Big Tobacco For E-Cig!?

[sideburn]

just stumbled on this Big Tobacco Eyes the E-Cigarette

 

[jaded]

Sherid is 100% correct. Big tobacco has followed its own path to marketing what might be called a smokeless cigarette. The most recent attempt is the Aria from Philip Morris. It's a misting device, rather than a vaporizer.

But also look at earlier attempts for the Accord, Premier, Eclipse, Heatbar. All of them used tobacco rather than liquid, but the tobacco was soaked with propylene glycol and the product produced more vapor than smoke, since the tobacco was not burned. It was heated by a charcoal lump in the tip.

And everyone saw what happened to the Favor -- banned by the FDA.

China beat Big Tobacco to the market with a fully electronic, vaporizing unit. Rest assured that PM and RJR and Lorrillard have been at work on similar devices, likely without sufficient success to market a product. Maybe Big Tobacco recognizes that a fully electronic product delivering a nicotine-laced chemical concoction would be a "new drug" and "drug delivery device," thus requiring years of clinical testing.

The goal has been a true tobacco cigarette that didn't "smoke".

Let us know what you get, Sherid. As you said, Big Tobacco execs are not fools and are not stupid.

I tried the Eclipse years ago when they were available at the tobacco shop here. They were awful, smelt like burning popcorn.

 

[sherid]

I tried the Eclipse years ago when they were available at the tobacco shop here. They were awful, smelt like burning popcorn.

Maybe this one will succeed.
Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) (TSE: 2914) announced today, March 17th the launch of a new smokeless tobacco product "Zerostyle Mint," with sales beginning exclusively in Tokyo in mid-May 2010. Tobacco has rich history and is available in a large number of varieties. In different parts of the world, smokeless tobacco including snuff(*1) and chewing tobacco are consumed in addition to cigarettes. While the majority of consumers in Japan are smoking cigarettes, demand is increasing for tobacco products.

“Zerostyle Mint” is a new style snuff tobacco product. The new product does not require a flame, and thus is smokeless, allowing consumers to use it in a variety of locations, being considerate to neighbors at the same time. Through the introduction of the new menthol product, the company believes that it is offering a wider variety of tobacco categories for consumers to choose from.

Product Components:
“Zerostyle Mint” is a new style snuff tobacco product. The new product does not require a flame, and thus is smokeless, allowing consumers to use it in a variety of locations, being considerate to neighbors at the same time. Through the introduction of the new menthol product, the company believes that it is offering a wider variety of tobacco categories for consumers to choose from.
http://snus-news.blogspot.com/2010/03/japan-tobacco-zerostyle-mint-new.html

 

[marty_j35]

It would seem to be just a matter of time until the tobacco giants jump on the e-cigarette bandwagon. Phillip Morris had approached Ruyan, although what was discussed was not made public.

 

[marty_j35]

Also, although I'm sure there would be some economic harm to independent sellers, the upside would be plenty of money to stop or overturn bans at the State and federal level.

 

[Ardo]

keep us informed. Thanks

 

[ddy611]

good so the government can finally leave us alone. when the big tobacco companies comes out with an ecig product, the government will lift the ban. new tobacco product, new tax revenue....

 

[Gamer]

Just an update from a friend at Phillip Morris. He was given a disposable e-cig to try out and let me take a look at it. It was a single use type item that he had (Single use as in not rechargeable) but has lasted him a good while. not the best tasting thing in the world but it seemed like a start. I WANT TO TAKE IT APART! but sadly he has to return it back to them once he it runs out... There is a place to take it apart but it is sealed with tape that if removed apparently he get fired

 

[Droopy]

Sorry if this has already been answered, but wouldn't it still be possible to purchase e-cigarette hardware, as well as zero nicotine carts/juices? Or, in an even better case if the SHTF, we simply mix our own juices and then add over-the-counter nicotine (which is available via mail order).

