Special Notice
1. This article is intended strictly for internal industry exchanges and information sharing within the vaping/tobacco trade, and does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any brand or product.
2. All images and visuals presented herein are solely used for objective factual description and news reporting, and do not serve as commercial advertising or marketing for any product.
3. Access to this content by minors is strictly prohibited.
Key Points
● The rollout comprises Peach, Berry, Watermelon and Fresh Mint Vuse Pro pods, not a new Vuse Pro device.
● Each pod contains 2.0 mL of e-liquid at approximately 5.0% nicotine by weight and is intended for use with Vuse Alto devices.
● R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company requires retailers to scan identification for every purchase and apply purchase limits and stronger retailer-accountability requirements.
● The four pods have not received FDA marketing authorization. Reynolds said they are under FDA review and were introduced in line with the agency’s May 2026 enforcement guidance.
● BAT plans to cover about 25,000 U.S. retail outlets in the third quarter of 2026 and add approximately 25,000 in the fourth quarter.
Update Notice: This article was first published on September 9, 2026, and updated on September 10 following clarification from R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company and a review of relevant public records. Details of the revisions appear at the end.
2Firsts
September 10, 2026
According to information provided to 2Firsts by R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company on September 10, 2026, the company has introduced four flavored Vuse Pro pods in Ohio and selected other U.S. markets. The rollout covers pods only, not a new Vuse Pro device, and retailers must scan customer identification for every purchase.
STAT reported on September 8 that its journalist found Peach, Berry, Watermelon and Fresh Mint Vuse Pro pods at a GetGo gas station and convenience store in suburban Ohio. Reynolds told STAT that the products were available in Ohio and selected other markets but did not identify all the states involved or disclose how many stores currently carried them.
R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company, or RJRVC, is an operating company of Reynolds American Inc., BAT’s U.S. subsidiary.
Four 5% Pods for Vuse Alto Devices
The Vuse U.S. website describes Vuse Pro products as pre-filled pods intended for use with Vuse Alto devices. It also says Vuse Alto devices are intended for use with Vuse Alto and Vuse Pro pods.
Parameter | Specification |
Company | R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company |
Parent company | Reynolds American Inc. |
Brand | Vuse |
Product | Vuse Pro pods |
Category | Closed-system pre-filled pods |
Flavors | Peach, Berry, Watermelon and Fresh Mint |
E-liquid capacity | 2.0 mL per pod, according to product labeling |
Nicotine concentration | Approximately 5.0% NBW |
Compatible device | Vuse Alto devices |
Initial markets | Ohio and selected other U.S. markets |
FDA status | Not marketing authorized |
Vuse defines NBW as the approximate percentage of nicotine by weight at the time of manufacture. R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company told 2Firsts that product labeling lists an e-liquid capacity of 2.0 mL per pod.
FDA issued seven marketing granted orders to R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company in July 2024. They covered the Vuse Alto Power Unit and six Vuse Alto tobacco-flavored pods: Golden Tobacco and Rich Tobacco at three nicotine concentrations each.
The Peach, Berry, Watermelon and Fresh Mint Vuse Pro pods do not appear on FDA’s current list of authorized e-cigarettes.
ID Scanning Required at Retail
R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company said it introduced the new pods in selected states where Vuse products were already sold, consistent with applicable state regulations.
Measures accompanying the rollout include:
● Mandatory ID scanning for every purchase;
● Purchase limits;
● Stronger retailer-accountability requirements; and
● Age-restricted marketing standards.
The company said expanding choices for adult nicotine consumers should be accompanied by measures intended to prevent underage access.
The measures apply to retail sales and marketing. The newly introduced Vuse Pro pods do not contain age-verification technology, and the rollout does not include a device requiring activation through the Vuse Pro App.
BAT Plans Two-Stage Rollout Across About 50,000 Stores
BAT disclosed plans for new Vuse flavors in the United States before the products appeared in Ohio stores.
In its 2026 interim results materials, BAT said it planned to introduce a selected range of adult-focused Vuse flavors across about 25,000 U.S. retail outlets in the third quarter, followed by approximately 25,000 additional outlets in the fourth quarter. Participating retailers would be required to verify customer identification.
The figures describe BAT’s planned retail coverage for the two stages of the second-half rollout. The company has not disclosed how many stores currently carry the four Vuse Pro pods.
BAT reported that Vuse U.S. revenue rose 20% in the first half of 2026. Its value share of tracked rechargeable closed-system consumables increased by 4.1 percentage points from the end of 2025 to 55.9%. BAT partly attributed the performance to stronger federal and state enforcement against unauthorized e-cigarettes.
2024 Vuse Pro Device Was a Separate Product Filing
R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company announced in June 2024 that it had completed PMTA submissions for a Vuse Pro device and related platform.
The company said consumers would have to complete age verification through the Vuse Pro App and a third-party service before the device could be unlocked. It also described auto-lock and proximity-lock functions and said the device could be used with compatible Vuse Pro pods.
