JUUL Labs, the leading start-up in vaping technology in the United States, has continued its rapid growth in Ireland as it announced a new partnership with Applegreen plc, the Irish leading forecourt and convenience retailer.
JUUL will go on sale in 125 Applegreen stores across Ireland from today, offering a switching option for the country's 830,000 adult smokers, as JUUL Labs takes another step in its mission to improve the lives of the one billion adult smokers worldwide.
Currently, 22% of Irish people smoke and in 2013, Ireland committed to reducing that figure to 5% and becoming “tobacco-free” by 2025. However, latest estimates suggest this target will not be met until 2052 at the earliest. Meanwhile, every week, over 100 people die in Ireland (almost 6,000 annually) as a direct result of smoking.
Indeed, smoking remains the largest public health problem and the primary cause of preventable death in Western countries, which is why many leading health organisations support vaping as an alternative to tobacco. Public Health England, a body of the UK Ministry of Health, asserts that vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking and entities such as the American Cancer Society and the UK College of Physicians also recognise the potential of vaping as a harm reduction alternative to combustible cigarettes.
Gareth Smyth, General Manager of JUUL Labs Ireland, says: “We are delighted to be working with Applegreen as we continue our Irish expansion and this partnership is a prime example of how convenience retailers are embracing our mission to improve the lives of Ireland’s 830,000 smokers. Our aim is to be available in as many outlets that sell cigarettes as possible – as long as they adhere to our “Challenge 25” policy – in order to help adult smokers make the switch from cigarettes. Furthermore, we fully support the introduction of legislation to prevent the sale of e-cigarettes to under-18s.
Cigarette sales decline in Ireland
“Tobacco causes millions of deaths worldwide, killing nearly 6,000 people in Ireland every year and our mission is to improve smokers’ lives and ultimately eliminate cigarettes. We are encouraged to see a 5% year on year decline in Irish cigarette sales so far this year, mirroring the recent historical declines in the USA, where millions of smokers have already made the switch. The launch of JUUL in Ireland, and our continued expansion, are important steps towards our goals and towards helping Ireland reach its tobacco-free targets.”
Leigh Hewerdine, Head of Trading at Applegreen says: “At Applegreen we are always striving to give our customers choice along with convenience, so we are pleased to add another innovative product to our offering. If as a business we can help adult smokers make the switch to a more positive lifestyle choice, then we are delighted to support our customers with this. Applegreen is a responsible retailer and as such we allow our customers make informed choices about the purchases they make.”
JUUL is a simple, functional and portable device with unique technology. Through a closed vaping system with capsules (pods) and a patented temperature control design, it provides users with a consistent and satisfying experience. JUUL does not combust or contain tobacco and therefore does not produce the associated carbon monoxide and 7,000+ harmful components present in traditional cigarettes. JUUL contains nicotine, which is an addictive substance, but is not associated with the multiple health issues of tobacco smoking.
The functional design makes it easy to switch from combustible tobacco, while the carefully selected range of flavours, developed specifically for adult palates, assist in the switch by including flavours that move away from the tastes of traditional cigarettes. Irish smokers can now purchase a full range of JUUL products in Applegreen stores nationwide, including a starter kit, device kit and six JUUL Pod flavours: Alpine Berry, Apple Orchard, Golden Tobacco, Glacier Mint, Mango Nectar and Royal Crème.
Challenge 25
JUUL products are appropriate only for adult smokers looking to switch and no non-nicotine users, most especially youth, should ever try JUUL. JUUL Labs Irish operations are underpinned by its industry-leading code of practice, to ensure responsible and restrictive advertising, marketing and age-gated product access. All retail partners must comply with JUUL Labs’ “Challenge 25” policy, whereby any customer who looks under the age of 25 must produce ID to prove they are over the age of 18, and retailers will be regularly monitored through an auditing programme to ensure adherence.
