NJOY

Last updated
NJOY, LLC
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Electronic Cigarettes
Founded2007;17 years ago (2007)
Headquarters Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
Key people
Shannon Leistra, Chief Executive Officer
Parent Altria Group (2023-present)
Website www.njoy.com

NJOY, LLC is an American company that manufactures and distributes electronic cigarettes and vaping products. In 2017, NJOY acquired the assets of NJOY, Inc., one of the first companies to sell e-cigarettes. On June 1, 2023, the company was acquired by Altria Group. [1]

Contents

History

NJOY, founded in 2007, was one of the first major e-cigarette brands in the US. [2] [3]

In 2010, the company won a landmark lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration. The decision by the US Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling finding that the FDA lacked authority to regulate electronic cigarettes as drugs or medical devices, absent therapeutic claims. The court further held that FDA could seek to regulate electronic cigarettes via the FDA's authority under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, as argued by NJOY. [4]   In response, FDA announced that it would accept the Court of Appeals decision and would regulate the category under the Tobacco Control Act rather than under the agency's drug jurisdiction. The lawsuit thereby established the legal framework for the electronic cigarette/vaping industry.

Originally NJOY achieved commercial success following the resolution of its lawsuit with FDA.  Much of this early success was due to well-received launch of the NJOY KING, a disposable electronic cigarette in a package and form factor that looks like a cigarette. Main product features included a white paper wrapping, a faux filter, and a red “ember” that lights when you draw. The King had no button to push and nothing to charge. The King brought in $90 million in revenue in 2013. By 2014, NJOY was ranked number one by IRI in US vaping retail sales with over 90,000 points of distribution. [5] NJOY's stated mission is to “make smoking history.” NJOY supplies e-cigarettes for independent, government-funded studies on smoking and e-cigarettes. [6] [7]

In 2022, the FDA authorized several NJOY e-cigarette products to be legally marketed in the U.S. [8] [9]

In 2023, Altria Group acquired 100% control of NJOY. [10]

Products

In the years following the King's launch, NJOY expanded its product offerings to include open system vape liquids, a closed system vape device called the PFT, a new disposable electronic cigarette called the DAILY, a rechargeable device called the LOOP, and a pod-based vape device called the ACE.

NJOY's current leading products are the DAILY, LOOP and ACE:

People

The company's early individual investors include Sean Parker, Peter Thiel, Douglas Teitelbaum [11] and Bruno Mars. [12]

In 2013, former Surgeon General and physician Richard Carmona joined the company's Board of Directors, also serving in a scientific advisory role. [13]

In 2015, NJOY named former Global President and General Manager of Pfizer's Consumer Health Care Business, Paul Sturman as CEO & President. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaporizer (inhalation device)</span> Device to vaporize substances for inhalation

A vaporizer or vaporiser, colloquially known as a vape, is a device used to vaporize substances for inhalation. Plant substances can be used, commonly cannabis, tobacco, or other herbs or blends of essential oil. However, they are most commonly filled with a combination propylene glycol, glycerin, and drugs such as nicotine or tetrahydrocannabinol as a liquid solution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic cigarette</span> Device that vaporizes a liquid nicotine solution for inhalation

An electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or vape is a device that simulates tobacco smoking. It consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container such as a cartridge or tank. Instead of smoke, the user inhales vapor. As such, using an e-cigarette is often called "vaping". The atomizer is a heating element that vaporizes a liquid solution called e-liquid, which quickly cools into an aerosol of tiny droplets, vapor and air. The vapor mainly comprises propylene glycol and/or glycerin, usually with nicotine and flavoring. Its exact composition varies, and depends on several things including user behavior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. government and smoking cessation</span>

There are smoking cessation policy initiatives by the United States government at federal, state and local levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regulation of electronic cigarettes</span>

Regulation of electronic cigarettes varies across countries and states, ranging from no regulation to banning them entirely. As of 2015, around two thirds of major nations have regulated e-cigarettes in some way. A 2023 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that 34 countries had banned the sale of e-cigarettes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blu (electronic cigarette)</span> Electronic cigarette brand

Blu is an electronic cigarette brand, produced by Fontem Ventures and owned by Imperial Brands. The brand Blu sells various types of rechargeable and disposable e-cigarettes with a wide selection of flavored and unflavored liquids. Its products are available in many countries and each market offers different types of products suited to public demand and opportunities. The global headquarters of Blu is located in Amsterdam. Local offices are active around the world to service all markets which sell the brand.

