News&ViewsPodcast | Tobacco Asia - InterTabac

Tobacco Asia’s Thomas Schmid interviews Hugo Azinheira, Executive Director for Global Research and Innovation at Filtrona, discussing the company's ESG and SBTi commitments. Hugo marks 2025 as a turning point, with Filtrona transitioning from setting sustainability goals to executing them at scale. Key achievements include a 51% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions, zero waste to landfill, 37% renewable electricity use, and EcoVadis Gold status. Hugo stresses that sustainability is embedded in daily operations across the company’s nine global manufacturing sites — not just annual reporting. Looking ahead, Filtrona plans to expand renewable energy, grow its plastic-free...

Thomas Schmid interviews Mark McQuillan, the managing director of Nicobrand, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical-grade nicotine suppliers. McQuillan explains what truly qualifies nicotine as "pharmaceutical grade." For instance, beyond basic monographs, it requires regulatory audits, drug master files, and strict impurity controls. McQuillan argues that all next-generation products like pouches and e-liquids should use pharma-grade nicotine to ensure consumer safety. The global nicotine market is roughly 1,000–1,500 metric tons annually, with nicotine pouches growing fastest. McQuillan also stresses the importance of supply chain transparency and correcting the widespread misconception that nicotine itself causes cancer.

In this episode, Thomas Schmid speaks with developmental neurobiologist Dr. Charles A. Gardner about the demonization of nicotine. Gardner explains that nicotine has been wrongly conflated with tobacco and smoking, leading to widespread misinformation — including 80% of US physicians falsely believing nicotine causes cancer.

Gardner argues that safer alternatives like vapes, pouches, and snus are vital harm reduction tools, yet prohibitionist policies often ban them while leaving deadly cigarettes legal. Prohibition, he notes, drives products underground and worsens outcomes.

Gardner also highlights nicotine's potential health benefits: helping prevent Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, reducing symptoms of ADHD, Tourette’s syndrome, BPD, and...

Thomas Schmid interviews Waqas Khan, global CEO of Clew, discussing how the nicotine pouch brand became the world's third-largest by distribution in just two and a half years. Khan attributes this rapid success to building a complete manufacturing ecosystem with pharma-grade facilities and prioritizing quality over cost. The brand has launched in 50 countries across five regional hubs, customizing products for local taste preferences.

A major achievement has been penetrating the travel retail sector, with Clew now present in over 15 duty-free locations worldwide. Khan explains how the brand pioneered nicotine pouch listings in challenging markets like Thailand by working...