Warning from US Association to ELFBAR, $10,000 Donation Rejected

Market
Feb.16.2023
The American Cancer Society (ACS) said the Lighthouse Guardian Program on ELFBAR's website mistakenly used the ACS trademark to imply a partnership with Elfbar. As a result, ELFBAR's official website has deleted all relevant content.

On February 14, the American Cancer Society (ACS) revealed to the American media Stat that the Lighthouse Guardian Program on ELFBAR's official website wrongly used the ACS trademark, which implies that it has a partnership with ELFBAR. As a result, the official website of ELFBAR has replaced all content containing the name of ACS with "non-profit organization." Still, the relevant content in its Facebook post has yet to be deleted or changed.

 

In January this year, ELFBAR launched the Lighthouse Guardian Program to prevent youth from using e-cigarettes. Its official website claims that as long as users click the "Join to Light" button, ELFBAR will donate 10 cents to ACS (the currency on the official website is now converted to British pounds). After clicking the button, the users must leave their mailbox number and a message to ELFBAR. Then the button's content becomes "Thank you for lighting up."

 

Warning from US Association to ELFBAR, $10,000 Donation Rejected
Warning from US Association to ELFBAR, $10,000 Donation Rejected

 

According to Stat, the CEO of ELFBAR said at a conference that "this project has raised more than $10,000 for ACS." However, ACS stated that it never agreed to work with ELFBAR and would not accept donations from it. ACS has now sent a letter to ELFBAR to warn it of its off-shelf-related marketing strategies to distance itself from its relationship with ELFBAR. Timothy Phillips, ACS' chief legal officer, declined to be interviewed by the media.

 

Earlier this month, ELFBAR was exposed in the UK that the nicotine content of its Elfbar 600 watermelon-flavored disposable e-cigarette exceeded the standard. At present, more than half of the supermarkets in the UK have removed the products involved from shelves.


In addition, Reynolds Tobacco (the parent company of VUSE e-cigarettes) recently submitted a "citizen petition" to the US FDA, requesting a crackdown on the proliferation of disposable e-cigarettes such as ELFBAR in the United States.

 

2Firsts will continue to pay attention to this incident and continue to try to contact the two parties involved, so stay tuned.

 

Reference: Vape maker Elf Bar wants to donate to the American Cancer Society, but it doesn't want tobacco money

 

*The content of this article is written after the extraction, compilation and integration of multiple information for exchange and learning purposes. The copyright of the summary information still belongs to the original article and its author. If any infringement is found, please contact us to delete it. 

Virginia Tobacco Retail Permit Takes Effect October 1, Covering Vapes as More Than 3,000 Businesses Apply in September
Virginia Tobacco Retail Permit Takes Effect October 1, Covering Vapes as More Than 3,000 Businesses Apply in September
Virginia's new retail tobacco permit system took effect October 1, requiring sellers of vapes, nicotine products and related devices and accessories to obtain a Retail Tobacco Permit for each business location. Virginia ABC said more than 3,000 businesses applied in September alone, creating a processing backlog. Qualifying applicants that filed before October 1 may temporarily operate under a Letter of Authorization. The new store-level permit also sits alongside Virginia's existing vape product directory, where sales of unlisted liquid nicotine or nicotine vapor products can trigger civil penalties starting at $5,000.
Regulations
Oct.03
U.S. Health Groups Seek to Overturn FDA Enforcement Discretion for Pending PMTAs as Altria's Helix, NJOY and AVM Move to Intervene
U.S. Health Groups Seek to Overturn FDA Enforcement Discretion for Pending PMTAs as Altria's Helix, NJOY and AVM Move to Intervene
American Vapor Manufacturers (AVM) and Altria subsidiaries Helix Innovations and NJOY filed separate motions on October 7, 2026, seeking to intervene on the FDA's side in a lawsuit challenging its enforcement guidance for certain e-cigarette and nicotine pouch products with pending premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs). Seven public health and tobacco-control organizations, including the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, sued the agency in July to overturn the policy. AVM argues that vacating the guidance could disrupt orders, inventory, retail distribution and investments in regulatory submissions.
Regulations
Oct.09
Indiana Halts Sales of Elf Bar, Lost Mary, MR FOG and iJOY Vapes Under Foreign-Adversary Rules; Some Products Return After Compliance Filings
Indiana Halts Sales of Elf Bar, Lost Mary, MR FOG and iJOY Vapes Under Foreign-Adversary Rules; Some Products Return After Compliance Filings
Indiana's Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (ATC) ordered tobacco certificate holders in September to remove certain vaping products marketed under Elf Bar, Lost Mary, MR FOG, iJOY and other brands from inventory under the state's foreign-adversary product law. The agency later listed 257 MR FOG products and 77 Lost Mary product entries as lawful for sale. The Lost Mary revision expressly stated that compliance evidence had been received for 20 additional products. 2Firsts compliance expert Kurt said potential filings could include e-liquid and ingredient-origin records, U.S. nicotine-analog supply-chain documentation and FDA premarket application status.
Regulations
Oct.08
U.S. Rep. Krishnamoorthi Questions FDA Over Planned PMTA Rewrite, Seeks Communications With Altria and Reynolds
U.S. Rep. Krishnamoorthi Questions FDA Over Planned PMTA Rewrite, Seeks Communications With Altria and Reynolds
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi on Oct. 6 questioned the FDA over its plan to reassess and potentially replace the 2021 PMTA regulatory framework, asking the agency to identify provisions it may change or eliminate, state whether current scientific evidentiary standards will be maintained, and disclose communications with Altria, Reynolds and other parties challenging the rule. Krishnamoorthi led a congressional investigation into JUUL and youth vaping in 2019 and has since remained active on e-cigarette regulation and enforcement.
Regulations
Oct.08
Pennsylvania Vape Directory Enforcement Starts Oct. 19, Barring Retail Sales of Unlisted Products
Pennsylvania Vape Directory Enforcement Starts Oct. 19, Barring Retail Sales of Unlisted Products
Pennsylvania's Act 57 vape directory regime will reach the end of its 120-day inventory transition period on Oct. 19. Nicotine-containing e-cigarettes intended for retail sale in the state that are not listed on the Attorney General's ENDS directory will then be barred from retail sale and treated as contraband subject to seizure, forfeiture and destruction. Manufacturers face annual product certification, brand- and style-based fees and a minimum $50,000 surety bond, while retailers and wholesalers must source through licensed channels and monitor the directory.
Regulations
Oct.08
GAO Audit Finds Nearly 132,000 FDA Tobacco Applications Waiting an Average 1,266 Days as Nicotine Pouch Pilot Practices Move Into Vape PMTA Reviews
GAO Audit Finds Nearly 132,000 FDA Tobacco Applications Waiting an Average 1,266 Days as Nicotine Pouch Pilot Practices Move Into Vape PMTA Reviews
A U.S. Government Accountability Office audit found that 131,915 tobacco product applications submitted to the FDA since 2018 remained without a final review as of December 31, 2025, with pending applications waiting an average of 1,266 days. GAO also found FDA lacks the data needed to systematically determine whether scientific reviews meet applicable timelines. HHS agreed to upgrade the agency's tracking systems. At the same time, FDA has begun applying lessons from its nicotine pouch PMTA pilot to e-cigarette reviews, while changes to enforcement policy and electronic submissions are making the specific stage of a PMTA increasingly relevant to market access.
FDA
Oct.03