British American Tobacco supports robust product quality standards, U.S. youth access prevention measures and stands ready to make PMTA applications

British American Tobacco has today issued a statement in support of robust product quality standards and the need for youth access prevention measures in the United States. The statement also provides an update on our planned Pre-Market Tobacco Applications (PMTA) for our four main VUSE products in the U.S.

Kingsley Wheaton, Chief Marketing Officer, British American Tobacco, said: “We welcome the U.S’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shining a spotlight on the important issue of preventing youth access to vapour products and consumer safety. We wish to work with governments and regulators worldwide to ensure clear and responsible regulatory frameworks are developed, which take account of all industry stakeholders – including consumers, regulators and the industry.

“We have always been clear that children should not use vapour products and we have had stringent measures in place to address this issue for some time. Accordingly, we share the FDA’s concern that the marketing of some flavours could resonate with children. At the same time it is hard to overestimate the role that the responsible marketing of flavours plays in helping adult consumers move on from combustible products to alternative tobacco and nicotine products.

“As a responsible company, we have supported measures to remove products which could be attractive to, or targeted at, children. We also have procedures in place to ensure our products are only ever marketed to adult smokers and vapers.

“We look forward to receiving the FDA’s final guidance on flavours and our U.S. business will work with them regarding the proposed changes.

“Given the tragic cases reported in the U.S. recently, we fully support the FDA’s efforts to ensure the safety of those consumers who use vaping liquids and devices. As the world’s second largest vapour company, providing high quality products to more than 9 million consumers worldwide, we take our consumer safety responsibilities very seriously.

“We have invested billions of dollars in the research and development of our potentially reduced-risk products and the ingredients and components used in these products have been scrutinised by our team of 50 toxicologists for their suitability for vaping. Consistent with this, we do not include oils containing THC or Vitamin E Acetate.

“We are confident that our planned Pre-Market Tobacco Applications for our four main VUSE products in the U.S. will be submitted before the FDA’s deadline of May 2020 which, if approved, will enable our Reynolds business to continue selling its VUSE branded vaping products within the new U.S. regulatory framework.”

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