Key Points
- Four New Pods: R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company has introduced Peach, Berry, Watermelon and Fresh Mint Vuse Pro pods in Ohio and selected other U.S. markets.
- Product Specifications: Vuse lists Vuse Pro at approximately 5.0% nicotine by weight. Reynolds told 2Firsts that product labeling states an e-liquid capacity of 2.0 mL per pod.
- Alto Compatibility: Vuse’s U.S. FAQ says Vuse Pro pre-filled pods are intended for use with Vuse Alto devices.
- Different FDA Status: FDA authorized the Vuse Alto Power Unit in 2024, but the four new Vuse Pro flavored pods are not included on FDA’s current list of authorized e-cigarettes.
- Separate Vuse Pro Device: Reynolds submitted a PMTA in 2024 for a Vuse Pro age-gated device using app-based age verification and locking technology. Publicly available information does not show that the device is part of the current retail rollout.
- Enforcement Policy: FDA guidance issued in May says the agency generally does not intend to prioritize enforcement against certain unauthorized ENDS products that meet specified conditions. Falling within the policy does not mean a product is likely to receive marketing authorization.
An earlier version of this article was published on September 9, 2026. This is an updated version. Please see the Correction Note at the end of the article.
2Firsts
September 10, 2026
R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company has begun selling four new flavored Vuse Pro e-cigarette pods in parts of the United States, introducing Peach, Berry, Watermelon and Fresh Mint products that have not received marketing authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
STAT reported on September 8 that the products were on sale at a GetGo gas station and convenience store in suburban Ohio. Reynolds told the publication that the Vuse flavored pods were available in Ohio and selected other markets, but did not identify all states involved in the rollout or disclose how many stores were carrying the products.
R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company, or RJRVC, is an operating company of Reynolds American Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of British American Tobacco.
The Vuse U.S. FAQ lists Vuse Pro at approximately 5.0% nicotine by weight, or NBW, at the time of manufacture. Reynolds told 2Firsts that Vuse Pro pod labeling states an e-liquid capacity of 2.0 mL per pod.
In a statement provided to 2Firsts, Reynolds said RJRVC had introduced new Vuse flavored pods in selected states where Vuse products were already sold, consistent with applicable state regulations.
The company said the rollout was being paired with measures including mandatory ID scanning for every purchase, purchase limits, stronger retailer accountability requirements and age-restricted marketing standards. Reynolds said expanding choices for adult nicotine consumers should be accompanied by measures intended to prevent underage access.
Those measures concern the sale and marketing of the new pods. Reynolds separately announced a Vuse Pro device with device-level age-verification technology in 2024.
Vuse Pro Pods Can Be Used With Vuse Alto
The Vuse U.S. FAQ states that Vuse Pro pre-filled pods are intended for use with Vuse Alto devices. The same FAQ says Vuse Alto devices are intended for use with both Vuse Alto and Vuse Pro pods.
FDA uses the product name Vuse Alto Power Unit for the Alto hardware reviewed through the premarket tobacco product application process.
On July 18, 2024, FDA issued marketing granted orders for the Vuse Alto Power Unit and six Vuse Alto tobacco-flavored pods to R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company. The authorized pods consisted of Golden Tobacco and Rich Tobacco products at three nicotine concentrations.
FDA’s July 2024 marketing orders covered the Vuse Alto Power Unit and six specified tobacco-flavored Alto pods. They did not cover the new Vuse Pro pods.
FDA’s current list of authorized e-cigarettes includes the Vuse Alto Power Unit and the six specified Alto tobacco-flavored pods, but does not include the Peach, Berry, Watermelon or Fresh Mint Vuse Pro pods.
The Vuse Alto Power Unit therefore has an FDA marketing order, while the four new Vuse Pro flavored pods do not.
Reynolds Filed an Age-Gated Vuse Pro Device With FDA in 2024
The pods now entering U.S. stores should be distinguished from a Vuse Pro age-gated device previously announced by Reynolds.
On June 27, 2024, RJRVC said it had completed PMTA submissions to FDA for a Vuse Pro age-gated device.
In its 2024 Vuse Pro PMTA announcement, Reynolds described the product as an electronic nicotine delivery system device platform connected to a mobile application. The company said a third-party provider would verify that a consumer met the legal minimum purchase age before the device could be unlocked.
Once verified, the device could be used with compatible Vuse Pro pods. Reynolds also described auto-lock and proximity-lock functions designed to restrict device access.
The company said its PMTA submission included nearly 80,000 pages of scientific evidence across 97 studies covering the Vuse Pro platform.
Reynolds’ 2024 announcement described the age-verification, auto-lock and proximity-lock functions as features of the Vuse Pro device. The current Vuse U.S. FAQ, meanwhile, tells consumers that Vuse Pro pre-filled pods are intended for use with Vuse Alto devices.
2Firsts could not independently determine from publicly available records whether the four flavored pods now being sold were covered by the same PMTA submissions associated with the 2024 Vuse Pro platform. Public records reviewed by 2Firsts also do not establish that the Vuse Pro age-gated device itself is part of the current U.S. retail rollout.
