EXCLUSIVE: Spain to block Tobacco Tax Directive, calling for lower rates on rolling tobacco.
Spain’s demand for a lower tax rate on rolling tobacco threatens agreement on the EU’s proposed tobacco tax directive.
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The latest reporting on nicotine policy, public health and the people affected.
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Nicotine pouch bans leave multimillion-pound illegal markets thriving, report finds
A TobaccoIntelligence report examines illicit nicotine pouch markets in countries with bans and other restrictions.
Heart harm claims from study of just 17 vapers challenged by experts
Experts question whether a small study of 17 vapers can support claims about vaping’s effects on the heart.
France rejects lifetime tobacco ban and targets health misinformation
French MPs have thrown out a plan to stop the next generation ever being legally sold tobacco.
Ireland’s vape flavour ban advances despite warnings it could send ex-smokers back to cigarettes
Ireland’s vape flavour crackdown has cleared its final Seanad hurdle despite warnings it could drive former smokers back to cigarettes and force independent shops to shut.
Smokers still getting the wrong message on vaping risks, English data shows
New English survey data highlights a persistent gap between smokers’ understanding of vaping risks and the evidence on harm and quitting.
German tax blunder leaves vape duty missing in action
Germany’s finance ministry has managed an unusual feat: trying to raise tobacco taxes while apparently deleting the current tax rate for vape liquids.
Canadian campaigners want lifetime sales ban on vapes for next generation
Canadian health campaigners are pushing for a lifetime ban on tobacco and vape sales to the next generation, extending restrictions to products that can help smokers quit.
Don’t shut off smokers’ escape route, Labour MPs warn ministers
Labour MPs have urged ministers to protect vaping as a route out of smoking, as the Government targets 1 June 2027 for a UK-wide advertising ban.
French vapers face fresh tax threat as MPs battle over nicotine rules
French MPs have revived plans to tax vape liquids, putting consumers back in the firing line just weeks after the government left vaping out of its draft budget.
Consumer advocate Skip Murray appointed to advise US FDA on nicotine regulation
Longtime consumer advocate Kim “Skip” Murray, who was the first ever interviewee for Clearing the Air back in 2024, has been appointed to the FDA’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC), which advises the US regulator on how to implement its tobacco and nicotine policies.
Smoking among young Swiss people falls by almost a quarter in two years
The proportion of young people smoking in Switzerland fell by almost a quarter between 2023 and 2025, while monthly vaping remained broadly stable.