Nicotine Whispers: 2025 | Weeks 31 & 32
Alchem NicSelect™ Nicotine Whispers
Welcome to Nicotine Whispers – a biweekly news digest on global developments in nicotine and tobacco, compiled by Alchem NicSelect™ in collaboration with PharmaCompass.
Stay informed on the latest regulations, market trends, and insights shaping the NGND industry.
Weeks 31 and 32 highlights:
UK
UK Vape Tax Set to Nearly Triple E-Liquid Prices
From October 2026, a new 22p per ml tax will raise the cost of a 100ml e-liquid bottle from £15 to around £40, risking a return to smoking and increased black market activity.
New Zealand
New Zealand Nears Smoke-Free Status Thanks to Vaping
New Zealand’s adult smoking rate has nearly halved to 6.9% in 2024, driven by a harm reduction approach embracing vaping and safer nicotine alternatives, bringing the country close to becoming officially smoke-free.
USA
Turning Point’s Modern Oral Sales Soar 651% in Q2
Turning Point Brands reported a 651% Y-Y jump in Modern Oral sales to $30.1M, driving total revenue up 25.1% and raising its 2025 sales forecast to $100–110M.
Austria
Austria to Ban Disposable E-Cigarettes
Austria plans to prohibit disposable vapes, citing public health concerns and rising battery fire hazards, joining other European countries in the move.
Romania
Tobacco Journal International
JTI Plans Major Factory Relocation
Japan Tobacco International will move to a new, modern facility three times larger than its current plant in Pipera, Romania, aiming to boost production capacity and improve logistics.
Latvia
Latvia’s Flavoured Vape Ban Spurs Black Market Growth
Latvia’s ban on flavoured e-cigarettes since January 2025 has driven a surge in illicit trade, causing a €1.5 million tax revenue shortfall and increasing unregulated product access.
Paraguay
ECIGATOR
Paraguay Approves Vape Regulation and 24% Tax
Paraguay’s Congress has passed a law regulating and taxing vaping products at the same rate as cigarettes, banning sales to minors and allocating fine revenue to prevention campaigns.
Germany
2Firsts
PMI Shuts Last Plant in Dresden
Philip Morris International closed its Dresden factory this July, ending German production as smoking rates fall and the company shifts toward alternative products.
UK
BAT H1 2025: Smoke-Free Gains Offset Revenue Dip
BAT reports a 13% Vuse decline but over 40% Velo growth, keeping smoke-free products on an upward trajectory despite overall revenue pressure.
USA
FDA to Review IQOS Modified-Risk Renewal in October
The FDA’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee will meet on October 7 to review Philip Morris’ renewal applications for five IQOS products’ modified-risk status, focusing on reduced exposure claims and compliance with post-market requirements.
Poland
Poland to Tax Nicotine Pouches from August 2025
Starting August 2025, Poland will impose excise taxes and stamp requirements on nicotine pouches, other nicotine products, and tobacco-free novel items, aligning them with traditional tobacco taxation.