Kenvue Inc.
Kenvue
Kenvue is the world’s largest pure-play consumer health company by revenue.
ID: 393270950351-36
Lobbying Activity
Response to EU cardiovascular health plan
12 Sept 2025
Kenvue supports the European Commissions intention to develop an EU Cardiovascular Health Plan, recognising this as a critical opportunity to implement actions that deliver tangible benefits for individuals, governments, and stakeholders across the EU. Tobacco consumption is the single largest avoidable health risk, and the most significant cause of premature death in the EU, responsible for nearly 700,000 deaths every year. Despite being marketed as safer alternatives to cigarettes, recreational tobacco and nicotine products such as e-cigarettes, vapes, heated tobacco, and snus are contributing to a growing public health crisis, particularly among young people, with serious implications for cardiovascular health. Increasing evidence highlights the harmful effects of nicotine on the cardiovascular system, with long-term use linked to elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, and chronic inflammation all of which are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Products like snus often lead to prolonged nicotine exposure, compounding these risks. The rapid growth and aggressive marketing of these products within the EU is especially concerning. Data from Euromonitor shows that the compound annual growth rate for vape products and nicotine pouches in Europe between 2019 and 2024 reached 27.2% and 71% respectively, reflecting their rising popularity, particularly among youth. This increase is driven largely by perceptions that these products are less harmful, as well as their novelty appeal. EU surveys reveal that between 5.5% and 56.6% of individuals aged 10 to 24 have experimented with e-cigarettes, underscoring how widespread their use is among vulnerable age groups. Early exposure to nicotine is especially harmful to adolescents, whose developing brains are more susceptible to addiction. This can impair memory and increase the likelihood of developing mood disorders, anxiety, and future substance abuse, including alcohol use. Emerging evidence also points to a gateway effect, where early use of nicotine products leads to subsequent cigarette smoking and addiction. Quitting tobacco and nicotine brings immediate and long-term health benefits, reducing risk of serious diseases and improving quality of life. At a community level, it lowers exposure to second-hand smoke and supports healthier environments, especially for children. For the healthcare system, widespread cessation reduces the burden of preventable illness, saving costs and freeing up resources for other critical needs. A recent analysis from the Framingham Heart Study showed that quitting smoking leads to a significant reduction in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Heavy smokers who quit had a 39% lower risk of CVD within five years compared to those who continued smoking, confirming the heart health benefits of cessation. In the short term, smoking causes immediate spikes in blood pressure and heart rate due to nicotines effects, putting acute stress on the cardiovascular system and increasing the risk of sudden heart events. In the long term, chronic smoking accelerates atherosclerosis the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries leading to coronary artery disease (CAD) and other serious cardiovascular conditions. When the harmful substances in cigarette smoke are inhaled, they cause the blood vessels to narrow, raise blood pressure, and increase the risk of atherosclerosis. Smoking also triggers oxidative stress, damages the inner lining of blood vessels (reducing nitric oxide, which normally helps keep vessels relaxed), promotes inflammation, and increases the bloods tendency to clot. Altogether, these effects significantly heighten the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular diseases. Overall, smoking harms the cardiovascular system in both the short and long term, causing anything from acute, life-threatening events to chronic, irreversible damage.
Read full responseMeeting with Ingeborg Ter Laak (Member of the European Parliament)
19 Nov 2024 · Health care
Meeting with Peter Van Kemseke (Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen)
10 Oct 2024 · EB Summit