Is heated tobacco illegal?
Is heated tobacco illegal? As smoking-control policies continue to advance and awareness of the health risks of smoking grows, more and more people want to quit. But in reality, for most smokers, quitting remains extremely difficult. Between smoking and q
Is heated tobacco illegal? With the ongoing implementation of anti-smoking policies and an increasing awareness of the health hazards of smoking, more and more people are looking to quit smoking. However, for most smokers, quitting is often just a distant dream.
In the transition from smoking to quitting, e-liquids are a form of exploration. But today, we will discuss heated tobacco products, which have developed even more rapidly than e-liquids.
When it comes to heated tobacco, we cannot overlook IQOS. IQOS is the first heated tobacco product from Philip Morris International, developed with 400 researchers and an investment of $2 billion. Since its launch in 2004, it has been highly popular among Japanese smokers. It began to enter China in large quantities in 2016 and was available in about 30 countries by 2017.
With IQOS rapidly expanding into various markets and impressive sales data being released, investors are optimistic and increasing their investments, while small and medium enterprises are on high alert. This year, the heated tobacco market, whether in terms of upstream supply chain integration or the potential unleashed in the downstream consumer market after continuous education, has allowed more people to appreciate the charm of heated tobacco products. Therefore, many consider 2018 to be the inaugural year for heated tobacco.
From both the electronic cigarette and tobacco perspectives, the National Tobacco Administration will not accept being left behind in any sector. Therefore, although it is called the inaugural year, many actions by the national team have preceded it. When will heated tobacco be legalized in China? We will have to see how each province's tobacco companies position themselves.
Hubei Tobacco
In 2015, Hubei Tobacco Industrial Co., Ltd. and Wuhan Yellow Crane Tower New Materials Technology Development Co., Ltd. jointly applied for a patent for an invention: a chemical heating low-temperature cigarette. This invention includes a chemical reaction section, a heating section, and a filter tip section. The chemical reaction section includes a chamber containing liquid water, a first outer packaging, and an adsorption ball that absorbs acid, with sealing membranes at both ends of the chamber; the heating section includes an inner cavity containing solid alkali, a second outer packaging, and an outer cavity filled with alkali particles and tobacco. The end face of the inner cavity corresponding to the chemical reaction section has a pointed end with water-permeable holes on its side.
It is said that this invention effectively reduces the harm of sidestream smoke to the environment and human health by heating the tobacco through chemical reactions at lower temperatures, without affecting the release of tobacco flavor components. The structure of this invention is simple, easy to use, and very conducive to the promotion of low-temperature cigarettes.
On May 25, 2018, the National Intellectual Property Administration published a patent application for an invention by Hubei Tobacco Industrial Co., Ltd.: a preparation method and application for reconstituted tobacco leaves using a roller pressing method for heated tobacco.
Hunan Tobacco
In 2017, Hunan Tobacco Industrial Co., Ltd. obtained a patent for an invention: an electric heating low-temperature cigarette. This invention relates to an electric heating low-temperature cigarette suitable for baking cigarettes, which includes a main body, a cover that fits with the main body, and a heating component set on the main body. The cover has a cavity for accommodating the cigarette, and when the cover is closed along a direction perpendicular to the length of the main body, the heating component pierces into the cigarette's side wall to bake it and produce smoke. It is reported that this invention allows for rapid heating of low-temperature cigarettes, providing a better user experience.
Shandong Tobacco
In 2017, Shandong Tobacco Industrial Co., Ltd. applied for a patent for an invention: an adjustable tobacco material heater. This invention includes a smoke tube with a mouthpiece at the bottom and a heating chamber at the top for storing tobacco material. The heating chamber and its cover form a relatively closed chamber, and the heating chamber contains heating blades and wires for heating the tobacco material, which are connected to a temperature regulator located at the lower part of the heating chamber, with a smoke gas passage installed between the temperature regulator and the mouthpiece to send the smoke generated in the heating chamber into the heat-resistant mouthpiece.
Guizhou Tobacco
Guizhou Tobacco Industrial Co., Ltd. has made significant progress in key technologies for new tobacco products, particularly in the self-developed infrared heating technology for new cigarettes, which has been recognized as a major principle innovation in the industry for new cigarette heating sources.
In 2014, Guizhou Tobacco established a new cigarette engineering center, aiming to develop "new tobacco products with independent intellectual property rights and good user experience." Since the establishment of the new cigarette engineering center, the R&D team has collaborated closely, applying for over 50 patents in the core technology field of new tobacco products, three PCT international patents, and co-authoring two industry standards. As of now, Guizhou Tobacco has developed a series of new tobacco products with independent intellectual property rights, including two new cigarette devices and one new cigarette stick.
