
The budget plan making its way through a host of Japanese parliamentary committees includes a staggered series of tax rises for heated tobacco products as well as combustible cigarettes – and Japan Tobacco could suffer most

As tobacco giants Philip Morris International (PMI) and Japan Tobacco (JT) have been hit by falling tobacco sales, revenues from their e-cigarette and heat-not-burn (HnB) portfolios have increased. As they plan further investments to increase their market presence, 2018 should prove to be an interesting year for HnB products.

Reduced-risk products have severely impacted sales of conventional cigarettes in Japan, according to Japan Tobacco. The firm says the total value of cigarette sales fell by 12.5% in 2017

The IQOS heated tobacco system is on sale across Southeast Asia, despite doubts over its legality in a number of countries, and the official disapproval of its maker, Philip Morris International

Heated tobacco continues to take up a greater and greater share of the total world tobacco market, according to new figures from Philip Morris International (PMI) outlining the success of its IQOS device

The number of Google searches in Japan for topics related to heat-not-burn has rocketed, illustrating how rapidly the new nicotine technology has gained ground in that country

The market for heated tobacco products in Japan is very favourable due to comparatively light regulation – as opposed to e-cigarettes, which are subject to more controls

Increasing demand for smoke-free products is leading many tobacco companies to open new facilities for heat-not-burn manufacturing – in some cases, even replacing cigarettes.

New research shines a little light on how Japanese consumers are reacting to iQOS, and how HnB products compare with both combustibles and e-cigarettes on the crucial question of nicotine delivery.

E-cigarettes are more popular than they are successful as smoking cessation aids in Japan, according to a recent study which suggests they should therefore “not be recommended or promoted”.

Japan Tobacco and Philip Morris International are attempting to widen their distribution of heat-not-burn (HnB) products throughout Pacific Asia, but there have been problems along the way.

Philip Morris International has expressed optimism about the entire reduced-risk products sector as it launches a new trial of its Mesh closed-system e-cigarette in the UK city of Birmingham.

BAT says its Glo heat-not-burn product will be available in Japan from mid-December. It is running a test trial in one city before launching the product nationwide.

Japan Tobacco (JTI) has ramped up production of its Ploom Tech e-cigarette in preparation for a nationwide launch across Japan, following successful trials in the city of Fukuoka.

The first meeting of an ISO standards committee covering e-cigarettes will take place on 24th October in Osaka, Japan.

Are big tobacco companies starting to favour heat-not-burn technology over e-cigarettes? While none has shown any signs of overtly stepping away from e-cigs, and such a move is unlikely, much enthusiasm and investment within the tobacco industry seems to be going toward heat-not-burn.

Philip Morris International (PMI) is deepening its commitment to alternative nicotine technologies with new rollouts for its iQOS heat-not-burn device, as well as cautious health-related claims for the product.

The top four mainstream e-cigarette brands in the U.S. will all be in the hands of tobacco companies following an agreement by Japan Tobacco (JT) to purchase Logic.

As the change of seasons edged closer over February and early March, headlines in the e-cigarette sector were a sometimes confusing mix of storm clouds and sunshine.

U.S. startup Ploom and its investor Japan Tobacco International (JTI) are to end their relationship and divide Ploom’s products between them.

Switching to e-cigarettes may not ease the symptoms of smokers who are suffering from shortness of breath and coughing. Despite mass-media coverage implying that e-cigs might directly harm the lungs, this was the principal finding of recent research at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, studying the effects of e-cigarette vapour on mice.

Big Tobacco continues to push ahead with e-cigarettes and other mass-market reduced-risk products around the world: just in recent days, Philip Morris International (PMI), Imperial Tobacco and Japan Tobacco have all outlined plans to develop their product offerings.

This article, republished from Tobacco Journal International exclusively for ECigIntelligence readers, takes a look at changes in smoking prevalence and smoking populations around the world – and explains some surprising apparent contradictions.

Japan Tobacco has no plans to acquire more e-cigarette companies or to launch a product in its home territory, the company’s president and CEO has said.