British American Tobacco (BAT), estimated to be the world’s second largest tobacco group by global market share, has confirmed reports of having established Nicoventures Limited, a start-up company that aims to commercialize sans-tobacco nicotine products which could help wean smokers off its cigarettes. A bold move you think ? Sure – in terms of creating a product (tobacco-free smokes) that directly competes with the primary product of the group. But also a very market-responsive move, given that reactions to the dangers of tobacco and smoking tobacco-based cigarettes are becoming more w ... Jump to full article >>

The David and Goliath case of the family of lung cancer victim Rolah McCabe taking on a global tobacco giant has been quietly wrapped up in the Victorian Supreme Court after almost 11 years. British American Tobacco (BAT), the second biggest cigarette company in the world, has agreed to end its pursuit for compensation from the McCabe estate. Ms McCabe won a landmark case in 2002 when she became the first person to successfully sue a tobacco company. That verdict was achieved when the trial judge found that documents had been deliberately destroyed by the tobacco company. Ms McCabe was awarded ... Jump to full article >>

A U.S. trial judge ruled Monday that a British American Tobacco PLC subsidiary is no longer subject to her landmark 2006 racketeering judgment against the tobacco industry. U.S. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler ruled that recent legal precedent by the Supreme Court required her to find that British American Tobacco (Investments) Ltd. wasn’t liable under U.S. racketeering laws. In 2006, Judge Kessler ruled that the tobacco industry violated federal racketeering laws by engaging in a decades-long scheme to deceive the public about the dangers of smoking. In recent court proceedings, BAT ... Jump to full article >>

Cape Town – A cigarette firm has labelled sections of the health department’s proposed amendments to regulations of the sale of cigarettes as “silly”. “What is the intent of the legislation? They’ve amended this legislation, looking to limit the independence of traders to communicate at the point-of-sale,” British American Tobacco regulatory affairs manager Jerry Gilbert told News24. “Small traders won’t be able to sell cigarettes within one metre of anything that might attract kids. The logic seems to be that seeing cigarettes will likely ... Jump to full article >>

GOVERNMENT PLANS to bring in further restrictions on the marketing of cigarettes took a toll on tobacco stocks yesterday as London equities lost ground. British American Tobacco fell 2.8 per cent to £24.36½. This came on the day BAT traded without further rights to its latest dividend payment, coinciding with ministers announcement of plans to ban the display of tobacco products at the point of sale. The department of health in England was also expected to use National No Smoking Day to start a consultation procedure about the packaging of cigarettes, designed to discuss removing branding fr ... Jump to full article >>

LONDON — Tuesday, March 1, 2011, marks the first official day for Nicandro Durante as chief executive at British American Tobacco, which includes brands Dunhill, Lucky Strike, Kent and Pall Mall cigarettes among its “global drive brands.” Durante joined the company in 1981, and has served as president of its Brazilian subsidiary Souza Cruz since 2002. In the company’s results announcement, Durante noted in his review, “Our strategy won’t change, although we may talk about it in a slightly different way.” We still think that delivering growth is the key ... Jump to full article >>

Britain’s Imperial Tobacco looks better placed than rivals with more expensive brands if plain packaging rules for cigarettes spread from developed to emerging markets, as health warnings did. New rules are being explored in Australia and Britain, but analysts say the real risk from plain packaging is if it spreads to emerging markets, where it would slow consumers moving to more pricey and profitable brands. Smokers in big emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia and Indonesia aspire to top western brands such as Marlboro cigarettes, which confer status on the individual and bigger margi ... Jump to full article >>

Effects of the mobile phone and cigarette price wars could hurt revenue collection by the tax man. Prices have taken a dive as competition hots up and the tax collected by the Kenya Revenue Authority will come down. Cash for budgetary needs such as food for about five million Kenyans threatened with starvation will fall. “These (price wars) will affect our tax collection as companies lower their prices,” Kenya Revenue Authority commissioner general, Michael Waweru, warned when speaking to journalists last Wednesday. Price wars between mobile telephone service providers have led to ... Jump to full article >>

THE National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has stopped British American Tobacco (BAT) from incinerating over 200 tonnes of tobacco as a measure against releasing more toxic gases into the air. Grace Birikadde, an official from NEMA said, the fire outbreak over the weekend at a warehouse at Kyambogo left residues containing partially burnt tobacco and ashes. He said BAT was proposing to incinerate the residues, but were curtailed since Tobacco contained nicotine, which released organic pollutants, some of which were cancerous. “When incinerated, tobacco releases out a lot of hazardo ... Jump to full article >>

GRAPHIC health warnings on cigarette packets are under threat from a legal case that could undermine the government’s anti-smoking strategy. World tobacco giant British American Tobacco has won permission to pursue damages in the Australian courts, accusing local importer Trojan of infringing its Captain Black cigar trademark by covering its labels with the mandatory health warnings. A judge in the Victorian Supreme Court ruled last month that the tobacco giant could continue its action despite Trojan asking the court to strike out the case. It is seeking damages, an injunction to preve ... Jump to full article >>

Pending legislation has clouded the performance outlook for local cigarette manufacturers, prompting Kenya’s biggest producer, British American Tobacco, to cut its earnings projections for next year. BAT Kenya said an amendment to the Finance Bill 2010 introduced in Parliament last week is likely to trigger a price war in the sector, eroding revenues for cigarette manufacturers. “The amendments made by Parliament will result in industry-wide pressure to reduce prices in order to benefit from lower taxes,” said BAT in a statement, adding that a drop in the company’s revenues could see ... Jump to full article >>