On February 14, the American Cancer Society (ACS) alerted the US media outlet Stat that the Lighthouse Guardian Program on the ELFBAR website was "incorrectly using ACS's trademark, implying a partnership between the two organizations." As of the time of publishing, the website has replaced all content containing ACS's name with "non-profit organization," but related content on its Facebook page has not yet been deleted or changed.
In January of this year, ELFBAR launched its "Protect the Lighthouse Campaign" with the aim of preventing young people from using e-cigarettes. According to the brand's official website, users can donate 10 cents to the American Cancer Society by clicking the "Join to Light" button on the website. Currently, the website's currency has been changed to British pounds. Users must leave their email address and a message for ELFBAR if they click the button. Once clicked, the button's content will change to "Thank you for lighting up.
The name ACS has now been removed and replaced with "Non-Profit Organization," according to a source from ELFBAR.
Post on ELFBAR's Facebook, with ACE name still present | Source: ELFBAR Facebook
According to a report from Stat, the CEO of ELFBAR announced at a press conference that "this project has raised over $10,000 for ACS". However, ACS stated in a release that they have never agreed to work with ELFBAR and will not accept any donations from them. The association has sent a letter to ELFBAR warning them to remove any marketing strategies that associate them with the organization. Timothy Phillips, ACS Chief Legal Officer, declined to comment to the media.
Earlier this month, ELFBAR was exposed in the UK for its Elfbar 600 watermelon flavored disposable e-cigarettes containing excessive levels of nicotine. Currently, over half of the supermarkets in the UK have removed the implicated products from their shelves.
Additionally, Reynolds Tobacco (parent company of VUSE e-cigarettes) has recently submitted a "citizen petition" to the US FDA, calling for action to be taken against the proliferation of disposable e-cigarettes like ELFBAR among underage populations in the United States.
2FIRSTS will continue to follow this event and attempt to contact both parties involved. Stay tuned for updates.
References:
Vaping manufacturer Elf Bar intends to make a donation to the American Cancer Society, but without receiving funding derived from the tobacco industry.
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