ASA orders Relx and Louis Shaw to stop promoting e-cigarettes on Instagram

Market by The Drum

Jun.29.2022

The ASA concluded that it breached the Cap Code (Edition 12) 2.1, 2.3 and 22.12.

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has directed Chinese e-cigarette brand Relx and Geordie Shore star Louis Shaw to stop promoting nicotine-containing e-cigarettes on Instagram.

In December 2021 an Instagram story on Shaw’s account showed a hand holding two boxes containing unlicensed e-cigarettes with the brand name RELX, with text stating: ‘@RELXUK’ and ‘GET YOUR OWN – RELAX WITH 15% OFF – LOUISXMAS15.’ This 15% discount code for the product was considered promotional by the ASA.

ASA orders Relx and Louis Shaw to stop promoting e-cigarettes on Instagram — *ASA directs Relx and Louis Shaw to not promote e-cigarettes on Instagram in future*

The ad also featured text saying, ‘This product contains nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance.’

The ASA concluded that it breached the Cap Code (Edition 12) 2.1, 2.3 and 22.12.

The post was investigated on two grounds:

The complainant challenged whether the ad did not make clear its commercial intent

The ASA challenged whether the ad breached the code by promoting unlicensed, nicotine-containing e-cigarettes and their components on Instagram

Also read:

RELX Vapes Seized by Regulator Possibly due to Incomplete Docs

#E-cigarette #E-cigarettes and Tobacco #RELX Technology

China Tobacco Regulation Shift：Policy Updates and Market Impact

EVO NXT European Tobacco & NGP Exhibition

New York’s Lawsuit Against Puff Bar and Other Flavored Vape Companies Survives Key Court Challenge

According to Law360, a federal judge ruled that makers and distributors of flavored vape brands such as Puff Bar cannot escape New York’s lawsuit seeking to hold them responsible for the youth vaping epidemic. The court found that the state had adequately alleged the companies misrepresented how safe vaping is.

Apr.07 by 2FIRSTS.ai

Geneva Court Annuls Ban on Disposable E-Cigarette Sales, Says Power Lies With Federal Authorities

The Geneva Court of Justice on Tuesday upheld appeals filed by four associations and companies active in the tobacco trade and annulled the Geneva legal provision banning the sale of disposable e-cigarettes, commonly known as “puffs.”

Apr.30 by 2FIRSTS.ai

French Lawmakers Move to Extend Plain Packaging Rules to Vaping Product

French lawmakers Nicolas Thierry and Pierre Cazenave said on April 15 that they will file a cross-party bill to extend plain packaging requirements to vaping products. Under the proposal, unit packs and outer packaging for vaping products, including those without nicotine, would become neutral and standardized in the same way cigarette packs have been since 2017.

Apr.16 by 2FIRSTS.ai

2Firsts Data｜China Vape Exports Sink to Three-Year April Low After Tax Rebate Ends, Falling to $694 Million

China’s e-cigarette export value declined to $694 million in April 2026, marking the lowest April level in the past three years. The data is notable because April was the first full month after China removed export VAT rebates for certain e-cigarette products. Compared with April 2025, export value fell 20.9%; compared with April 2024, it was down 22.3%. Month-on-month, exports dropped 23.2% from March 2026.

Special Report

May.23

BAT Shares Surge Nearly 6% as FDA Policy Shift Eases Pressure on Vuse and Velo

British American Tobacco (BAT) shares rose sharply on May 12 after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration signaled it would deprioritize enforcement against certain unauthorized e-cigarette and nicotine pouch products with accepted premarket applications. Investors viewed the move as favoring established players such as BAT’s Vuse and Velo brands.

BAT

May.13

FDA Tobacco Center Plans Faster Review Process for Certain Supplemental PMTAs

FDA Center for Tobacco Products Acting Director Bret Koplow issued a statement on May 7 outlining new steps to accelerate tobacco product premarket application review. The statement said CTP reduced the backlog of applications by approximately 70% in 2025 and that there is no longer a queue for PMTAs pending acceptance review.

May.09 by 2FIRSTS.ai