The health effects of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) include a range of potential risks such as exposure to toxic chemicals, the possibility of increased likelihood of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and concerns about their possible role in cancer development. Upon their introduction, there were marketing claims that they were a safer alternative to traditional tobacco products.

The scientific community in the United States and Europe are primarily concerned with the possible effect of electronic cigarette use on public health. There is concern among public health experts that e-cigarettes could renormalize smoking, weaken measures to control tobacco, and serve as a gateway for smoking among youth. The public health community is divided over whether to support e-cigarettes, because their safety and efficacy for quitting smoking is unclear. Many in the public health community acknowledge the potential for their quitting smoking and decreasing harm benefits, but there remains a concern over their long-term safety and potential for a new era of users to get addicted to nicotine and then tobacco. There is concern among tobacco control academics and advocates that prevalent universal vaping "will bring its own distinct but as yet unknown health risks in the same way tobacco smoking did, as a result of chronic exposure", among other things.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Construction of electronic cigarettes</span> Engineering and chemistry of e-cigarettes

An electronic cigarette is a handheld battery-powered vaporizer that simulates smoking, but without tobacco combustion. E-cigarette components include a mouthpiece, a cartridge, a heating element/atomizer, a microprocessor, a battery, and some of them have an LED light on the end. An atomizer consists of a small heating element, or coil, that vaporizes e-liquid and a wicking material that draws liquid onto the coil. When the user inhales a flow sensor activates the heating element that atomizes the liquid solution; most devices are manually activated by a push-button. The e-liquid reaches a temperature of roughly 100–250 °C (212–482 °F) within a chamber to create an aerosolized vapor. The user inhales an aerosol, which is commonly but inaccurately called vapor, rather than cigarette smoke. Vaping is different from smoking, but there are some similarities, including the hand-to-mouth action of smoking and an aerosol that looks like cigarette smoke. The aerosol provides a flavor and feel similar to tobacco smoking. There is a learning curve to use e-cigarettes properly. E-cigarettes are cigarette-shaped, and there are many other variations. E-cigarettes that resemble pens or USB memory sticks are also sold that may be used unobtrusively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Composition of electronic cigarette aerosol</span>

The chemical composition of the electronic cigarette aerosol varies across and within manufacturers. Limited data exists regarding their chemistry. However, researchers at Johns Hopkins University analyzed the vape clouds of popular brands such as Juul and Vuse, and found "nearly 2,000 chemicals, the vast majority of which are unidentified."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vape shop</span> Shop selling vaping products

A vape shop is a retail outlet specializing in the selling of vaping products, though shops selling derived psychoactive cannabis products have increased in the United States since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. There are also online vape shops. A vape shop offers a range of vaping products. The majority of vape shops do not sell vaping products that are from "Big Tobacco" companies. In 2013, online search engine searches on vape shops surpassed searches on e-cigarettes. Around a third of all sales of vaping products in one US state took place in vape shops. Big Tobacco believes the independent vape market is a threat to their interests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juul</span> American electronic cigarette manufacturer

Juul Labs, Inc. is an American electronic cigarette company that spun off from Pax Labs in 2017. Juul Labs makes the Juul electronic cigarette, which atomizes nicotine salts derived from tobacco supplied by one-time use cartridges.

Vuse is an electronic cigarette produced by R. J. Reynolds Vapor Company, a subsidiary of the Reynolds American tobacco company. In 2015, it was the most popular e-cigarette in the United States with 33% market share in Nielsen-tracked channels. However, Vuse lost its top position in 2017, when Juul overtook it to become the most popular e-cigarette in the US. As of August 2018, Vuse controlled 10% percent of the American e-cigarette market, compared to Juul's 72% market share. By September 2023, however, Vuse's market share stood at 41.5% versus Juul's 24.7% market share.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pod mod</span> Type of electronic cigarette

