I suppose you all heard...

[d9mel]

Getting into the ecig market will work out great for BT, they get to:

- take advantage of an un regulated industry by using the wreckless marketing tactics that they they where forced to retire 30 years ago

- when the FDA is forced to react and the regulatory fallout ensues, they will be able to use their existing networks of lobbyists, armies of lawyers and seemingly endless funds to push all small competition (the vendors that we know and love) out of existence.

As vapers I think we all have a responsibility to research and help support some of the industry advocacy groups that exist.

I'm stocking up on nic base personally

 

[StereoDreamer]

Philip Morris has been on the trail of an e-cig product for nearly two years. In May of 2011, they bought the patent rights for a new aerosolized nicotine-delivery system developed by the same researcher at Duke University that helped develp the Patch. It's not very practical, looks NOTHING like the e-cigs we know and love, and has crappy battery life.

In other words, it is a BS product, developed by a non-smoking lab-geek, who is only interested in cashing out on his research grants...

Philip Morris buys smokeless nicotine technology from Duke researcher | MedCity News

They've also signed agreements with Swedish Match (the makers of SNUS an Redman), an have been negotiating with Ruyan China since 2009.

It was just a matter of time before PM got into the e-cig market. With BLU already snatched up by Lorillard, there really isn't much left for PM to go after that would give them any sort of significant market penetration except njoy or Smoking Everywhere (or maybe V2 or V4L).

My guess is that Philip Morris will take the strategy of buying up patents (like this Duke deal), and large distributors (like SE and V2) and then just forcing small distributors and competitors out of business through price warfare.

Luckily, such a strategy won't effect most of us one bit, because most of us don't give a flying fig about cig-a-likes anymore...)

 

[subversive]

I don't know how I feel about it. On the one hand, availability ( of BT's PV's, anyway ) will increase. BT can fight the FDA. More people will be aware of and try an electronic cigarette. On the other, I don't want to get stuck with nothing but a Phillip Morris-branded NJoy that maxes out at 3 volts, has no battery life, no nic levels beyond 18mg, etc,etc. - and all for most likely 2-3 times the price. I also don't want the standard e-liquid ingredients to change. I just don't know how BT is going to handle this.

 

[juicejunky]

My prediction:

They are never going to make REOS, Provaris, GGs, etc. THe market will grow fast enough that the little niche companies will grow too and not be a threat to BT.

The penstyles BT will own and possibly the eGo size. Everything will be prefilled from them so hopefully ejuice vendors will grow exponentially too.

We will be like roll-your-own-ers.


Seeing the BLU commercial on TV is shocking. Obviously it is not in the same category as cigarettes or it couldn't play.

 

[myyrkezaan]

Blu is owned by Lorillard a tobacco company.

 

[PapawBrett]

Corporate America plays for blood, and profits, while the pioneers we enjoy doing buisiness with have tried to provide quality and customer service. I kinda agree with juicejunky, niche products like REOS, Provari and Golden Greek will be hard to uproot as thier customer base is fairly loyal. But I do expect the E-Juices to suffer. HHV, Ahlusion, Mt Baker and others will be hard to match mass-produced Wal-Mart available juices. And when the Stalinists start howling about 'Big Tobacco' in the vaping market you can expect the career beaurocrats to make targets of us, again. End result- Incorporation, Regulation and Taxation. While beng told it's "for the children"

 

[2coils]

They are supposed to be working on an ecig. I can't imagine it will be anything different from a Blu. I'm not sure how I feel about it. The tobacco industry does have the money and clout to put ecigs over top and help normalize them, but they are evil.

The problem with tobacco companies getting involved...... cigarettes are no longer the normal. Though tobacco companies have the bankroll to push the e cig movement forward, I want to see e-cigs as something different. We are going to be clumped together with conventional smokers with the tobacco company involvement. Uneducated people already think vaping is the same as smoking. Let the tobacco companies do tobacco!

 

[2coils]

When the big tobacco companies get involved, that is when our e-cig world, as we know it, will change. Those big companies will be in it only for the money, nothing else. Everything will be regulated, and most of the small companies we now give our money too will go under, because of all the red tape that they will have to go through just to sell the product on-line. We will be taxed on everything, and prices will skyrocket... I am not looking forward to the day this happens...