But still, as an ultimate worst case, I would think, is that the FDA bans nicotine availability completely (without an impossible-to-get prescription), but that zero nic juices and carts would still be legal and available (but this would still be quite bad for the nicotine folks…)?

In fact, the only truly vital part of an e-cig is the atomizer, which I am sure would easily sprout a cottage manufacturing industry, or even atomizers as a DIY. [Batteries and passthroughs, as well as empty carts, are a no-brainer].

I would think that a ban will merely stop the mass appeal, but not stop the average person who currently vapes?

-Droopy

 

[duke118]

Just an update from a friend at Phillip Morris. He was given a disposable e-cig to try out and let me take a look at it. It was a single use type item that he had (Single use as in not rechargeable) but has lasted him a good while. not the best tasting thing in the world but it seemed like a start. I WANT TO TAKE IT APART! but sadly he has to return it back to them once he it runs out... There is a place to take it apart but it is sealed with tape that if removed apparently he get fired

Get a pick of that thing?

 

[wenchy69]

i've been waiting to hear something like this and it doesn't surprise me in the least. if this happens, obviously it should mean ecigs don't get banned. as for the farmers, i live on a farm myself and while i don't ever want to see anyone going under, these people have land. they are capable of raising many things other than tobacco!!! do they care that tobacco is killing millions? are they as greedy as the government? i'll let you think on that..........

 

[StormFinch]

nice explanation. i know it's easy to throw around words sometimes when we're thinking of specific people that could end up offending whole groups. good of you to explain.

now, as for big T and e-cigs... i know china hasn't left much wiggle room on patents... so i'm interested to see what they can come up with. tbh i don't really care if they get into the business, generally. but i'd hate to see our 'neighborhood' suppliers here drummed out of business and prices get jacked up...

They could very well have their own patent, at least in part.

There was a product years and years ago... looked like regular cigarettes but they produced some kind of chemically activated vapor. They were disposables only, thus the reason there was something like 10 of them to a pack. There was no TH, only a small amount of vapor exhalation and very little taste. Either for these reasons alone, or maybe because of a serious lack of nicotine delivery, I definitely wasn't impressed and was back to regular cigarettes within a couple of hours. Although I am by no means sure, it's been too long, I think they may have been produced by RJR.

 

[Rosa]

True, we still need the farmers to grow the tobacco because e-juice is made partially from extracted nicotine from tobacco leaves. If e-cigs take off, tobacco farmers will still be in business. It's just a matter of tobacco processors "re-tooling" from shredding tobacco to liquefying it. Sort of like when the record companies switched from vinyl to CDs and again to portable MP3 players.

yeah, but did that really happen? I don't know of any former vinyl record printers (stampers?) who are now making MP3's. But isn't PG made from some sort of vegetable matter? Maybe they can grow that.

 

[Rosa]

i've been waiting to hear something like this and it doesn't surprise me in the least. if this happens, obviously it should mean ecigs don't get banned. as for the farmers, i live on a farm myself and while i don't ever want to see anyone going under, these people have land. they are capable of raising many things other than tobacco!!! do they care that tobacco is killing millions? are they as greedy as the government? i'll let you think on that..........

I don't know about all that..you still have to put food on the table, right? I mean they probably aren't vacationing in southern Italy every year with all that big tobacco money. But, times change, public demand changes - is savvy business man/farmer going to bet on cigarettes being replaced someday? Nobody ever expects that to change, but someday it will anyway..maybe they should get ready.

 

[wenchy69]

I don't know about all that..you still have to put food on the table, right? I mean they probably aren't vacationing in southern Italy every year with all that big tobacco money. But, times change, public demand changes - is savvy business man/farmer going to bet on cigarettes being replaced someday? Nobody ever expects that to change, but someday it will anyway..maybe they should get ready.

any successful farmer will use forward thinking and never, ever rely on raising one product alone. just about everything we use, need, consume begins on the land. their options are limitless.

 

[Gamer]

Get a pick of that thing?

