E. Cronin, JTI unveils alternative tobacco products ahead of menthol ban, Talking Retail, 26 March 2020, accessed May 2020 Founded in 1660, Frenchman Pierre Lacroix became the first person to offer papers that are specifically designed for rolling tobacco. The name Rizla is derived from the French word “Riz” meaning rice and “La” for the Lacroix family. The change in name came about following the successful introduction of rice paper in 1886.

Prior to the ban, menthol cigarettes formed an estimated 21% of the UK market. 9 2018 figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicate that there were 7.2 million smokers in the UK; based on the 2016 ITC survey data (detailed above) that would equate to nearly 900,000 smokers who usually smoke menthol cigarettes. According to market research survey based data, the figure was much higher in 2019, nearly 1.6 million in Great Britain, 14 Kantar Media, Number of people using cigarettes in Great Britain from 2014 to 2018, by cigarette type, Kantar TGI survey, June 2019, data available from Statista, accessed March 2020 Rizla Flavour Cards are available in two great flavours: intense Menthol Chill and the milder flavour of Fresh Mint. Finland aims to end the use of tobacco and other nicotine products by 2030. Policy makers have interpreted the 2016 TPD flavour ban as also applying to e-cigarette liquids. 85 There have been court cases in Finland as shops have been selling flavourings labelled for food use, but which have not been tested for possible toxicity when heated and inhaled. These flavourings are labelled for use with e-cigarettes (vaping) in other countries. Finnish researchers have called for the EU to reconsider regulation, product notification and prohibition of e-cigarette flavours. 85 Revision of the 2014 TPD A.S. Kienhuis, R. Talhout, Options for waterpipe product regulation: A systematic review on product characteristics that affect attractiveness, addictiveness and toxicity of waterpipe use, Tobacco Induced Diseases, 2020;18(August):69, doi:10.18332/tid/125079.a b c A. Ciurcanu, A. Cerantola, Japan Tobacco International Making a Mint by Circumventing Menthol Cigarette Ban, Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), 2 November 2021, accessed November 2021 E. Cronin, JPS Players launches Crushball cigarillo for menthol smokers, Talking Retail, 12 August 2020, accessed August 2020

The sales of Newport, together with the other menthol brands of the Group’s operating subsidiaries, represent a significant portion of the Group’s total net sales”. 12Studies have found that children who smoked menthol cigarettes were more likely to become regular smokers than occasional smokers. More than half of kids who smoke use menthol cigarettes, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A systematic review of the evidence found that prohibiting menthol is likely to significantly reduce youth uptake.[6] Philip Morris joins challenge to EU ban on heated flavoured tobacco products, Irish Times, 22 March January 2023, accessed October 2023 The US continues to be an important market for tobacco companies’ menthol brands. In its 2018 Annual Report, BAT said that after it acquired US tobacco company RJ Reynolds in 2017: N. Powell, Commission to face European court over tobacco law overreach, Eureporter, 11 October 2023, accessed October 2023 a b European Commission, Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2022/2100 on the withdrawal of certain exemptions in respect of heated tobacco products, 29 June 2023, available from health.ec.europa.eu

'Shocking'

a b c S. Sabaghi, Italy implements EU HTP flavour ban, but ambiguity could cause misinterpretation, Tobacco Intelligence, 1 September 2023, accessed October 2023