Demand for oral nicotine pouches growing fast, British American Tobacco says
The pouches come in a variety of flavours and strengths and are designed to be placed between the gum and lip so nicotine can be absorbed through the mouth.
Tadeu Marroco, BAT's chief executive, said he was 'excited' by the launch of loyalty scheme Velo Plus in the US.
'Globally, Velo continues to gain volume share in this fast-growing category, driven by the US and our continued leadership position in AME (Americas & Europe),' he said, highlighting a strong performance in the UK, Scandinavia and Poland.
BAT said it was expecting full-year revenues to grow between 1% and 2% following a stronger-than-expected half-year performance. It had previously forecast growth of 1%.
The company continues to make the bulk of its sales from traditional cigarettes, which include the Pall Mall and Camel brands.
It said the segment remained 'under pressure' with the volume of sales about 9% lower across the industry over the year to date, but that it was gaining market share for brands including Lucky Strike.
Mr Marroco said BAT's vape sales were being affected by 'illicit' products in the US and Canada, which were driving down sales of legal devices.
BAT has previously warned that customers turning to illegal disposable vapes was hurting sales of its own vape product, Vuse, and urged a government crackdown on the market.
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The Sun
24-06-2025
- The Sun
Extremely rare virus that causes RABIES found in bat in UK garden after mum died from disease caught petting dog abroad
THE virus that causes rabies has been found in a bat in a back garden in Britain. The rodent was found in Shorwell on the Isle of Wight and tested tested positive for European Bat Lyssavirus-1 (EBLV-1), an extremely rare virus known to cause the deadly disease in humans. 7 7 7 It comes just days after a grandmother tragically died from rabies following a scratch from a stray puppy while on holiday in Morocco. Meanwhile, the resident who discovered the injured bat used gloves to place it in a shoe box and kept it safely overnight before calling the Isle of Wight Bat Hospital. The animal was collected by volunteers the following day, and Government officials later confirmed it had tested positive for EBLV-1. The Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the bat was humanely put down to prevent any risk of transmission. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) investigated the incident but found no evidence of bites or scratches to humans or other animals. Although EBLV-1 can cause rabies, it is different from the rabies virus most commonly associated with dogs, which causes the majority of cases worldwide. Both EBLV-1 and a similar strain, EBLV-2, are extremely rare and have only been found in a small number of bats in the UK. Experts say the discovery does not change the UK's rabies-free health status, and other mammals are not considered to be at risk. It comes after Yvonne Ford, 59, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, died after unknowingly contracting rabies while abroad earlier this month. She was scratched by a puppy during a trip to Morocco in February but did not believe it was serious at the time. Video of mum dancing on holiday before she died Two weeks before her death, she fell ill with a headache which quickly progressed. Her daughter, Robyn Thomson, revealed that Yvonne lost her ability to walk, talk, sleep, and swallow before she died. Speaking out to raise awareness, Robyn said: 'Our family is still processing this unimaginable loss, but we are choosing to speak up in the hope of preventing this from happening to others.' She added: 'She was scratched very slightly by a puppy in Morocco in February. "At the time, she did not think any harm would come of it and didn't think much of it.' The Bat Conservation Trust explained that the two known strains of lyssavirus found in British bats have only been recorded in 59 of more than 19,000 bats tested since 1986. Only two species—the serotine and Daubenton's bat—have tested positive. EBLV-1 has been detected in serotine bats since 2018, with the first case confirmed in Dorset. Rabies is passed through bites and scratches, or if infected saliva enters a person's eyes, nose, mouth, or an open wound. Symptoms may take weeks or months to appear, but once they do, the disease is almost always fatal. Signs include confusion, hallucinations, paralysis, difficulty swallowing, breathing problems, and numbness around the affected area. Alex Morss, from the Bat Conservation Trust, urged anyone who has been licked, scratched, or bitten by a bat to call the National Bat Helpline on 0345 1300 228 and seek immediate medical advice. He said: 'There is no risk to human health if you do not handle British bats, even if they are roosting in buildings you use. "No action should be taken to disturb or harm any wild bats or their roosts.' Bats in the UK are protected by law and should only be handled by trained and licensed individuals. If a bat is injured or in need of rescue, gloves and a face covering should always be worn. The NHS offers a rabies vaccine, which is 100 per cent effective if given promptly after exposure. In some cases, a treatment called immunoglobulin may be administered directly into the wound. Dr Katherine Russell from the UK Health Security Agency said: 'If you are bitten, scratched or licked by an animal in a country where rabies is found, wash the wound with soap and water immediately and seek medical help without delay.' She added: 'There is