Trump pledges U.S. military support to protect Qatar
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order pledging U.S. military support to defend Qatar if it comes under attack, following last mont...
British American Tobacco (BAT) is preparing to sell its first disposable vape in the U.S. reversing years of opposition to unauthorised devices amidst a booming $8 billion market for synthetic nicotine products.
The product, Vuse One is yet to receive approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but is set to join the market.
Since July 2022, FDA rules require synthetic nicotine products to have agency approval. Many manufactures have ignored these rules resulting in a lucrative but illegal market.
BAT estimates U.S. single-use vape sales at $8 billion last year, around 70% of total industry sales.
The tobacco giant’s U-turn comes after years of lobbying lawmakers and pursuing court cases to block unauthorised disposable vapes, calling them a threat to consumers.
Now, the market for these products, often high in nicotine and appealing flavours, has exploded, causing BAT and rivals such as Altria to reconsider their stance.
Luis Pinto, the company’s U.S. spokesman, said, “Not having access to this world weighs on our company's bottom line.”
The British company has publicly acknowledged the pressure of lost sales due to unregulated competitors, which has driven this sudden U-turn.
Rather than relying on FDA premarket authorisation, Pinto emphasised that BAT plans to enforce internal compliance measures, including age verification and controlled distribution, and avoid youth-oriented flavours and promotions.
The FDA has stressed that marketing a product without premarket authorisation is unlawful. While BAT has a pending application for Vuse One, the agency has not granted a “legal safe harbour” for sales.
While FDA is meant to review applications within 180 days, delays have often stretched to years, leaving legal uncertainty and a booming grey market.
The company has cited the FDA’s use of “enforcement discretion” in other cases to justify its launch.
Public health advocates and campaigners have sharply criticised BAT’s decision, warning that marketing and retailer safeguards cannot replace FDA premarket authorisation.
Critics, however, warn that such reliance on marketing and retail oversight cannot replace regulatory approval, and that public health risks, particularly for underage users, remain significant.
Brian King, executive vice president for U.S. tobacco control programmes at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, described the move as “illegal and dangerous,” highlighting the risks to minors and non-smokers.
Consumer groups and social media commentators have also voiced concern, accusing the global tobacco firm of prioritising profits over public safety.
Many point to the broader explosion of unregulated synthetic nicotine products in the U.S., which have drawn young users with flavours such as “rainbow bubblegum” and “cookie butter."
This trend suggests that permitting unauthorised sales, even under corporate oversight, could worsen health risks and normalise underage vaping.
Synthetic nicotine, produced in labs rather than extracted from tobacco, has allowed companies to sidestep existing regulations, though the FDA has clarified that premarket approval is still required.
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the U.S., responsible for around 480,000 deaths each year, mostly from cancer.
According to the CDC, around 2.5 million U.S. high school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2024, many favouring disposable devices with high nicotine concentrations and sweet flavours.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
Video from the USGS (United States Geological Survey) showed on Friday (19 September) the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupting and spewing lava.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on 13 September with no tsunami threat, coming just weeks after the region endured a devastating 8.8-magnitude quake — the strongest since 1952.
Authorities in California have identified the dismembered body discovered in a Tesla registered to singer D4vd as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been missing from Lake Elsinore since April 2024.
U.S.-based aviation company Boeing is preparing to produce a new narrow-body, single-aisle aircraft to replace its 737 Max model, sources report.
The Organization of Petroleum exporting countries OPEC+ is likely to consider a larger oil production increase of 411,000 barrels per day for November at its meeting next Sunday as rising oil prices encourage the group to try to regain more market share, said sources familiar with the talks.
Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD Co expects exports to account for around 20% of its global sales this year, supported by the launch of new models, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday.
Italy’s ruling League party has said domestic banks should contribute around €5 billion ($5.85 billion) towards the 2026 budget.
U.S. stock markets ended higher on Friday, following largely in-line inflation figures, although indices recorded losses over the week.
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