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Sichuan Tobacco
Speaking of Sichuan Tobacco, we must mention the heated tobacco product "Kung Fu," which was launched in South Korea at the end of last year. Kung Fu is also the first heated tobacco brand to be launched overseas in China. Along with the Kung Fu device, Sichuan Tobacco also released the Kuan-Zhai pods. The "Kung Fu - Kuan-Zhai" heated tobacco product from Sichuan Tobacco was first trialed in Seoul, priced at 4,300 Korean won, and is currently available for sale on e-commerce platforms like JD and Tmall in China.
Yunnan Tobacco
The new tobacco business is the strategic development direction of Yunnan Tobacco. The technology center and international company have established departments responsible for the R&D of new tobacco products and international market sales. The technology center has also collaborated with Huayu Company to establish a research and development platform for product marketization in Shenzhen.
At the beginning of 2018, Yunnan Tobacco established a dedicated team for new tobacco work, and the international company focused on market expansion based on the work deployment of Yunnan Tobacco's new tobacco team, actively seeking and widely recruiting, with primary target markets being Cambodia, Ukraine, Russia, Japan, and Canada.
Guangdong Tobacco
Guangdong Tobacco is also the third tobacco company in China to launch heated tobacco products after Sichuan and Yunnan Tobacco. It was first launched in the Laos market. The new tobacco products MU+ and ING are the first set of products successfully launched by Guangdong Tobacco after nearly five years of technical preparation and continuous R&D. The initial launch products include two heating devices and cigarettes with Chinese tangerine peel and mint flavors, which are rich in aroma and provide high comfort during smoking, catering to different consumer needs and possessing strong product competitiveness. As Guangdong Tobacco's first new tobacco product, the launch of MU+ and ING in Laos is just the first step. As the products continue to iterate and update, this series will attract more consumer attention.
From the investments made by various tobacco companies in heated tobacco products, it is evident that they have recognized the immense potential of this market. At the same time, many private enterprises are heavily investing in heated tobacco, and the number of entrepreneurial companies entering this industry is growing rapidly.
In a short time, the number of companies entering the heated tobacco industry has exploded. Regardless of which company it is, they all face one question: tobacco is a state monopoly. Unless the state opens up, no company, not even tobacco companies, would dare to touch this red line.
If it is not opened up, the domestic market will only be limited to production capacity centers. If it is opened up, the interests involved are complex, and the national team needs sufficient time to prepare. Most people remain optimistic about whether it will be opened up, but no one can confidently predict when it will happen. Therefore, many companies can only wait for the right opportunity while preparing. However, recent government meetings provide some insight.
Half a month ago, the "2018 Comprehensive Deepening Reform Work Points of the National Tobacco Monopoly Administration" was publicly released, clearly stating the need to "continue to deepen the innovation and reform of new tobacco products." A month ago, a seminar on the development of new tobacco products was held in Beijing. The meeting summarized the development situation of new tobacco products and discussed the strategic thinking and policy measures for the next steps.
It can be considered that an optimistic tone has been set for the development of new tobacco products. Both major events point to the same target—new tobacco products. With the rise of IQOS, the attention on new tobacco products, especially heated tobacco, has increased exponentially. After these two signals were sent out, opinions within and outside the industry have largely converged, indicating that the state is about to begin direct regulation.
Returning to the act of smoking itself, the future of heated tobacco products may become even more certain. China has 350 million smokers, accounting for one-third of the world's total. Chinese smokers are in a very awkward position, creating a tobacco monopoly that generates profits exceeding a trillion, while simultaneously reducing national pension pressures due to smoking-related health issues, and enjoying a unique treatment of being "hated by everyone."
As anti-smoking policies continue to advance, smoking bans are increasingly mentioned. In reality, quitting smoking is a distant dream for most smokers. There needs to be effective guidance in the conflict between smokers and anti-smoking or even smoking bans. E-liquids are the first stage of this attempt, and we have now entered the second half: the heated tobacco era.
Heated tobacco products not only effectively reduce the harm of smoking to smokers themselves but also significantly lower the risks of secondhand smoke. With no open flames and no ash, they also increase flexibility and applicable scenarios. More importantly, heated tobacco products have not completely detached from tobacco; as long as they remain connected to tobacco, they will continue to generate tax revenue for the state. However, the new form of tobacco pods requires not a lighter but a special lighter—heated tobacco electronic cigarettes. This is why heated tobacco electronic cigarettes are referred to as the "savior" of the traditional tobacco industry.
