Latest news with #Vuse
Scoop
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Vape Messaging Targets Young People Via Social Media
A leading e-cigarette brand's global Instagram account is promoting vapes to vast audiences, including in New Zealand, where regulations prohibit vape marketing to young people. Partnership deals with Formula One racing, and glamorous young influencers are promoting vapes to vast global audiences. Many countries, including the UK and New Zealand, have brought in regulations to prevent marketing vapes to young people. Social media platforms also have policies for this purpose. A new study published in Health Promotion International has found Vuse, the world's leading e-cigarette brand, is using a global social account to enter into paid partnerships, including a Formula One racing team, to promote vapes to massive audiences. 'Collaborations with music festivals and inuencers show that the company is targeting young people and may be using social media's global reach to bypass local bans,' says Dr Lucy Hardie, a population health researcher at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, who led the international study. 'Fast cars and beautiful women are a tried-and-true marketing strategy used by the tobacco industry,' Hardie says. The study reviewed more than 400 Instagram posts associated with the internationally leading e-cigarette brand, Vuse, owned by British American Tobacco, between August 2023 to July 2024. Hashtags like #VuseInsider were used to promote brand ambassadors and festival experiences. Vuse has partnerships with social media influencers who produce stylised 'Get Ready with Me' videos linked to music festivals. 'You see a beautiful young influencer choosing fashion and makeup set to cool music, a type of clip popular with young women. It finishes with her popping a vape into her handbag as she heads out the door to attend a music festival,' Hardie says. Vuse also sponsors Formula One race team McLaren, meaning the company's branding and logos are used in posts that are promoted to its nearly 14 million followers. Despite the platform's policy, these are seldom disclosed as paid partnerships, the study finds. The researchers warn that Vuse's global Instagram marketing strategy allows it to bypass national advertising bans, such as those in New Zealand and in the UK, effectively exploiting legal gaps and weak platform enforcement. 'Social media is borderless and so is this type of marketing,' Hardie says. 'We urgently need global agreements restricting e-cigarette marketing on social media, and platforms need to enforce breaches of platform policy. 'There needs to be greater scrutiny and accountability for brand partnerships that target vulnerable audiences with highly addictive substances.' The long-term health effects of youth vaping are not yet known, but associations are emerging in research that link vapes to heart and lung conditions, as well as well-established issues related to nicotine addiction. Another related study just published in Tobacco Control reveals how one New Zealand-based vape company uses environmental schemes to maintain a presence at youth-oriented music festivals in New Zealand, despite a strict sponsorship ban since 2020. The study, also led by Hardie with colleagues from the University of Otago and the University of Sydney, revealed that leading vape company VAPO has established a recycling initiative, VapeCycle, that can sponsor major festivals like Rhythm and Vines attended by more than 20,000 young people. The company's branding still features at the festivals on recycling bins. Hardie says the studies point to a need for stronger regulations and enforcement to better protect young people.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Vape Messaging Targets Young People Via Social Media
Press Release – University of Auckland Collaborations with music festivals and inuencers show that the company is targeting young people and may be using social medias global reach to bypass local bans, says Dr Lucy Hardie, a population health researcher at Waipapa Taumata Rau, … A leading e-cigarette brand's global Instagram account is promoting vapes to vast audiences, including in New Zealand, where regulations prohibit vape marketing to young people. Partnership deals with Formula One racing, and glamorous young influencers are promoting vapes to vast global audiences. Many countries, including the UK and New Zealand, have brought in regulations to prevent marketing vapes to young people. Social media platforms also have policies for this purpose. A new study published in Health Promotion International has found Vuse, the world's leading e-cigarette brand, is using a global social account to enter into paid partnerships, including a Formula One racing team, to promote vapes to massive audiences. 'Collaborations with music festivals and inuencers show that the company is targeting young people and may be using social media's global reach to bypass local bans,' says Dr Lucy Hardie, a population health researcher at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, who led the international study. 'Fast cars and beautiful women are a tried-and-true marketing strategy used by the tobacco industry,' Hardie says. The study reviewed more than 400 Instagram posts associated with the internationally leading e-cigarette brand, Vuse, owned by British American Tobacco, between August 2023 to July 2024. Hashtags like #VuseInsider were used to promote brand ambassadors and festival experiences. Vuse has partnerships with social media influencers who produce stylised 'Get Ready with Me' videos linked to music festivals. 'You see a beautiful young influencer choosing fashion and makeup set to cool music, a type of clip popular with young women. It finishes with her popping a vape into her handbag as she heads out the door to attend a music festival,' Hardie says. Vuse also sponsors Formula One race team McLaren, meaning the company's branding and logos are used in posts that are promoted to its nearly 14 million followers. Despite the platform's policy, these are seldom disclosed as paid partnerships, the study finds. The researchers warn that Vuse's global Instagram marketing strategy allows it to bypass national advertising bans, such as those in New Zealand and in the UK, effectively exploiting legal gaps and weak platform enforcement. 'Social media is borderless and so is this type of marketing,' Hardie says. 'We urgently need global agreements restricting e-cigarette marketing on social media, and platforms need to enforce breaches of platform policy. 'There needs to be greater scrutiny and accountability for brand partnerships that target vulnerable audiences with highly addictive substances.' The long-term health effects of youth vaping are not yet known, but associations are emerging in research that link vapes to heart and lung conditions, as well as well-established issues related to nicotine addiction. Another related study just published in Tobacco Control reveals how one New Zealand-based vape company uses environmental schemes to maintain a presence at youth-oriented music festivals in New Zealand, despite a strict sponsorship ban since 2020. The study, also led by Hardie with colleagues from the University of Otago and the University of Sydney, revealed that leading vape company VAPO has established a recycling initiative, VapeCycle, that can sponsor major festivals like Rhythm and Vines attended by more than 20,000 young people. The company's branding still features at the festivals on recycling bins. Hardie says the studies point to a need for stronger regulations and enforcement to better protect young people.
