Adds details on U.S. policy shift, CEO statement and annual guidance from paragraph 2

June 2 (Reuters) - British American Tobacco BATS.L raised its forecast for revenue from smoking alternatives like vapes on Tuesday, partly thanks to strong demand in the United States, where the company is preparing to launch new products after a significant policy shift.

The Lucky Strike and Dunhill cigarette maker has been betting on its Vuse vapes and Velo nicotine pouches to drive growth, but a U.S. policy requiring manufacturers to obtain a licence from the Food and Drug Administration before selling new products has constrained sales in BAT's largest market.

Industry executives had long argued that the policy, which held up product releases in the country, fuelled a vast illegal market dominated by Chinese-made vapes. BAT had previously guided for flat U.S. vape sales this year.

However, the FDA last month said it would use 'enforcement discretion' to look the other way when manufacturers sold unauthorised products, as long as their license applications met certain standards.

"We welcome the FDA's recent prioritisation guidance as an important step toward effective enforcement and expanding market access for responsible products, and we are actively preparing our future Modern Oral and Vapour portfolio for market," CEO Tadeu Marroco said in a statement.

BAT expects first-half and full-year revenue growth from such products to be in the mid-teens, up from its prior forecast of low double-digit growth.

It reaffirmed its 2026 guidance for performance at the lower end of 3-5% revenue growth and 4-6% adjusted operating profit growth.