Taco Tuinstra

Under the shadow of war, Ukraine’s tobacco consumption surged, with nearly half of adults smoking and cigarettes dominating the market. Use of heated tobacco and e-cigarettes also increased. The illicit market rebounded, lawmakers restricted advertising, and tax hikes were delayed, creating complex industry challenges. Disclaimer [1]This article is intended solely to report on the tobacco and nicotine industries. It does not touch upon political topics or offer any political analysis or commentary.

By Taco Tuinstra, Global Editor-in-Chief of 2Firsts The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author. The global nicotine business again faced significant challenges and opportunities in 2024, driven by technological innovation, stricter rules and, in many markets, persistent competition from illicit products. On Jan. 9, 2Firsts released a list of last year’s most impactful NGP news items .

China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) has appointed Liu Sanjiang as its deputy director, reports 2Firsts. Previously, Liu served as the director of the department of quality development at the State Administration for Market Regulation, This appointment follows a series of corruption investigations targeting senior STMA officials. The STMA is the country’s official regulatory body overseeing the tobacco industry and market, including NGPs such as e-cigarettes.