Reynolds said the submission contained nearly 80,000 pages of scientific evidence across 97 studies.
R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company confirmed that the 2026 rollout covers pods only. Publicly available information does not show that the Vuse Pro device described in 2024 has entered U.S. retail distribution. It also does not establish whether the four pods now on sale are the same product versions included in the 2024 submissions.
Pods Remain Without FDA Marketing Authorization
FDA issued final guidance in May 2026 revising its enforcement priorities for certain unauthorized e-cigarettes and nicotine pouch products.
Under the guidance, FDA generally does not intend to prioritize enforcement of the premarket authorization requirement against certain products whose applications have been accepted and filed and that meet other specified conditions. Non-tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes are subject to additional data requirements.
R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company said the four Vuse Pro pods are under FDA scientific review and were introduced in select states in line with the guidance.
FDA states that unauthorized new tobacco products are illegally marketed. The guidance sets enforcement priorities; it does not grant marketing authorization or indicate whether a product will ultimately be authorized.
Public FDA records do not identify the individual application numbers for the four pods. 2Firsts could not independently determine from those records whether each product meets all the conditions set out in the guidance.
Industry Perspective
The rollout expands the selection of pods available for the Vuse Alto platform without adding new hardware. The existing Vuse Alto device can be used with the four Vuse Pro pods, but FDA’s authorization of the Alto Power Unit does not extend to the new consumables.
The retail ID-scanning requirement also differs from the Vuse Pro device system announced in 2024. The current controls operate at the point of sale, while the earlier device filing combined age verification with app-based activation and device-locking functions.
Compatibility, youth-access controls and regulatory status remain separate: the pods work with Alto devices, retailers must verify purchasers’ identities, and each new pod still requires its own FDA marketing authorization.
Follow 2Firsts for the latest developments in global vaping and next-generation nicotine products, product launches, innovation, technology and market trends.
Cover image source:BAT
Cover image source: BAT
Correction Note
The initial version of this article described the U.S. introduction as the simultaneous launch of a Vuse Pro device and pod system and associated the newly introduced pods with app-based age verification, auto-lock and proximity-lock functions.
R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company told 2Firsts that the launch covers four Vuse Pro pods — Peach, Berry, Watermelon and Fresh Mint — and does not include a new Vuse Pro device. The pods do not contain age-verification technology and are intended for use with existing Vuse Alto devices. Age verification takes place at retail through measures including ID scanning for every purchase, purchase limits, stronger retailer-accountability requirements and age-restricted marketing standards. The company also said each pod contains 2.0 mL of e-liquid.
2Firsts has revised the headline, summary, key points and body of the article, identified R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company as the company responsible for the rollout, and separated the current pod launch from the Vuse Pro device with app-based age verification submitted to FDA in 2024. R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company is an operating company of Reynolds American Inc., BAT’s U.S. subsidiary.
The four flavored Vuse Pro pods have not received FDA marketing authorization. The company said they are under FDA scientific review and were introduced in line with the agency’s May 2026 enforcement guidance. The guidance sets FDA’s enforcement priorities; it does not authorize the products for marketing.
2Firsts regrets that the initial version did not present these distinctions with sufficient clarity and thanks R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company for providing further clarification.
Disclaimer
This article is provided solely for professional research, industry discussion, and informational purposes. Any references to brands, companies, products, technologies, or policies are made for factual reporting and analytical purposes only, and do not constitute endorsement, recommendation, promotion, or advertising by 2Firsts.
Nicotine-containing products, including but not limited to cigarettes, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches, carry significant health risks. Readers are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations in their respective jurisdictions, including age restrictions and access limitations.
The information contained in this article should not be regarded as investment, legal, medical, regulatory, or commercial advice. While 2Firsts strives to ensure the accuracy and reliability of its content, it does not assume liability for any direct or indirect loss arising from errors, omissions, inaccuracies, or reliance on the information contained herein.
This article is not intended for individuals below the legal age for accessing tobacco or nicotine-related information in their jurisdiction.
Copyright Notice
This article is either original content produced by 2Firsts or content reproduced, translated, summarized, or adapted from third-party sources with attribution where applicable. The intellectual property rights of the original content remain with 2Firsts or the respective original rights holders.
No individual or organization may copy, reproduce, distribute, republish, modify, translate, or otherwise use this content without prior authorization. Any unauthorized use may result in legal action.
For copyright-related inquiries, corrections, or removal requests, please contact: info@2firsts.com.
AI-Assisted Translation and Editing Notice
Portions of this article may have been translated, edited, or reviewed with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools to improve efficiency and readability. Due to the limitations of AI-assisted translation and editing, discrepancies, omissions, or inaccuracies may exist when compared with the original source.
Where applicable, readers are advised to refer to the original source for the most complete and accurate information. If you identify any errors or believe that any content infringes upon your rights, please contact us at info@2firsts.com, and we will review and address the matter promptly.