My thoughts exactly!! Well said.

 

[Pappy]

. . . whether we like them or not at lease big tob will fight for our right to vape if they get involved.

What I fear, though, is that big tobacco will push for regulations that are easy for them (as big companies) to comply with, but which will effectively push the small mom and pop juice vendors out of business because of the cost of compliance.

Don't ever think that big tobacco has any interest in ANYTHING except filling their wallets. And they will stomp on vapers and the vendors who serve us to eliminate as much competition as possible.

 

[Faylool]

I think it was inevitable and the fact is things always change. Some for better and some for worse and so the world turns. No way are they going to make their killing on an inferior products. They could well end up making a decent product. It's the world of business. How might it affect the supply and demand for accessories and high end mods? Whoever is going to win in this industry has got to make something effective, easily obtained, long lived with good warranties and repairs. Precise plus, Provari, Reo, and...you tell me. Who really has it going. Who has the supplies when you want them? Who really has Top Shelf e juice? Those will be the people who make it. Our vendors are really middlemen, except the juice makers. If I was to jump on the e cig business band wagon I'd concentrate on making seriously great e juice. It wouldn't take a lot of money relatively. E cig needs big business sanctions. It'll improve the product and the services

 

[dnakr]

When the big companies come aboard - they will take over. FDA will regulate and we will no longer have a choice of what device or juice we want. We will only be able to purchase FDA approved.

Sent from my LG-AS855 using Tapatalk 2

 

[frozen_coyote]

Big tobacco must be watching us or they wouldn't be doing their job. Currently, we can be seen as competition. However, this offers big tobacco something that other cessation devices don't. Vaping can become a hobby. An expensive one to boot. If big tobacco sees their numbers starting to fall because of increased health concern, this could be a huge PR move. Imagine if the rep from Phillip Morris has a press conference announcing their dedication to make sure their customer are safe. They unveil a campaign for e-cigarettes citing all the studies we cite about how they are one of the best cessation devices.

They come out with a blu type e-cig, but I'd imagine it would be much better given their money. Now, they have a new product to sell and they look good doing it. Switch from cigs to e-cigs and you have a brand new market that isn't going to stop using your product so readily.

What that will do for us, I have no idea. This could lead to some interesting things though

 

[Faylool]

When the big companies come aboard - they will take over. FDA will regulate and we will no longer have a choice of what device or juice we want. We will only be able to purchase FDA approved.

Sent from my LG-AS855 using Tapatalk 2

Then the smart ones will make an excellent product that is in the FDA approved world. It's called progress. I think there is a middle ground. FDA hasn't done all bad things. It's not perfect but I think it's not completely corrupt. What isn't partially corrupt in this world anyway. Relax

 

[dnakr]

Then the smart ones will make an excellent product that is in the FDA approved world. It's called progress. I think there is a middle ground. FDA hasn't done all bad things. It's not perfect but I think it's not completely corrupt. What isn't partially corrupt in this world anyway. Relax

Progress and the FDA do not go hand in hand. If the FDA was truly in this for a better alternative to smoking, then they would have joined us in advancing these e-cigs, instead of trying to ban them.

The major loophole that has saved us this far, is that the FDA does not regulate "nicotine" - tobacco yes, nicotine no. That will soon change when the big companies are ready to go public. The FDA will then step in and regulate "nicotine" in all forms.

The smart ones will make excellent products, yes they will, but the FDA will not approve them, if it does not benefit them. The FDA will approve certain e-cig devices like the ones the big tobacco companies produce. They will make "mandatory" changes to the already existing devices, if allowed to stay on the market, or completely ban them all. They will regulate anything and everything that an e-cig can do, including all accessories.

Relax? I am relaxed... I have been at this for 5 years, I have more than enough to hold me over for the next couple of decades. It will still be a sad day when this happens. It is all about money - nothing about health.

Just for the record, it would be wonderful if it happens like you say - but I personally do not see that happening.