The Journal
29-07-2025
- Business
- The Journal
Owners of Vuse vaping devices say new tax on e-cigarettes would help tackle €220m illegal market
THE OWNERS OF Vuse vaping devices have backed plans by the Irish Government to introduce a new tax on e-cigarettes. BAT Ireland, which distributes and sells Vuse, has said that the illegal vape market will 'continue to thrive' unless the excise tax on vapes is introduced in the coming months and accompanied by strong enforcement measures. Last year, the Government announced that it would double the price of e-cigarette refill cartridges, placing a €5 duty on the products, and add a €1 tax to disposable vapes. The excise on vapes in Ireland will place a fee on e-liquid at a rate of 50c for every millilitre of liquid. This was due to be introduced by the middle of this year, but has run into difficulty and no date has yet been announced for when the vape excise will be implemented. It's expected that the excise will be in place early next year Earlier this month, the Tax Strategy Group, an expert advisory panel at the Department of Finance, said that the additional duties would raise a 'conservative estimate' of €17 million. The report from the Tax Strategy Group cited a KPMG report that found that the KPMG the legal e-liquid market is worth around €550 million and that the illegal market is estimated at around €220 million. The KPMG report also estimated that more than a third of vapes sold in Ireland are illicit. In a statement today, BAT Ireland said the vape tax would 'significantly improve market monitoring and controls, curb the illicit trade, protect consumers, and support responsible retailers if properly enforced'. Advertisement David Melinn, Country Manager at BAT Ireland, says he 'fully supports' the new excise tax but that it 'must be matched with clear and credible enforcement measures£. 'If implemented properly, the tax can help deliver on public policy goals, but without strong enforcement, there's a real risk it could unintentionally further fuel criminal trade,' said Melinn. He said the vape tax will help to bring the market under the control of Revenue but without proper enforcement, the illicit trade will increase. Melinn also said tat until the tax is introduced, the Government 'has no way to tell the scale of the illicit market'. The HSE has an annual target of 40 inspections of manufacturers, importers, and distributors of vapes annually. However, Melinn said this is 'not sufficient given the size of the market and the scale of the illicit problem'. He called on the Government to 'introduce a structured mechanism to track and measure the size of the illegal vape market'. 'Vape taxes must go hand in hand with additional market controls, including retail licensing and increased inspections, otherwise the only winners from this budget measure will be criminals,' said Melinn. He added that the restriction on vape flavours set out in the Nicotine Inhaling Products Bill could result in a 'further demand for illicit vapes, as vapers who depend on flavours will look to source their e-liquids elsewhere'. 'With the introduction of the new excise and a potential vape flavour ban in the pipeline, it is critical that urgent enforcement measures are ramped up across the board via Revenue and HSE inspection,' said Melinn. 'If not, Ireland risks becoming an even greater target for criminal smugglers.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Low P/E ratios and 6%+ dividend yields! Could these FTSE 100 shares be irresistible?
