Vuse Digital Vapor Cigarette, commonly known as Vuse, is an electronic cigarette produced by R. J. Reynolds Vapor Company, a subsidiary of Big Tobacco companyReynolds American. In 2015, it was the most popular e-cigarette in the United States with 33 percent market share in Nielsen-tracked channels. Also in 2015, it was the best selling e-cigarette device in convenience stores in the US. However, Vuse lost its top position in 2017, when Juul overtook it to become the most popular e-cigarette in the US., Vuse controls 9.6 percent of the American e-cigarette market, compared to Juul's 72.1 percent market share, according to Nielsen data. The original Vuse digital vapor cigarette has a nicotine content of 4.8 percent, which is high compared to other e-cigarettes available in 2013.
History
R.J. Reynolds launched Vuse in a June 2013press conference, the first time R.J. Reynolds launched a product with a press conference in two decades. R.J. Reynolds promoted Vuse with print, direct mail, and TV advertising, the latter of which is highly unusual for tobacco products in the United States. Vuse was launched in Colorado, but it quickly become available across the rest of the United States. In 2015, Jerod Harris filed a lawsuit against Vuse for " to inform customers of the potential health risks incurred by using the products; specifically, inhalation of the carcinogens formaldehyde and acetaldehyde," a violation of California state law. In April 2018, R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company issued a recall of Vuse Vibe devices. It stated that the batteries of Vuse Vibe vaporizers were malfunctioning and overheating after injuries were reported. The cause of the malfunction has not been disclosed. In August 2018, Vuse launched the Vuse Alto, a pod mod-type vaporizer, which is the variant of e-cigarette that Juul is. The Alto is marketed as a direct competitor to Juul. In 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration started a review process to determine whether R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company's Vuse e-cigarette can claim that it is less risky than tobacco products.
