funding to Combat Illegal Tobacco Sales
Santa Cruz Police Department receives over $250,000 to combat illegal tobacco and e-cigarette sales to minors in California.

According to a report from KSBW on February 27, the Santa Cruz Police Department in California recently received over $250,000 in financial funding. This grant will be used to combat illegal sales of tobacco and e-cigarettes to minors.

 

As of now, authorities have received a total of $256,568 in funding from the state's Department of Justice tobacco settlement program. This funding will be used for several purposes:

 

  • Enforcing statewide retail flavor bans and similar local retail flavor ordinances.
  • Sue and penalize retailers who sell or promote tobacco products to individuals under the age of 21, including through online sales and marketing.
  • Provide education and information to tobacco retailers about state and local tobacco laws.
  • As well as investigating and inspecting the compliance of retail licenses.

 

We welcome news tips, article submissions, interview requests, or comments on this piece.

Please contact us at info@2firsts.com, or reach out to Alan Zhao, CEO of 2Firsts, on LinkedIn


Notice

1.  This article is intended solely for professional research purposes related to industry, technology, and policy. Any references to brands or products are made purely for objective description and do not constitute any form of endorsement, recommendation, or promotion by 2Firsts.

2.  The use of nicotine-containing products — including, but not limited to, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, nicotine pouchand heated tobacco products — carries significant health risks. Users are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations in their respective jurisdictions.

3.  This article is not intended to serve as the basis for any investment decisions or financial advice. 2Firsts assumes no direct or indirect liability for any inaccuracies or errors in the content.

4.  Access to this article is strictly prohibited for individuals below the legal age in their jurisdiction.

 

Copyright

 

This article is either an original work created by 2Firsts or a reproduction from third-party sources with proper attribution. All copyrights and usage rights belong to 2Firsts or the original content provider. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or any other form of unauthorized use by any individual or organization is strictly prohibited. Violators will be held legally accountable.

For copyright-related inquiries, please contact: info@2firsts.com

 

AI Assistance Disclaimer

 

This article may have been enhanced using AI tools to improve translation and editorial efficiency. However, due to technical limitations, inaccuracies may occur. Readers are encouraged to refer to the cited sources for the most accurate information.

We welcome any corrections or feedback. Please contact us at: info@2firsts.com

Turning Point Brands Q3 Modern Oral Net Sales Rise 103% to $74.4 Million as Attributable Profit Falls 81%
Turning Point Brands Q3 Modern Oral Net Sales Rise 103% to $74.4 Million as Attributable Profit Falls 81%
Turning Point Brands (TPB) reported third-quarter 2026 Modern Oral net sales of $74.4 million on November 9, up 102.9% year over year and representing 49.2% of consolidated net sales. Total company net sales rose 27.0% to $151.1 million, while net income attributable to TPB declined 81.4% to $3.93 million. The company is expanding the US retail presence of its FRE and ALP nicotine pouch brands and expects its Modern Oral chain-store footprint to grow by more than 70% during 2026. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased 69.1% to $75.3 million, while PMTA-related expenses reached approximately $3.15 million and manufacturing start-up costs totaled about $593,000. ALP plans to open a branded pop-up in New York City's SoHo neighborhood on November 13, alongside a marketing campaign extending into January 2027. TPB owns 50% of ALP but consolidates the venture in its financial statements.
company
Nov.11
Product | BAT Expands VELO Peach Ice Medium to FamilyMart Stores Nationwide in Japan
Product | BAT Expands VELO Peach Ice Medium to FamilyMart Stores Nationwide in Japan
British American Tobacco Japan (BAT Japan) expanded VELO Peach Ice Medium to FamilyMart stores nationwide in Japan from September 7, 2026. The oral tobacco product first launched on July 6 and had previously been sold through VELO's official online store, glo Store Ginza and tobacco retailers. It combines peach flavor with menthol cooling at a Medium strength level and is priced at JPY 360. Japanese tobacco retailers list 15 pouches per pack. The move adds the new SKU to an existing nationwide FamilyMart distribution network for VELO rather than marking the brand's first entry into the convenience-store chain.
Sep.15
South Korea Imports 12,126 Kg of Nicotine Analogues From April to August After Bringing Synthetic Nicotine Under Tobacco Law
South Korea Imports 12,126 Kg of Nicotine Analogues From April to August After Bringing Synthetic Nicotine Under Tobacco Law
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.
Sep.22
Pennsylvania Vape Directory Enforcement Starts Oct. 19, Barring Retail Sales of Unlisted Products
Pennsylvania Vape Directory Enforcement Starts Oct. 19, Barring Retail Sales of Unlisted Products
Pennsylvania's Act 57 vape directory regime will reach the end of its 120-day inventory transition period on Oct. 19. Nicotine-containing e-cigarettes intended for retail sale in the state that are not listed on the Attorney General's ENDS directory will then be barred from retail sale and treated as contraband subject to seizure, forfeiture and destruction. Manufacturers face annual product certification, brand- and style-based fees and a minimum $50,000 surety bond, while retailers and wholesalers must source through licensed channels and monitor the directory.
Regulations
Oct.08
Japan Survey Finds 49.5% Would Cut Tobacco Use if Prices Rise, 64.6% Show Interest in Nicotine-Free Alternatives
Japan Survey Finds 49.5% Would Cut Tobacco Use if Prices Rise, 64.6% Show Interest in Nicotine-Free Alternatives
A September online survey commissioned by Japanese smoking-accessories company Lightec found that 49.5% of respondents would consider reducing tobacco use if prices rose further, while 25.1% would consider switching to cheaper brands and 14.5% would consider using or combining alternatives such as vapes and nicotine-free herbal sticks. Another 64.6% expressed some level of interest in such alternatives. The survey covered 1,088 respondents aged 20 to 70 and was conducted by a company that sells NICOLESS nicotine-free vaping and herbal-stick products, meaning its findings should not be treated as representative of Japan's smoking population.
DATA
Oct.12
Beyond IQOS ILUMA, PMI Expands Lower-Priced BONDS Heated Tobacco Platform: Seven Markets Added in Q3, With Rollouts in Japan, Europe and North Africa
Beyond IQOS ILUMA, PMI Expands Lower-Priced BONDS Heated Tobacco Platform: Seven Markets Added in Q3, With Rollouts in Japan, Europe and North Africa
Philip Morris International (PMI) is expanding the international footprint of BONDS by IQOS, its lower-priced heated tobacco platform. The company's third-quarter 2026 SEC filing shows that BONDS devices and BLENDS tobacco sticks were available in 15 markets at the end of September, up from eight at the end of June. In November, PMI announced plans to extend sales from three to 17 Japanese prefectures and introduced BONDS in Spain and Morocco. The platform uses ROUNDHEAT external heating technology and proprietary tobacco sticks, separate from the IQOS ILUMA system. In Japan, BONDS retails for ¥2,980, approximately 25% below ILUMA i ONE, while BLENDS costs ¥570 per pack. PMI management says BONDS targets cigarette smokers who have not adopted heated tobacco. Separate sales and revenue figures remain undisclosed.
company
Nov.06