Future of E-Cigs?

[kren]

Hi, just getting started with vaping and DH and I are really wondering whether this will last. We both are skeptical that the vaping subculture will remain just that: a subculture. I envision a couple of possible scenarios; probably been talked about to death here, but I am having major problems trying to keep up with the traffic on ECF already so I thought I'd just ask for opinions:

1) Big Tobacco moves in, kind of like how Big Business is moving/has moved into the Internet and is trying to profit from it. Big Tobacco works with the government to get e-cigs/e-juice regulated, and becomes the only legal means of buying. Prices skyrocket to equal the cost of cigarettes.

2) E-cigs are banned, which is the scenario I see talked about much more here.

What's the likelihood of the first scenario happening?

Thanks!

 

[echofinder]

On the juice: if selling pre-mix e-juice (as most vendors do) became illegal or non-profitable, I think we would see a swift and impossible-to-challenge response.

1 - Vendors would sell nic-free juice, which is neither a drug nor a tobacco product by any conceivable standard; then they would additionally sell nic concentrate, or worst-case scenario we would have to get nic elsewhere, but that would remain easy to do methinks.

2 - Even if the concept of e-juice itself were banned, that would not stop us. The flavorings are food-grade. PG/VG are dirt cheap and used in EVERYTHING.

On the PV

The e-cig itself is nothing more than a lithium battery and a switch; there are hundreds of people on this forum alone who build custom mods from scratch - the "pieces" of an e-cig could never be banned.

If the e-cig were ever conceivably banned, it would be due to the smoking/nicotine connection; thus, they would have to be sold as simple vaporizers for use with 0mg liquid or possibly as a caffeine delivery system (that was the 2nd thing I researched before buying the eGo haha). There are no fewer than 3 "head shops" within 10 miles of here where I can purchase my choice of bongs or even crack pipes (for non-drug use, obviously...) - though I do not wish for our movement to be relegated to the same dingy sketch-shop culture, I will always be able to buy e-cig products.

 

[echofinder]

I see it as extremely likely that BT will try to get in on the e-cig game, but at the same time I do not care. When I was a smoker, I rolled my own ciggies to save money and quality - there are many dozens of small tobacco providers (Bali Shag anybody?) independent of Phil Morris & the BT companies. If the e-cig thing does take off in a big way, I guarantee like 90% of vapers will use shoddy disposables or whatever garbage PM will put out, but we and the providers we love will remain prosperous. We will be like people who smoke pipes, in relation to those who smoke cigs.

Only one thing is fact: e-cigs WILL be regulated, and they WILL be taxed. And, considering that nicotine is a very toxic chemical & a 1100mAh battery can do A LOT of damage if something goes wrong with it, I do not think regulations are wholly unwarranted. If they skyrocket tax the juice, I will simply make my own (when cig prices topped $5 a pack in MD, I began to roll my own for $9 a CARTON).

Where there is a will, there is a way. When nicotine is involved, THERE IS A WILL!

 

[bmwjen]

I honestly don't know where the ecig industry will go from here. I do love the modding community, and the DIY community & can forsee myself always having "the hook up" to get what I need, when I need it.

I honestly stockpile. I've got attys for months. I've got 6 rebuildable atomizers. I've got nic freezing in blue glass bottles, & know where to get my organic flavoring.

If worse comes to worse, tobacco is a plant that grows just like a weed. I'll grow tobacco at my house, then extract it.

The way I see it........as long as i've got batteries for my mods i'm fine.

Well, then there is my solar mod.............so, even if there is no electricity.........my solar mod will charge and vape by sunlight or ambient light.

I've tried to cover all the bases. If I leave anything out on my preparation for the apocolypse, please let me know.

 

[kren]

Thanks, guys, sorry to post and disappear -- I subscribed to the thread but never got notified of a reply. Yes, I see BT getting in the game also, but I also see the wisdom in stockpiling for the tobaccopalypse.

Peace

 

[olfajarley]

My concern is a huge tax on the Nicotine taking away the financial benefits of the e-cig. Just look at how expensive the patchs and the nic gum is. Now that's not a tax but lets face it $ are $ whether it goes directly to the government or to the red tape section like the FDA. This industry is unregulated and I am sure the powers that be will only wait so long before they have there hand out

 

[rainbow_soul]

If BT joins the "game", we will have a big problem. We all don't know exactly, what is in the analog cigs. We know some things, all the dangerous things and stuff, that works as an addiction enhancer.

