Photo: Ian O'Hanlon A former KT&G Corp researcher has filed a lawsuit against his former employer claiming that he was insufficiently compensated for inventing “the world’s first e-cigarette” while working at the firm, reports the Yonhap News Agency. Kwak Dae-geun demands KRW2.8 trillion ($2 billion), reportedly the highest amount ever claimed by an individual in a South Korean legal action According to the suit, Kwak joined the Korea Ginseng and Tobacco Research Institute in 1991 and began developing a tobacco-heating product in 2005.  In July that year, he registered his first pat ..read more

Photo: kittyfly Even in its watered-down version, the recently approved EU supply chain law will impact tobacco companies. By Stefanie Rossel Good things come to those who wait, but sometimes they come only as a compromise. On March 15, the European Council finally approved the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), which was scheduled to be adopted by the European Parliament on April 24, thereby passing it into EU law. Commonly referred to as the EU Supply Chain Law, this directive, which was first proposed in February 2022, is meant to establish a common baseline acros ..read more

Photo: Taco Tuinstra Net profit of Sampoerna grew 28 percent to IDR8.1 trillion ($501.11 million) in 2023. With shipments of 83.4 billion cigarettes, the company remained the undisputed leader in Indonesia, claiming a market share of 28.6 percent. “2023 marked a year of return to robust profitable growth, with Sampoerna reaching significant milestones for advancing scientifically substantiated smoke-free products, increasing its investment and employment in Indonesia, and generating strong multiplier effects, in line with the country’s priority to enhance down-streaming.” said Sampoerna Pres ..read more

Photo: yavdat Consumer representatives proponents are urging European policymakers to adopt science-based tobacco harm reduction strategies as EU health ministers gather in Brussels for a two-day meeting to discuss Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, among other topics. The Beating Cancer Plan presents several legislative initiatives to address cancer risk factors, including measures to reduce tobacco and alcohol consumption and improve healthy diets. “This meeting should mark the beginning of driving the EU towards a smoke-free future,” said Michael Landl, director of the World Vapers Alliance, i ..read more

Photo: Alessandro Biascioli Frequent social media use is linked to an increased risk of youth using any tobacco product—including e-cigarettes—for the first time after one year, according to a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researchers. Published in Addictive Behaviors, the study found that youth with no prior tobacco use who used social media daily were 67 percent more likely to begin smoking after one year, compared to youth who used these platforms less frequently. The results also showed that youth who actively engaged with tobacco marketing by liking ..read more

Photo: 9nong Kenya’s Ministry of Health has invited the public to comment on 13 proposed large graphic warnings for tobacco products, reports The Star. If the changes are approved, graphic warning depicting impotence, cancerous growths and sick fetuses will also be printed on new tobacco and nicotine products sold in Kenya. Currently, only cigarette packets are required to display such warnings. The law requires a combined picture and text health warning to occupy at least 30 percent of the front and 50 percent of the back of smoked tobacco products. Among the proposed labels is also a messa ..read more

Photo: motortion Gijs Lambert Johan de Best will take over as president of Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Co. (PMFTC) in the Philippines, succeeding Denis Gorkun who has been the company’s president since September 2019, reports The Philippine Star. Gorkun will step down at the end of this month, concluding a nearly 30-year career at PMI. De Best is currently Philip Morris International’s vice president strategy and program delivery for South and Southeast Asia, the Commonwealth of Independent States and Middle East and Africa. After starting as a financial analyst at PMI’s Netherlands office ..read more

Ivan Cahyadi (second from bottom left) will assume his new function on May 1. (Photo: Sampoerna) Ivan Cahyadi will succeed Vassilis Gkatzelis as president director of Philip Morris International’s Sampoerna subsidiary in Indonesia on May 1. Gkatzelis will join PMI’s executive leadership team as president of the East Asia, Australia and PMI duty-free region, overseeing strategic markets such as Japan, South Korea and China. “Vassilis has successfully led Sampoerna through a stellar performance over the last two years, allowing it to continue to realize its commitment to creating value and mul ..read more

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