With all the conflicting political interests and money to be made, or lost, depending on which camp your in....what's your best guess as to what the world will look like from the e-cig users perspective in say.... 10 years.
Limited availability with prescription only? No DIY supplies and pre filled carts only? Tobacco companies taking over the industry? Across the board ban?
What's your best guess?
Given my review of some of the threads in this legal section of the forum, I think it is likely that eCigs are headed in direction of being regulated as a tobacco product regardless of what some vapers think. And apparently some vapers are convinced it is a tobacco product (legally speaking).
My point remains that we are doing this to ourselves / have already done it to ourselves (via smoked tobacco).
Here are things that I think most everyone agrees with (includes vapers, smokers, ex-smokers and non-smokers):
1 - Nicotine is a drug
2 - Nicotine is an addictive drug
3 - Nicotine in the form of smoking tobacco creates second hand smoke that is potentially harmful to all persons within vicinity of that smoke
4 - Kids ought not to be exposed to the dangers inherent in 1 thru 3.
There's not really fine points of discussion in #1 and #2, and I don't think many would try to approach any fine points with those. #3 is, I believe, at the heart of the issue and is summed up with the words "potentially harmful." There are enough fine points here, especially as it relates to vaping, to fill an entire e-cig forum. From the non-smoking persons in society, all the fine points and seeming justifications for allowing vaping in society is simply likely to fall on deaf ears. Education helps, but could also open door (likely already has) to the 'potential harm' to others with eCig usage. I reckon that vapers, like myself, will exercise own versions of 'plausible deniability' when it comes to matters of potential harm. And in some instances, especially when it comes to 'secondhand smoke' (or secondhand vapor) we will carry the torch for those who seek to rid society of this evil and its perceived harm, deemed actual and serious.
#4 is what we are up against politically and is where I think we will lose, because of our mixed opinions with regards to #3. Therefore self regulation is a wonderful concept, but is impractical and not something for vapers / nic users to be deemed a reasonable authority on. As this is 'our country' and majority of us are non-nicotine users, their voice, however unreasonable / uneducated it may appear to us users, will win. If they align with us, we rejoice. If they do not align with us, we feel violated that our fundamental freedoms are being taken away.
My best guess: majority of vapers, like smokers, will (eventually) go along with heavy regulation and accept policies that ban vaping from all public places and places that are essentially shared residences (apartment units, condos, etc.). The tobacco loving vapers will have little to no issue with flavored liquids being restricted / banned. The market for vaping products will continue for awhile, perhaps indefinitely. It may be underground, or it may be a protected market (more likely). It will not be an open market for much longer. Ex-vapers will start to become part of the social fabric. Some will be all in favor of vaping as healthier alternative to smoking, and along those lines some will be in favor of the right to vape. Other ex-vapers will downplay the right of vapers and essentially view those still vaping as caught up in cycle of addiction and displaying no concern for their habit and how it may (or may not) impact society as a whole. They will show up as anti-vaping nazis to current vapers.
The battle will continue to show up as one between rights of vapers and some in society who are agents empowered to protect our children. This will be the superficial battle, and the one that will be most visible.
The actual battle is the one that confronts each individuals own attitudes around 'perceived harm.' And if smoking issues are of any historical guide, then this battle will lead to vapers / ex-vapers carrying the torch for non-nicotine addicts who feel strongly there is some harm to this and it is best not to have these devices and products around at all. An outright ban will never work, but a self imposed ban, especially among vapers (somewhat already occurring) will contribute to the de facto ban that is on the horizon.
I no longer have the optimism I had just yesterday (though might gain it back) mainly because I think vapers (and ex-smokers) are prone to self imposed bans, for the good of society and to avoid possible situations where vaping might be given a black eye. Add in local, state and nationally imposed bans, plus a few scientific reports showing potentially serious harmful effects from long term use of nicotine, and the number of vapers will likely dwindle from where it is now in the open market days of vaping.
Could say a whole bunch more, but this is the short version of what I think is likely to occur.
We will still have our flavors although we might not be able to buy nic juice that is already flavored. Unfortunately, this is the hay day for mom and pop shops too that are selling juice- they need to enjoy this while they can- I think their days are numbered, unfortunately.