Pod mods are a type of electronic cigarette used to vape nicotine through a mouthpiece connected to the body of the device by magnets. These devices are a newer generation of e-cigarettes that are often marketed to a younger crowd that do not wish to attract attention gained through regular e-cigarettes or traditional tobacco-burning cigarettes. Pod mods contain a disposable cartridge and coils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019–2020 vaping lung illness outbreak</span> Outbreak of vaping-associated pulmonary injury

An outbreak of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) started in 2019 among users of illegal, unregulated cannabis vaping products, almost exclusively in the United States. The first cases of this particular outbreak were identified in Illinois and Wisconsin in April 2019; as of 18 February 2020, a total of 2,807 hospitalized cases, including 68 deaths, have been confirmed. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), "Vitamin E acetate is strongly linked to the EVALI outbreak...Evidence is not sufficient to rule out the contribution of other chemicals of concern, including chemicals in either THC or non-THC products, in some of the reported EVALI cases".

Electronic cigarettes are marketed to smoking and non-smoking men, women, and children as being safer than cigarettes. In the 2010s, large tobacco businesses accelerated their marketing spending on vape products, similar to the strategies traditional cigarette companies used in the 1950s and 1960s.

Nicotine salts are salts formed from nicotine and an acid. They are found naturally in tobacco leaves. Various acids can be used, leading to different conjugate bases paired with the ammonium form of nicotine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puff Bar</span> E-cigarette

Puff Bar is a brand of disposable electronic cigarette. As of 2021, Puff Bar was the second most popular e-cigarette brand after Juul in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act</span> Law regulating the use of nicotine

The Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act, officially recorded as Republic Act No. 11900, is a law in the Philippines which aims to regulate the "importation, sale, packaging, distribution, use and communication of vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products and novel tobacco products", such as electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products. It lapsed into law on July 25, 2022. As a proposed measure, the law was known as the Vape Regulation Bill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veev</span> Electronic cigarette brand

Veev is a brand of electronic cigarettes manufactured by Philip Morris International (PMI).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elf Bar</span> Chinese brand of electronic cigarettes

Elf Bar is an electronic cigarette brand manufactured by the Chinese firm iMiracle Shenzhen. Also sold as EBDesign and EBCreate, the vapes are characterized by their fruity flavors and colorful appearance. Although the brand is best known for its disposable vapes, reusable variants are also available but are not as popular.

References

  1. "Altria Completes Acquisition of NJOY Holdings, Inc.; Updates 2023 Full-Year Earnings Guidance". Yahoo! Finance. June 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  2. Richtel, Matt (2013-10-26) (26 October 2013). "The E-Cigarette Industry, Waiting to Exhale". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-03-18.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. Sanburn, Josh (8 January 2013). "Can Electronic Cigarettes Challenge Big Tobacco?". Time. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  4. Don, Jeffrey (2010-12-07) (7 December 2010). "FDA Loses Appeal, Can't Regulate E-Cigarettes as Drug". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2016-03-18.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. "Why the Tobacco Giants Remain Among the Best Dividend Stocks". The Motley Fool. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  6. NIDA. "How to Order the Standardized Research E-Cigarette (SREC)" . Retrieved 2018-11-11.
  7. NIDA (2018, January 12) (12 January 2018). "Available Soon: NIDA's E-Cigarette" . Retrieved 2018-12-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. "FDA Issues Marketing Decisions on NJOY Daily E-Cigarette Products". U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2022-08-11. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  9. "FDA Issues Marketing Decisions on NJOY Ace E-Cigarette Products". U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2022-08-11. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  10. "Altria Group Inc.to acquire Scottsdale-based e-cigarette maker NJOY". The Business Journals. 2023-03-09.
  11. Biggs, John (2014-02-28) (March 2014). "E-Cig Maker NJOY Raises $70 Million". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2016-03-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. Moreno, Carolina (2013-06-03) (3 June 2013). "Bruno Mars Invests In NJOY Electronic Cigarette Company, Started Using Product For Mom". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2016-03-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. "Carmona joining e-cigarette board". POLITICO. 2013-03-24. Associated Press. 24 March 2013. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  14. "NJOY Names Sturman as CEO & President". CSP Daily News. Retrieved 2015-01-26.