 

[Plumes.91]

all i can say is buy up as many RBA and RBATs as you can, stock up on nicotine base and start your DIYing now because your gonna be thrown into DIYing if we do lose the battle (WE WILL NOT!) if there is a battle, and you want to be prepared. Buy your non-mechanical mods as well because they could go as far as shutting down our mod vendors and when/if that were to happen, we'd have no way of getting our mods fixed and in effect, we'd be forced into buying the cig-alikes pushed by BT. Unless your technologically knowledgable, in which case, stock up on 510 battery connections.

hopefully the 510 connection stays the norm. If they were to switch it after stomping on our modding sources we'd be left in the dark and forced to buy their cartomizers. But look at the e-cig economy as it stands today... Can you see BT or the US gov putting all of the vendors and businesses currently operating out of the US and importing from china? Idk. all I know is, I'm GOING to stock up on RBAs. I'm GOING to stock up on mods that I can fix myself. I've always had this plan in the works and nothing is going to stop me from preparing.

#1 out of it all, if your not one to donate to charity, then fine. be that way, and wave as you jump into the volcano. If your not against donating to charity and organizations, then there has never been a more dire time to join and help CASAA - The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association

Do you watch the news around election time and think "oh, whats my vote matter? I'm just... me" well guess what? Now your on an e-cig forum. Do you know what that means? The simple fact that your involved enough to be registered or lurking on this forum says that YOU ARE A SOLDIER IN THE FRONT LINES. Your no longer passively looking on, you ARE the war. Don't EVER think otherwise. Don't EVER let yourself become jaded if you believe in e-cigs and mods. YOU ARE part of the resistance of the regulations.

I don't know if it was brought up here but there is rumors that there is a bill in the works that could stop any vaporizer that does not resemble a cigarette, from being sold legally. If this rumor is true, it could very well be the END OF US. There is no coming back from that. So REMEMBER: You ARE A MEMBER OF THE ONLY RESISTANCE. YOU hold the power. The cig-alike users are the jaded americans. WE would be the special interest groups in the election. So if your reading this, we need you. When it hits the fan, we need to stick together or its all over. SERIOUSLY.

 

[tj99959]

I really don't see myself stepping back to a Blu like product at this point, and I doubt that big tobacco will be producing many REO or Provari like devices.

I just don't see us arguing over RJ Reynolds RBA's being better than Philip Morris RBA's any time soon.

 

[Plumes.91]

my post was more to the tune of RBAs being banned within the united states.

 

[noi_max]

Personal Vaporizers are an incredibly effective tool for smoking cessation. I think that is, by now, a foregone conclusion. Big Pharma, Big tobacco and the US govt don't just want a piece of this pie, they want THE WHOLE PIE. We're talking about enormous institutions with a huge amount of vested interest a helluva lot of muscle. They are going to be the proverbial bully that steals everyone's milk money.

It's going to be a timing thing. New products will be rolled out just in time for FDA regulations. Tax revenues from "tobacco" products will be secured. They are all in bed together.

About the only thing you CAN do is stockpile nicotine and accessories, and watch as the whole thing unfolds.

 

[klynnn]

I have been stockpiling and now will go into high gear.

 

[DaveP]

I think ecigs will be around for a long time. Approximately 20% of the US population still smokes and that's enough to muster a voice that is heard by government.

The FDA will be directed to take it easy on the tobacco companies. They still haven't paid out their $469M settlement to the government over the 25 year period. BT has more money to pay and they can't pay if they are out of business or strapped by legislation.

Safe nicotine consumption is the goal. Tar and deadly gases are the enemy of healthcare costs. Obama has an ecig and so does the speaker of the house. We need more vaping congressmen who understand the product.

I see more testing and understanding of vaping components through BT getting in on the game. They will shoot toward a cigarette look alike that works well and replaces burning leaves. They also have a group of high level scientists who can asses the spectrography of vapor and refine the flavor and content of the liquid to ensure maximum safety. The surely don't want government coming back on them for selling a product that kills people and drives up healthcare costs.

Burning leaves have a dismal future once the tobacco settlement payments end and vaping is a safer alternative. I think they see the future and have acted on it to preserve their bottom line down the road.