Could these dirt-cheap FTSE 100 shares be too cheap to miss? Let's take a look. British American Tobacco Tobacco stocks like British American Tobacco (LSE:BATS) are famed for their robust dividends. The company's highly addictive products provide a reliable flow of cash over time typically distributed through a generous passive income. For 2025, this particular Footsie operator's dividend yield is 6.4%. However, cigarette manufacturers face strict regulatory restrictions that have pushed their valuations through the floor. British American Tobacco shares now trade on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 11.2 times. Historically, Big Tobacco company multiples would sit in the mid-to-high teens. Widescale rules on the sale, marketing, and usage of their products have hammered their volumes (British American's own stick sales dropped 5.2% in 2024). Legislators are showing no signs of cooling their attack on tobacco, either. And, regulators are taking greater interest in new nicotine technologies like BATS' Vuse vaping sticks on growing concerns over their addictive qualities and health implications. Another danger is the rapid growth of illegal vapour products, and especially in its key US market. This in large part prompted British American to abandon its revenue target of £5bn for its new categories by 2025. All this being said, the company has shown remarkable resilience despite these challenges. Stick volumes are holding up better than the broader industry. And pricing remains robust, thanks to heavyweight labels like Lucky Strike and Newport. These prompted British American to raise annual sales growth forecasts, to 1%-2%, and propelled its share price to seven-year peaks. Yet, I fear this resurgence in investor confidence could prove temporary given those enormous market challenges. It's why I'd rather target other cheap UK shares. M&G M&G (LSE:MNG) is another FTSE 100 share facing significant threats. In fact, the highly cyclical nature of its operations — selling discretionary savings and investment products and services — may leave it more vulnerable in the near term than tobacco manufacturers. It also has to paddle extremely hard to thrive in an intensely competitive marketplace. Legal & General, Aviva, and Aberdeen are some of many rivals in the UK alone that endanger its top line and operating margins. But M&G is no minnow, and has significant brand power and seriously deep pockets. Its Solvency II capital ratio was 223% as of December, up 200 basis points year on year. This gives it significant opportunities to raise earnings, as rising awareness of financial planning and a steadily ageing global population supercharge market growth. Analysts at Global Market Insights think the asset management market — a sector from which M&G derives the lion's share of earnings — will grow at a stunning annualised rate of 29.9% between now and 2034. Like British American Tobacco, M&G's share price has also rocketed in recent months. But I believe strength here looks far more sustainable. And what's more, the financial services giant still offers excellent all-round value. Its forward P/E ratio is 10.4 times, and its dividend yield is 8%, more than double the FTSE 100 average. I think it's one of the best value UK large-cap shares to consider right now. The post Low P/E ratios and 6%+ dividend yields! Could these FTSE 100 shares be irresistible? appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool Royston Wild has positions in Aviva Plc and Legal & General Group Plc. The Motley Fool UK has recommended British American Tobacco P.l.c. and M&g Plc. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Boston Globe
17-07-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Juul can continue selling its tobacco and menthol e-cigarettes, FDA says
Juul will be one of only two US companies authorized to sell menthol-flavored vapes, which many adults prefer to tobacco flavor. 'This is an important milestone for the company and I think we made a scientifically sound case for the role that menthol can play in e-vapor,' Juul CEO K.C. Crosthwaite told The Associated Press. Parents, politicians and antitobacco groups are certain to oppose FDA's decision. They have argued for years that Juul should be permanently banned from selling its products due to its role in triggering a yearslong spike in underage vaping Advertisement Juul was once valued at over $13 billion and its small, sleek e-cigarettes revolutionized the image and technology of the vaping industry. But the company has since been forced to slash hundreds of jobs and pay billions to settle lawsuits over its role in the rise of youth vaping. The FDA had ordered the company to remove its products from the market in June 2022. But then the agency abruptly reversed course days later and agreed to reopen its scientific review of Juul's application after the company pushed back in court. Advertisement Juul said that regulators had overlooked thousands of pages of scientific data critical to its submission. Thursday's announcement is not an approval or endorsement, and the FDA reiterated that people who do not smoke should not use Juul or any other e-cigarettes. The FDA determination indicates that smokers who switch completely to Juul can reduce their exposure to deadly carcinogens and other chemicals found in traditional cigarettes. The FDA decision applies to Juul's original product, which is now roughly a decade old. Crosthwaite said the company hopes to win authorization for its next-generation device and is also considering applying to FDA for more flavors. In recent years, the FDA has authorized a handful of e-cigarettes to help adult smokers cut back on traditional cigarettes, while rejecting more than a million other vaping products that failed to meet agency standards. Juul's main competitors, Vuse and Njoy, each previously received FDA permission to remain on the market. To meet FDA requirements, companies must show that their e-cigarettes benefit public health. In practice, that means proving that adult smokers who use them are likely to quit or reduce their smoking, while teens are unlikely to get hooked on them. The brainchild of two Stanford University students, Juul launched in 2015 and within two years rocketed to the top of the vaping market. Juul quickly outpaced earlier brands with its high-nicotine, fruity-flavored cartridges, sold in mango, mint and creme brulé. The company's small, discrete devices provided a more potent, user-friendly alternative to older, bulkier devices. Advertisement But the company's rise was fueled by underage use, and e-cigarettes quickly became ubiquitous in U.S. schools. In 2019, the company was pressured into halting all advertising and eliminating most of its flavors, leaving only tobacco and menthol-flavored options. By then the company was already the target of multiple investigations and lawsuits by federal, state and local officials as well as class action attorneys. In 2022, the company paid $1.7 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits brought by families of Juul users, school districts, city governments and Native American tribes. The company separately agreed to pay $1.1 billion to settle lawsuits or investigations from most US states. Juul is no longer the top-selling e-cigarette brand and now trails Vuse, which is sold by Reynolds American. Teens have also shifted away from the brand amid a wider drop in vaping, according to the latest federal survey. The FDA reported last year that teen vaping dropped to a 10-year low, after stepped up enforcement against unauthorized brands imported from China, such as Elf Bar. Unlike Juul, disposable e-cigarettes like Elf Bar still come in fruit and candy flavors, despite efforts by regulators to block their use.
