The UK’s second-largest vape company took down social media accounts after sending vapes to reporters in an online giveaway without age verification.
Chinese government-owned SKE has seen rapid growth in sales of its Crystal Bar disposable vapes, which have been criticised for appealing to children.
In an exclusive interview SKE marketing director Serge Davies said the accounts were taken down for a “review”.
In an exclusive interview SKE marketing director Serge Davies said the accounts were taken down for a “review”.
In supermarkets, newsagents and vape shops, Crystal Bar disposable vapes are everywhere in the UK. Designed to deliver a few hundred puffs of nicotine-containing vapour and then be thrown away, disposable vapes have seen astonishing growth in recent years.
SKE, the partly state-owned Chinese company which makes Crystal Bar, is now the second biggest seller of vapes in the UK, according to new figures from data provider NielsenIQ, selling more than 30 million in the past year. Nielsen’s figures don’t include independent retailers and vape shops – SKE’s true sales figure is thought to be over 100 million.
Giving away free samples has been a key part of its rise – last month it ran an online giveaway on the Discord instant messaging platform, promoted via its Instagram feed. Discord began as a platform for gamers, and has a large number of under-18 users.
BBC reporters entered the competition. They were asked to state that they were over 18, but no further verification was required. Two vapes were then sent in the post.
The UK’s second-largest vape company took down social media accounts after sending vapes to reporters in an online giveaway without age verification.
In an exclusive interview SKE marketing director Serge Davies said the accounts were taken down for a “review”.
Chinese government-owned SKE has seen rapid growth in sales of its Crystal Bar disposable vapes, which have been criticised for appealing to children.
In supermarkets, newsagents and vape shops, Crystal Bar disposable vapes are everywhere in the UK. Designed to deliver a few hundred puffs of nicotine-containing vapour and then be thrown away, disposable vapes have seen astonishing growth in recent years.
In an exclusive interview SKE marketing director Serge Davies said the accounts were taken down for a “review”.
In an exclusive interview SKE marketing director Serge Davies said the accounts were taken down for a “review”.
In supermarkets, newsagents and vape shops, Crystal Bar disposable vapes are everywhere in the UK. Designed to deliver a few hundred puffs of nicotine-containing vapour and then be thrown away, disposable vapes have seen astonishing growth in recent years.
SKE, the partly state-owned Chinese company which makes Crystal Bar, is now the second biggest seller of vapes in the UK, according to new figures from data provider NielsenIQ, selling more than 30 million in the past year. Nielsen’s figures don’t include independent retailers and vape shops – SKE’s true sales figure is thought to be over 100 million.
Giving away free samples has been a key part of its rise – last month it ran an online giveaway on the Discord instant messaging platform, promoted via its Instagram feed. Discord began as a platform for gamers, and has a large number of under-18 users.
BBC reporters entered the competition. They were asked to state that they were over 18, but no further verification was required. Two vapes were then sent in the post.
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