Awe man i didn't!!! I totally should have sorry i dropped the ball on that one but it was a solid white unit with a red sticker around it. The red sticker was where the unit came apart. The mouth end where there is usually a mouth plug you can pull out was actually one solid unit (like the tip of a cigar) it was a solid piece of plastic with just a hole in it. The bottom half was just like a cigarette and the plastic cap at the end was just a cheap piece of clear plastic which had been glued on.

I really wish i coulda taken it apart I want to see its insides! The red tape was a pressure tape and if it was removed it couldn't be put back on and would of done something apparently... If i can get my hands on one, You guys will be the first to know. Since my last post his e-cig batt died and he returned it. So far he hasn't been able to get another.

I might just apply to Phillip Morris

 

[Tugger]

Awe man i didn't!!! I totally should have sorry i dropped the ball on that one but it was a solid white unit with a red sticker around it. The red sticker was where the unit came apart. The mouth end where there is usually a mouth plug you can pull out was actually one solid unit (like the tip of a cigar) it was a solid piece of plastic with just a hole in it. The bottom half was just like a cigarette and the plastic cap at the end was just a cheap piece of clear plastic which had been glued on.

I really wish i coulda taken it apart I want to see its insides! The red tape was a pressure tape and if it was removed it couldn't be put back on and would of done something apparently... If i can get my hands on one, You guys will be the first to know. Since my last post his e-cig batt died and he returned it. So far he hasn't been able to get another.

I might just apply to Phillip Morris

Couple questions. Is it's performance comparable to any particular atomizer/voltage combination? Is this the only model they're working on?

It kinda sounds like they're going to try to suppress the juice market and therefore artificially keep the prices high by engineering out the ability to refill them. (Reminds of a few years ago when all the car companies purposely left out a $2 aux jack so they could force you to buy a $200 ipod adapter.) Also, the disposable concept, if that's all they are pursuing is pretty environmentally irresponsible, as well as another way to artificially keep the price high.

I'm curious if they have a plan to destroy the mod/juice market to force us to rely on them. If they acquire Ruyan, they would have a legitimate US patent on the the entire e-cig concept. Could that be used to legally shut everyone else down?

I used to see a lot of upside to BT getting into the act (they have the money to hire actual engineers and chemists to improve the concept) but now I'm getting nervous.

 

[Gamer]

Couple questions. Is it's performance comparable to any particular atomizer/voltage combination? Is this the only model they're working on?

The batt without any refill or recharge lasted about 3 days with i wanna say average smoker use? he smokes about 5-10 a day and only used his ecig for 3 days. To get an accurate place of time i would have to ask him, and haven't been to work for a good while now.

Only model? Not at all, this has been the 4th one i have seen from Phillip Morris and the sound of things is they have been tossing a lot of prototypes as well (into a furnace, but being tossed all the same) I would sketch something up but it was literally an ecig about the same detentions of a 100's analog and almost just as thin, very light. Had the tape around it that couldn't be removed and had a single air hole.

The mouth part was the only intriguing thing as unlike most of the e-cigs i see it was not something that came apart. Thing of it like the end of a pill cap that someone poked a hole in.

 

[KeepNitReel]

Well I am a contract worker at Philip Morris aka Altria (west broad St.)and found out about this whole e cig thing thru there internal website. That's all I can say about that but did I mention Philip Morris has a state of the art flavor lab?

 

[Gamer]

but did I mention Philip Morris has a state of the art flavor lab?

/drool


I know there are some PM haters out there but honestly... i would love it if PM made e-cigs... it would get the FDA off our butts. I know im buying quality products.. i mean hell i bought cigarettes from them for 8 years and never had a problem... its the friggin state tax that screws us in price. As for the toxic chemicals that are added constantly i dont think its PM thats behind it all, its the constant BS given from small groups like "OHHH cigarettes burn down forests..." which now make them add more chemicals to make cigarettes stop burning at points...

I would buy from PM if they made one just to give it a try, and with all the $$ they got im sure they could make an awesome product.