to post on the other way this thread is going. We arent hurting big tobacco as vapers. We still consume nicotine and they control the production of nicotine. Imagine you were a tobacco company and you could just sell nicotine and not pay the overhead for producing cigarettes, packaging, wages, excessive shipping, regulatory fees, lawsuits etc, etc. Thats a whole lot more money in their pockets and the users will live longer and purchase longer.
FDA can come on. I will vape 0nic and make my juice if it comes down to it. The FDA will let tobacco sell their products and pharma to sell thier junk knowing what kind of success rate those have. How does something with suicide as a side effect get approved?!!
Sorry just lost myself and went on a rant!
Yeah, I think tobacco companies are interested, but, I also don't believe they will be interested in open competition with a bunch of new players and ever changing tech races. I fear that they will do what they can to co-operate with the FDA to entrench themselves in this new and growing market in a way that we, as users of advanced vaping products, will not be happy about.
I also believe that FDA and others realized that e-cigs are effective THR and really, they can't at this point and shouldn't kill the industry completely. Having said that, there is no doubt they will continue to want to control it, and the most effective way to control it is to concentrate power in the hands of a few players.
When FDA comes out with their rules they will basically say:
1) After several years of study FDA concedes that use of e-cigs can be a good step toward harm reduction and may help smokers quit
2) FDA believes that current market is dangerous due to lack of standards, testing, and inspections.
3) FDA believes that adoption of e-cigs by minors/non-smokers is a concern so steps must be taken to eliminate flavors and marketing that may attract minors/non-smokers, including making sure e-cigs are not so inexpensive (i.e. tax/fees) and not available by mail.
4) FDA believes it can best ensure the safety of this promising THR product by implementing these sensible rules ~ basically all the limits I spoke of before, certain form factors only, limited flavors, limits on marketing, no online sales, no liquid juice, etc.
You have to believe that is the direction things are going to go. Big tobacco is fine with that as it eliminates competition, reduces a threat to their current business, limits research and production costs as only cheap small batteries and carts will be made which also ensures repeat business.
Sorry, but I think this will happen, and maybe fairly soon. Lorillard has said that they are going to be getting good numbers for the industry in the next couple quarters and with this they and the FDA can begin to bargin on the details.