In the transition from smoking to quitting, e-liquids are a form of exploration. But today, we will discuss heated tobacco products, which have developed even more rapidly than e-liquids.
When it comes to heated tobacco, we cannot overlook IQOS. IQOS is the first heated tobacco product from Philip Morris International, developed with 400 researchers and an investment of $2 billion. Since its launch in 2004, it has been highly popular among Japanese smokers. It began to enter China in large quantities in 2016 and was available in about 30 countries by 2017.
With IQOS rapidly expanding into various markets and impressive sales data being released, investors are optimistic and increasing their investments, while small and medium enterprises are on high alert. This year, the heated tobacco market, whether in terms of upstream supply chain integration or the potential unleashed in the downstream consumer market after continuous education, has allowed more people to appreciate the charm of heated tobacco products. Therefore, many consider 2018 to be the inaugural year for heated tobacco.
From both the electronic cigarette and tobacco perspectives, the National Tobacco Administration will not accept being left behind in any sector. Therefore, although it is called the inaugural year, many actions by the national team have preceded it. When will heated tobacco be legalized in China? We will have to see how each province's tobacco companies position themselves.
Hubei TobaccoIn 2015, Hubei Tobacco Industrial Co., Ltd. and Wuhan Yellow Crane Tower New Materials Technology Development Co., Ltd. jointly applied for a patent for an invention: a chemical heating low-temperature cigarette. This invention includes a chemical reaction section, a heating section, and a filter tip section. The chemical reaction section includes a chamber containing liquid water, a first outer packaging, and an adsorption ball that absorbs acid, with sealing membranes at both ends of the chamber; the heating section includes an inner cavity containing solid alkali, a second outer packaging, and an outer cavity filled with alkali particles and tobacco. The end face of the inner cavity corresponding to the chemical reaction section has a pointed end with water-permeable holes on its side.
It is said that this invention effectively reduces the harm of sidestream smoke to the environment and human health by heating the tobacco through chemical reactions at lower temperatures, without affecting the release of tobacco flavor components. The structure of this invention is simple, easy to use, and very conducive to the promotion of low-temperature cigarettes.
On May 25, 2018, the National Intellectual Property Administration published a patent application for an invention by Hubei Tobacco Industrial Co., Ltd.: a preparation method and application for reconstituted tobacco leaves using a roller pressing method for heated tobacco.
Hunan Tobacco
In 2017, Hunan Tobacco Industrial Co., Ltd. obtained a patent for an invention: an electric heating low-temperature cigarette. This invention relates to an electric heating low-temperature cigarette suitable for baking cigarettes, which includes a main body, a cover that fits with the main body, and a heating component set on the main body. The cover has a cavity for accommodating the cigarette, and when the cover is closed along a direction perpendicular to the length of the main body, the heating component pierces into the cigarette's side wall to bake it and produce smoke. It is reported that this invention allows for rapid heating of low-temperature cigarettes, providing a better user experience.
Shandong Tobacco
In 2017, Shandong Tobacco Industrial Co., Ltd. applied for a patent for an invention: an adjustable tobacco material heater. This invention includes a smoke tube with a mouthpiece at the bottom and a heating chamber at the top for storing tobacco material. The heating chamber and its cover form a relatively closed chamber, and the heating chamber contains heating blades and wires for heating the tobacco material, which are connected to a temperature regulator located at the lower part of the heating chamber, with a smoke gas passage installed between the temperature regulator and the mouthpiece to send the smoke generated in the heating chamber into the heat-resistant mouthpiece.
Guizhou Tobacco
Guizhou Tobacco Industrial Co., Ltd. has made significant progress in key technologies for new tobacco products, particularly in the self-developed infrared heating technology for new cigarettes, which has been recognized as a major principle innovation in the industry for new cigarette heating sources.
In 2014, Guizhou Tobacco established a new cigarette engineering center, aiming to develop "new tobacco products with independent intellectual property rights and good user experience." Since the establishment of the new cigarette engineering center, the R&D team has collaborated closely, applying for over 50 patents in the core technology field of new tobacco products, three PCT international patents, and co-authoring two industry standards. As of now, Guizhou Tobacco has developed a series of new tobacco products with independent intellectual property rights, including two new cigarette devices and one new cigarette stick.