If they produce eliquids, we will never know, what we vape. And then vaping could become really dangerous.

 

[denali_41]

actually i expect big pharma to be the ones to get into the blender

 

[rainbow_soul]

actually i expect big pharma to be the ones to get into the blender

That would be equally bad for us - I don't want to buy my juice with prescription only.

 

[bsidb]

big tobacco, big pharma, bad news

 

[Startle]

I honestly don't know where the ecig industry will go from here. I do love the modding community, and the DIY community & can forsee myself always having "the hook up" to get what I need, when I need it.

I honestly stockpile. I've got attys for months. I've got 6 rebuildable atomizers. I've got nic freezing in blue glass bottles, & know where to get my organic flavoring.

If worse comes to worse, tobacco is a plant that grows just like a weed. I'll grow tobacco at my house, then extract it.

The way I see it........as long as i've got batteries for my mods i'm fine.

Well, then there is my solar mod.............so, even if there is no electricity.........my solar mod will charge and vape by sunlight or ambient light.

I've tried to cover all the bases. If I leave anything out on my preparation for the apocolypse, please let me know.

Awesome! My plan would be to be your neighbor then

 

[tinajfreeman]

My concern is a huge tax on the Nicotine taking away the financial benefits of the e-cig. Just look at how expensive the patchs and the nic gum is. Now that's not a tax but lets face it $ are $ whether it goes directly to the government or to the red tape section like the FDA. This industry is unregulated and I am sure the powers that be will only wait so long before they have there hand out

Simple, when the tax is on the horizon we all buy a three year supply of nic and put it in the freezer. I even have a chest freezer

 

[tinajfreeman]

If BT joins the "game", we will have a big problem. We all don't know exactly, what is in the analog cigs. We know some things, all the dangerous things and stuff, that works as an addiction enhancer.

If they produce eliquids, we will never know, what we vape. And then vaping could become really dangerous.

I will NEVER buy juice from BT. I'll just make it myself if I have to.

 

[Spazmelda]

There's news just out today that lorillard (Makers of newports) just bought Blu.

 

[lorikay13]

blu ecigs the leading electronic cigarette company acquired by Lorillard - PR Newswire - The Sacramento Bee

Lorillard Buys Blu Ecigs; Profit Falls - WSJ.com

Lorillard 1Q Net Off 10%; Buying E-Cigarette Maker For $135 Million | Fox Business

 

[thall12]

I thought Blu cigs sucked anyway from my experience.

 

[Xenos]

Personally, I expect things to get very regulated, and probably very taxed as well. That is the whole reason Moonshine is not 'zactly legal-they are not paying taxes.

As far as BT buying into PV-it's indifferent I am to that situation. I have no issues with BT-hell, they practically payed for my state.

I had honestly hoped that I would see less demonization of BT on a forum of this nature. Look, I am not saying that BT is Saintly, and should be given a free pass to do as they please, but by the same token, I do not think they are some evil organization out to kill us all in our sleep.

That is not a very good business model.

As far as addiction-enhancing chemicals going into the liquids, meh, I could, in theory, make my own. It really cannot be much harder than brewing beer/making soda.

In short, it's none too worried I am.

Then again, I have always been a bit of an idealist.

 

[kingcobra]

Well up here in Canada it isn't legal to import or sell e-juice, but we still have a thriving market. The government has tried to shut down a few operations but more just spring up and they now just leave them alone pretty much. You can order from the USA or China and most shipments get through no problem, they just seize the odd one but that's just the price of doing business.

I can't see vaping ever going away, it's just too popular with those of us in the know, and the most the government can do is to drive it underground. Governments have failed completely in getting rid of anything in fact, and the black market always steps in when needed. So I really don't worry about any of this stuff, and in fact by looking to push for more regulation we are just asking for more trouble.

 

[Petrodus]

What's the future for E-cigarettes?
Go to the Blu e-cigarette website ...
Spend some time there clicking on all the links on their menu

 

[cliff5550]

We had the same fears and concerns when we first switched from cigarettes to ecigs three years ago. Rumors flew that there could be a total crackdown on ecigs and the FDA was attacking on all fronts. We stocked up, for a time. Since that time ecig use and the quality of ecigs has grown even more. People who never heard of ecigs back then now pretty much know someone who uses an ecig and awareness has grown. The Blu-Lorillard news is the first sign BT has tired of bad mouthing ecigs (and they did) and are beginning to face reality. Count us among those who fear BT does not and will not have our best interests at heart.