The Vuse Pro device described in 2024 was designed to remain locked until a user completed app-based age verification. For the current pod rollout, Reynolds has described measures including mandatory identification scanning at purchase, purchase limits, retailer accountability requirements and age-restricted marketing.
FDA Revised Enforcement Priorities in May
The Vuse Pro rollout follows a change in FDA enforcement policy announced earlier this year.
In May 2026, the agency issued final guidance titled “Enforcement Priorities for Certain New Tobacco Products Marketed Without Premarket Authorization”.
The guidance covers certain electronic nicotine delivery systems and oral nicotine pouch products that do not have premarket authorization. FDA states that new tobacco products may not legally be marketed without premarket authorization and that products on the market without such authorization are illegally marketed.
For unauthorized ENDS and nicotine pouch products, FDA generally does not intend to prioritize enforcement of the premarket authorization requirement when specified conditions are met. These include a pending application that has been accepted and filed, or certain qualifying supplemental applications. For non-tobacco-flavored ENDS products, FDA must also have determined that the application contains the data needed to assess whether marketing the product would be appropriate for the protection of public health.
FDA can continue to prioritize enforcement against products presenting other regulatory or public-health concerns, including certain youth-appealing characteristics or safety issues.
The policy addresses enforcement priorities rather than marketing authorization. FDA states that whether an ENDS or nicotine pouch product falls within the policy has no bearing on whether the product is likely to receive premarket authorization.
FDA also states that its guidance documents describe the agency’s current thinking and do not themselves establish legally enforceable responsibilities.
Public FDA records reviewed by 2Firsts do not establish whether each of the four Vuse Pro flavored pods meets all of the conditions described in the May enforcement guidance.
BAT Had Signaled New Vuse Flavors for the U.S.
The launch follows plans previously disclosed by BAT to expand its U.S. vapor portfolio.
In its half-year results released on July 30, BAT said U.S. New Categories revenue grew 58.1% at constant currency in the first half of 2026. The company said second-half performance was expected to be supported by the planned rollout of Velo Max and “a select range of adult-focused Vuse flavours.”
BAT also cited FDA’s new prioritization guidance for vapor and modern oral nicotine products, together with federal and state enforcement activity, in discussing its U.S. outlook. Chief Executive Tadeu Marroco said BAT planned a disciplined rollout of selected adult-focused Vuse flavors in the second half of 2026.
The four Vuse Pro pods now appearing in stores follow those earlier announcements about new Vuse flavors in the United States.
FDA Policy Draws Different Views
FDA’s revised enforcement policy has drawn different reactions from public health specialists and tobacco companies.
STAT quoted Mitch Zeller, former director of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, criticizing the policy and arguing that it could encourage manufacturers to introduce unauthorized products before receiving marketing orders.
Cristine Delnevo, director of the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine and Tobacco Studies, told STAT that broader noncompliance could follow if major manufacturers concluded there was little regulatory advantage in waiting for authorization before bringing products to market.
BAT has welcomed the shift. In its 2026 half-year results, the company said FDA’s prioritization guidance, together with federal and state enforcement actions, left BAT “well positioned” to benefit from its U.S. multi-category nicotine portfolio.
FDA, however, states that falling within the May enforcement policy has no bearing on whether a product is likely to receive premarket authorization.
2Firsts will continue to follow developments in the U.S. vaping market, FDA tobacco regulation and the commercialization of new nicotine products.
Cover Image：BAT Half-Year Report 2026
Correction Note
The first version of this article was published on the afternoon of September 9, 2026, China Standard Time. At approximately 2:00 a.m. China Standard Time on September 10 — 2:00 p.m. EDT on September 9 in the U.S. — 2Firsts received an email from Reynolds American Corporate Communications raising several factual concerns about the report.
Among the issues identified, Reynolds said that the products introduced in the current rollout were Vuse Pro pods, not a Vuse Pro device; that the age-verification technology described in the original article was associated with a separately submitted Vuse Pro device rather than the newly launched pods; and that R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company, rather than BAT directly, was the operating company responsible for the launch. Reynolds also provided additional product information, including that Vuse Pro pod labeling states an e-liquid capacity of 2.0 mL per pod.
2Firsts subsequently re-examined the original reporting, Reynolds and Vuse product information, FDA records and other source materials. We concluded that the original article contained factual and wording errors, including an incorrect description of what had been launched and an inaccurate association between the newly marketed pods and device-level age-verification technology.
Because those issues affected the central framing of the article, 2Firsts decided to rewrite the report rather than make a series of isolated corrections. The updated version distinguishes the current Vuse Pro pod rollout from the Vuse Pro age-gated device announced by Reynolds in 2024, clarifies the pods’ compatibility with Vuse Alto devices, updates product specifications and company attribution, and more precisely distinguishes FDA marketing authorization from the agency’s current enforcement-priority policy.
The review and all editorial decisions regarding the revised article were made independently by 2Firsts.
2Firsts thanks Reynolds for bringing the factual concerns to our attention and thanks our readers for their continued scrutiny and engagement. We regret the errors in the original version and apologize for them.
Accuracy remains a core editorial priority for 2Firsts. If you identify a possible factual error in any 2Firsts report, please contact Alan Zhao at alan@2firsts.com.
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