#p#分页标题#e#
Sichuan Tobacco
Speaking of Sichuan Tobacco, we must mention the heated tobacco product "Kung Fu," which was launched in South Korea at the end of last year. Kung Fu is also the first heated tobacco brand to be launched overseas in China. Along with the Kung Fu device, Sichuan Tobacco also released the Kuan-Zhai pods. The "Kung Fu - Kuan-Zhai" heated tobacco product from Sichuan Tobacco was first trialed in Seoul, priced at 4,300 Korean won, and is currently available for sale on e-commerce platforms like JD and Tmall in China.
Yunnan Tobacco
The new tobacco business is the strategic development direction of Yunnan Tobacco. The technology center and international company have established departments responsible for the R&D of new tobacco products and international market sales. The technology center has also collaborated with Huayu Company to establish a research and development platform for product marketization in Shenzhen.
At the beginning of 2018, Yunnan Tobacco established a dedicated team for new tobacco work, and the international company focused on market expansion based on the work deployment of Yunnan Tobacco's new tobacco team, actively seeking and widely recruiting, with primary target markets being Cambodia, Ukraine, Russia, Japan, and Canada.
Guangdong Tobacco
Guangdong Tobacco is also the third tobacco company in China to launch heated tobacco products after Sichuan and Yunnan Tobacco. It was first launched in the Laos market. The new tobacco products MU+ and ING are the first set of products successfully launched by Guangdong Tobacco after nearly five years of technical preparation and continuous R&D. The initial launch products include two heating devices and cigarettes with Chinese tangerine peel and mint flavors, which are rich in aroma and provide high comfort during smoking, catering to different consumer needs and possessing strong product competitiveness. As Guangdong Tobacco's first new tobacco product, the launch of MU+ and ING in Laos is just the first step. As the products continue to iterate and update, this series will attract more consumer attention.
From the investments made by various tobacco companies in heated tobacco products, it is evident that they have recognized the immense potential of this market. At the same time, many private enterprises are heavily investing in heated tobacco, and the number of entrepreneurial companies entering this industry is growing rapidly.
In a short time, the number of companies entering the heated tobacco industry has exploded. Regardless of which company it is, they all face one question: tobacco is a state monopoly. Unless the state opens up, no company, not even tobacco companies, would dare to touch this red line.
If it is not opened up, the domestic market will only be limited to production capacity centers. If it is opened up, the interests involved are complex, and the national team needs sufficient time to prepare. Most people remain optimistic about whether it will be opened up, but no one can confidently predict when it will happen. Therefore, many companies can only wait for the right opportunity while preparing. However, recent government meetings provide some insight.
Half a month ago, the "2018 Comprehensive Deepening Reform Work Points of the National Tobacco Monopoly Administration" was publicly released, clearly stating the need to "continue to deepen the innovation and reform of new tobacco products." A month ago, a seminar on the development of new tobacco products was held in Beijing. The meeting summarized the development situation of new tobacco products and discussed the strategic thinking and policy measures for the next steps.
It can be considered that an optimistic tone has been set for the development of new tobacco products. Both major events point to the same target—new tobacco products. With the rise of IQOS, the attention on new tobacco products, especially heated tobacco, has increased exponentially. After these two signals were sent out, opinions within and outside the industry have largely converged, indicating that the state is about to begin direct regulation.Returning to the act of smoking itself, the future of heated tobacco products may become even more certain. China has 350 million smokers, accounting for one-third of the world's total. Chinese smokers are in a very awkward position, creating a tobacco monopoly that generates profits exceeding a trillion, while simultaneously reducing national pension pressures due to smoking-related health issues, and enjoying a unique treatment of being "hated by everyone."
As anti-smoking policies continue to advance, smoking bans are increasingly mentioned. In reality, quitting smoking is a distant dream for most smokers. There needs to be effective guidance in the conflict between smokers and anti-smoking or even smoking bans. E-liquids are the first stage of this attempt, and we have now entered the second half: the heated tobacco era.
Heated tobacco products not only effectively reduce the harm of smoking to smokers themselves but also significantly lower the risks of secondhand smoke. With no open flames and no ash, they also increase flexibility and applicable scenarios. More importantly, heated tobacco products have not completely detached from tobacco; as long as they remain connected to tobacco, they will continue to generate tax revenue for the state. However, the new form of tobacco pods requires not a lighter but a special lighter—heated tobacco electronic cigarettes. This is why heated tobacco electronic cigarettes are referred to as the "savior" of the traditional tobacco industry.