no risk to the wider public in relation to this case. "Human cases of rabies are extremely rare in the UK, and worldwide there are no documented instances of direct human-to-human transmission.' Yvonne's family have since shared tributes and videos of her dancing with her grandchildren just weeks before her sudden decline. They hope her story will raise awareness and remind holidaymakers to take animal bites or scratches seriously, especially in countries where rabies is a known threat. What rabies does to the body and how it's treated The infection is common worldwide but is predominantly found in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. Some of the animals that are most likely to spread the disease are dogs, bats, foxes, skunks and raccoons. Symptoms After a bite or other rabies exposure, the virus can take weeks or months to start causing symptoms. This timeframe is what doctors call the incubation period in which the virus is travelling through the body and to the brain. Some of the most common symptoms of rabies include: Fever Headache Excess salivation Muscle spasms paralysis mental confusion The World Health Organization describes two main manifestations of the disease: furious rabies and paralytic rabies. People or animals with furious rabies may appear agitated, become aggressive, and drool excessively, while other symptoms include hyperactivity, fear of water, and even fear of fresh air. The symptoms of paralytic rabies, on the other hand, are more understated—typically causing gradual paralysis as a patient remains calm and lucid. Treatment If you've been bitten or scratched by an animal in an area with a risk of rabies you should immediately clean the wound with running water and soap for several minutes. After this, you must disinfect the wound with an alcohol- or iodine-based disinfectant and apply a simple dressing. After the wound is addressed, you should see a doctor as soon as possible and they will determine if you need a rabies vaccination or not. Post-exposure treatment is nearly 100 per cent effective if it's started before any symptoms of rabies appear. Some cases will require immunoglobulin, which is administered into and around the wound. This provides short-term protection if there is a significant chance of infection in the wound. Treatment should ideally begin within a few hours of being bitten, but can be delayed up to 24 hours if needed 7 7 7 7
Sky News
09-06-2025
- Sky News
Tobacco giant BAT launches quest to smoke out next chairman
The FTSE-100 cigarette-maker British American Tobacco (BAT) is preparing to kick off the search for a new chairman. Sky News has learnt that the owner of Dunhill and Lucky Strike is in the process of picking headhunters to help identify a successor to Luc Jobin. Mr Jobin, a Canadian business veteran, has only chaired BAT since 2021. He has, however, been on its board since 2017, meaning he faces being 'timed out' by the middle of next year under UK corporate governance guidelines which state that directors are no longer deemed independent if they have served for more than nine years. The search for his successor is not expected to conclude until later this year or early 2026, according to insiders. With a market capitalisation of over £77bn, BAT remains one of the largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. It reported half-year results last week showing that full-year revenues were on track to exceed previous guidance to the City. The company's growth is being fuelled by so-called next-generation products such as Velo, a global brand of nicotine pouches. "In the US, I am very pleased that we expect to return to both revenue and profit growth in H1 and FY," Tadeu Marroco, BAT chief executive, said last week. "While Combustibles industry volume remains under pressure, we have stabilised our total industry volume and value share. "Excluding the deep discount segment where we are not present, we are gaining share, driven by Natural American Spirit and Lucky Strike."
North Wales Chronicle
03-06-2025
- North Wales Chronicle
Demand for oral nicotine pouches growing fast, British American Tobacco says
The Velo brand is growing the fastest within its so-called 'new category', which includes non-tobacco products like vapes, the business said. The pouches come in a variety of flavours and strengths and are designed to be placed between the gum and lip so nicotine can be absorbed through the mouth. Tadeu Marroco, BAT's chief executive, said he was 'excited' by the launch of loyalty scheme Velo Plus in the US. 'Globally, Velo continues to gain volume share in this fast-growing category, driven by the US and our continued leadership position in AME (Americas & Europe),' he said, highlighting a strong performance in the UK, Scandinavia and Poland. BAT said it was expecting full-year revenues to grow between 1% and 2% following a stronger-than-expected half-year performance. It had previously forecast growth of 1%. The company continues to make the bulk of its sales from traditional cigarettes, which include the Pall Mall and Camel brands. It said the segment remained 'under pressure' with the volume of sales about 9% lower across the industry over the year to date, but that it was gaining market share for brands including Lucky Strike. Mr Marroco said BAT's vape sales were being affected by 'illicit' products in the US and Canada, which were driving down sales of legal devices. BAT has previously warned that customers turning to illegal disposable vapes was hurting sales of its own vape product, Vuse, and urged a government crackdown on the market.
