- Thai police seized 5 million baht ($140,000) worth of vapesin a raid in Bangkok. More than 24,000 vapesand related equipment were seized. Police said this was the largest vape smuggling case in Thailand this year.
- Philip Morris International launched a new pod systemvapeVeevOne in the UK, with a set price of £8.99. It has been launched in Italy and the Czech Republic in the past year. The company said VeevOne “surpassed other vape brands” in the local market and became the first of this type of vape.
- Philip Morris International launched a new cellulose cigarette substitute Levia, which was accused of circumventing the Dutch ban on flavored tobacco and vapes. The Dutch Product Safety Commission said that because Levia is considered a herbal product and is not covered by anti-tobacco legislation, it cannot take action against it. Legislative amendments may bring changes to include tobacco-free nicotine products under regulation.
- Torsten Albig, General Manager of External Affairs at Philip Morris International Germany, said that the sale of nicotine pouches, especially their ingredients and youth protection, must eventually be regulated by law and these products must be established as an alternative to smoking.
- A tobacconist at Place Saint-Pierre in France expressed dissatisfaction with Philip Morris International’s promotion and sale ofvapein public. Frederick Pellet, president of the Tobacco Merchants’ Union, said that administrative procedures may be initiated against Philip Morris in the future.
- The Kent police in the UK seized nearly a thousand illegal vapesand other nicotine products in false walls and other hiding places in eight stores. According to a previous survey data, Kent is one of the main places where illegal vapesand cigarettes are seized in the UK, and the black market problem in the region is particularly serious.