Week of February 10 Regulatory Intelligence Recap

Trade Press and Regulatory Summary:

• Trump Administration Cuts Reach FDA Employees in Food Safety, Medical Devices and Tobacco Products: The total number of positions eliminated was not clear Sunday, but the firings appeared to focus on employees in the agency’s centers for food, medical devices and tobacco products — which includes oversight of electronic cigarettes.

• A Victory for THR in Canada - The Proposed Vape Flavour Ban is Put on Hold: Canada's proposed national ban on vape flavors is off the table for at least 2025. This is a win for the tobacco harm reduction movement, as it means that smokers in Canada will continue to have access to less harmful alternatives to cigarettes.  

• JTI Sees Shift to Cheaper Cigarettes Continuing: To combat decreasing volumes, many cigarette companies are forced to increase prices to keep the needed revenue. This is a trend that is likely to continue, as smokers are increasingly price-sensitive.  

• France Bans Disposable E-Cigarettes: With a final vote in the Senate’s upper house, the French parliament today banned single-use electronic cigarettes. This is a major blow to the vaping industry in France.

• PMI to Present at CAGNY: Philip Morris International announced its participation in the 2025 Consumer Analyst Group of New York. The company is expected to discuss its plans for the future of its tobacco business.

• BAT: Illicit Vapes Making Market “Unsustainable”: British American Tobacco’s growth in smoke-free products was deemed to be dragged down by the prevalence of illicit vapes. The company is calling for stricter regulation of the vaping market to combat this problem.  

• Trump Could Pave the Way for a Future Without Smoking - DC Journal - InsideSources: Smoking kills half a million Americans every year. The Trump administration is considering a number of policies that could help to reduce smoking rates, including a ban on menthol cigarettes.  

• Tony Abboud Calls On President Trump To Make Good on VAPERS Promise: Tony Abboud, the CEO of the Vapor Technology Association (VTA), is calling on President Trump to make good on his promise to support the vaping industry. Abboud believes that the vaping industry can play a key role in reducing smoking rates.  

• Experts: FDA staff worried about unfinished work, keeping their jobs: FDA staff are worried about unfinished work and keeping their jobs amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency is facing a number of challenges, including a backlog of applications for new tobacco products.  

• Fast-Dissolving Nicotine Strip Makes First Cut for Grant: CTT Pharmaceutical Holdings said it has advanced past the initial round in its application for a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to develop a fast-dissolving nicotine strip. The strip is designed to help people quit smoking.  

• California and Denver Impose New Restrictions on Nicotine Analog Products: In what appear to be the first restrictions of their kind, the state of California and the city and county of Denver have imposed new restrictions on nicotine analog products. These restrictions are designed to prevent youth from using these products.  

• Vaping as a gateway to smoking: Research casts doubt on common belief: A team of public health researchers found “very low-certainty evidence” to support a commonly held belief that vaping is a gateway to smoking. The study found that young people who vape are no more likely to start smoking than those who do not vape.  

• Age-check tech stops eight underage vape sales per store daily: New data from Privately SA’s AgeAI solution has revealed that its deployments in UK vape stores prevent eight underage vape sales per store daily. The technology uses facial recognition to verify the age of customers.

Publications Summary:

• Comparative Assessment of Acute Pulmonary Effects Induced by Heat-Not-Burn Tobacco... This study compares the acute pulmonary effects caused by heat-not-burn tobacco products and traditional tobacco smoking. It investigates the immediate impact of these products on lung health.  DOI: 10.3390/ijms26031135

• Oral nicotine pouches for cessation or reduction of use of other tobacco or nicotine... This research investigates the use of oral nicotine pouches for quitting or reducing the use of other tobacco or nicotine products. It aims to determine the effectiveness of these pouches as a cessation aid.  DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD016220

• Impact of nicotine-free and nicotine-rich flavored electronic cigarette refill liquids... This article investigates the impact of different types of e-cigarette refill liquids on health. ¹ It looks at both nicotine-free and nicotine-rich liquids, as well as the effects of flavorings. DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2025.101924