12 Days of Regulatory Insights: Day 9 - Trends in the Tobacco Industry — Regulatory Oversight Podcast
2022 Significant Developments in the Tobacco Industry and What to Expect in 2023 (Part Two) - Regulatory Oversight Podcast
Given the continued challenges in policing the burgeoning ENDS marketplace, as previously discussed in Part I of this article, in mid-2024 FDA and DOJ announced the establishment of a federal multi-agency task force to combat...more
On April 2, 2025, the Supreme Court unanimously held that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lawfully denied marketing authorization for certain flavored e-liquids used in electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS),...more
Smoking is a dangerous habit that has been linked to a variety of health issues for many decades, such as lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory problems. However, its risks extend beyond the health of the smoker....more
Our colleagues recently wrote about 14 memoranda from the new U.S. Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi to Department of Justice (DOJ) employees framing the DOJ’s current policies and enforcement priorities. In a memorandum...more
In what appear to be the first restrictions of their kind, the state of California and the city and county of Denver have adopted bans on flavored tobacco products that cover not only products containing tobacco and nicotine,...more
In late January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) withdrew its proposed rules to prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and all characterizing flavors in cigars. Although either proposal could be...more
On January 21, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case addressing who may challenge Food and Drug Administration (FDA) marketing denial orders for new tobacco products....more
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the marketing of 20 Zyn nicotine pouches, marking the first time nicotine pouches have received such authorization. This decision came through the premarket...more
Yet again, the premium cigar industry has prevailed in federal court against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA appealed a federal district court decision vacating its rule (the Deeming Rule) subjecting premium...more
On Monday, a federal judge from the Eastern District of Texas, Judge J. Campbell Barker, ruled that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) exceeded its authority under the Tobacco Control Act by requiring cigarette...more
A bipartisan group of ten AGs announced separate, coordinated efforts to take regulatory and enforcement action against companies allegedly importing, distributing, selling, and marketing flavored disposable e-cigarettes....more
On January 15, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a proposed rule that would set a maximum nicotine level in combusted cigarettes and certain other combusted tobacco products....more
A “tobacco surcharge” is part of many employers’ wellness programs, where the employer charges tobacco users higher health insurance premiums than non-tobacco users. A typical tobacco surcharge program will ask an employee if...more
Bryan Haynes, a partner in Troutman Pepper Locke’s Tobacco + Nicotine Practice Group, was quoted in the January 10, 2025 Convenience Store News article, “Retailers Tap Into Pricing & Data to Boost Cigar Sales.”...more
On December 17, 2024, Iowans for Alternatives to Smoking & Tobacco, Inc., Global Source Distribution, LLC, and others filed a complaint and motion for a preliminary injunction in federal district court against the Iowa...more
On January 21, 2025, the morning after the presidential inauguration, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in FDA v. R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company, an e-cigarette case where the Court will decide whether tobacco...more
Throughout 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) endeavored to curb sales of unauthorized electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) in the U.S. In light of persistent demand for flavored ENDS — nearly all of...more
Here are curated AG and federal regulatory news stories highlighting key areas in which state and federal regulators’ decisions are having an impact across the US: •Illinois AG’s and FTC’s Settlement Takes a $25 Million...more
District of Columbia AG Brian Schwalb has settled with Swedish Match North America LLC (SMNA) to resolve an investigation into allegations that the company facilitated the sale of Zyn flavored nicotine pouches in violation of...more
A Nebraska tribe’s tobacco businesses are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling in HCI Distribution Inc., et al. v. Michael T. Hilgers, et al. This decision concluded that the...more
The session used the firm’s signature Live-Action Role-Play (LARP) technique to feature insights from Ken Gray, leader of the Labor and Employment Law Group, Amy Fitzhugh, a professional licensing attorney, and Hayley Wells,...more
Over the past several months, numerous large employers and their health plan fiduciaries have faced lawsuits regarding their health plan’s tobacco surcharge. A tobacco surcharge wellness program typically charges a higher...more
In the ninth episode of our 12 Days of Regulatory Insights podcast series, Michael Jordan, a member of the firm's Tobacco + Nicotine practice, is joined by colleagues Bryan Haynes and Agustin Rodriguez to delve into the...more
Although the Department of the Treasury, Department of Labor, and Department of Health and Human Services believe that wellness programs are delivering on their promise of improving health and reducing costs, one type has...more
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) prohibits employers who offer health and welfare benefit plans from discriminating against plan participants on the basis of a health status-related factor, such as a...more