I wonder?

[englishmick]

Last week I read an article which looked at the current situation of the tobacco industry from a business perspective. They have a long list of problems, and not just declining sales overall. The article was mainly looking at the profit and investment side of the industry.

Customers are switching from premium brands to less profitable basic cigs in huge numbers. vaping is eating into their customer base on top of the general drop in tobacco use. One company dropped the price of a premium brand by 50% and changed it from the premium heavy embossed carboard boxes to basic lightweight cardboard hoping it would change the picture. Others reduced premium prices by lesser amounts. I forget all the details but the whole industry is in turmoil with profits going through the floor. They are experimenting with HTB and vapes as part of their attempt to rein in the chaos and slow their downward trajectory.

One odd thing. There was no moralizing about vaping or smoking, but every reference to vape referred to them as "illegal vapes". That wasn't discussed but I assume it was a reference to the fact that virtually no vapes have been approved yet so I guess they are technically illegal.

 

[bombastinator]

Where was the article written and what was the background of the writer?


TLDNR: a description of what I know about the state of things in the US
Laws vary greatly within areas. Even within the US there are differences between even cities as to what is or is not an illegal Vape. In some areas Vaping at all is illegal. In others (most anyway) the age of the user matters, in others the content of the vapes matter, or some combination of the two. I was specifically speaking about US law in my area. I happen to live in a dual city in the US and between the two cities there are different rules. They are all subject to state national law though so theyact as a baseline. Nationally vapes have to adhere to most but not all rules regarding cigarettes. In my state (and possibly nationally now, I don’t know. At one time this was not true though) it is legally a “tobacco product” so it has to comply with ALL rules about cigarettes. In one city menthol is banned but in another it is not. This afaik can not apply if the nicotine is synthetic in origin. do not know if the city that bans menthol bans it in both cigs and e-cigs or not. (Chemically Menthol has big problems I noticed from personal experience. One can actually cough blue, which indicates disturbing things) there are actually more than two cities in the metro area. These rules are often gamed.
There is a great big mall (the MoA) that actually was built across a city boundary because one city had alcohol rules the builders did not like so while they apply to one half of the mall they do not apply to the other half making some things legal but only in that part. There were several things like that there iirc.

 

[bombastinator]

I would likely start smoking menthol cigs again. Really is a mute point tho since I'm set for life as far as vaping supplies.

Menthol can be bought as a juice ingredient. Both natural menthol and synthetic “cooling” products that imitate it, which may be safer. Natural menthol is a crystal which is dissolved in strong ethanol. Afaik rubbing alcohol cannot be used safely. Only ethanol such as everclear (from Wisconsin or other state with a high proof limit). The idea is to use ethanol without the added emetic present in some rubbing alcohol. (Others use methanol which is much more dangerous and can amongst other things result in blindness)

 

[bombastinator]

I'm sorta at the point where sometimes I Vape and sometimes I kinda just forget to.

I've been thru all the Major Milestones. And at each one I'd do something to Reduce my e-Cigarette use. Like switching to a Lower Nicotine to make my DIY last longer. Switching to Unflavored. Then the Big One, Going to Omg.

At each step I thought it would be Hard. But It really wasn't. Just a Day or Two of feeling a little different. Then it became the New Normal.

So No, I'm Not going to go Back even if Vaping disappeared. I think about it sometimes. But smoking just Isn't something I Need to do. And I know where that road goes. And all the Work I had to do to get Off It.

As I understand it this is the usual progression unless it is interrupted some way. Usually takes about 2.5 years though there are people that have done it in weeks. There is significant evidence that if one is already free of the nicotine there are major advantages to quitting entirely. For one VG has calories in it. A lot of them. It’s more or less a karo syrup with one molecule flipped.

 

[smacuser]

Typically, I’d agree. But, recently, I’ve had to look to alternative sources over the internet lately due to supply chain issues.

On top of that, I’m likely to be looking at a career change fairly soon and will be looking forward to practicing for my next test.

Got the job!

 

[bombastinator]

Got the job!

Cool!

 

[Letitia]

Menthol can be bought as a juice ingredient. Both natural menthol and synthetic “cooling” products that imitate it, which may be safer. Natural menthol is a crystal which is dissolved in strong ethanol. Afaik rubbing alcohol cannot be used safely. Only ethanol such as everclear (from Wisconsin or other state with a high proof limit). The idea is to use ethanol without the added emetic present in some rubbing alcohol. (Others use methanol which is much more dangerous and can amongst other things result in blindness)

Ironically I dislike menthol/ minty juices but would only smoke menthol tobacco.

 

[Letitia]

Got the job!

Congrats sweets!!

 

[smacuser]

Congrats sweets!!

I cheated

I’m now working remote for my old company.

#vapeallday

 

[zoiDman]

I cheated

 

[bombastinator]

Ironically I dislike menthol/ minty juices but would only smoke menthol tobacco.

That’s probably mentholated so menthol crystals dissolved in alcohol and sprayed onto the leaves then dried. The stuff that can make you cough up blue.

 

[Fidola13]

I hate to admit it but I’d probably start smoking again. It’s more of a psychological issue (stress) for me now since I vape quite a bit of zero nicotine nowadays. I need that hand to mouth comfort I got from smoking and now vaping.

Fortunately I’ve got enough vape products to supply an army of anti- vapers coming at me!

 

[bombastinator]

That’s probably mentholated so menthol crystals dissolved in alcohol and sprayed onto the leaves then dried. The stuff that can make you cough up blue.

I probably wouldn’t though I can’t be totally sure. It would be hard to do. They have to do house to house searched and confiscations. The only even potentially vulnerable point is the nicotine and that is up in the air. Everything else is either used for something else, or can be made. Even nicotine has a niche use: As an insecticide. It’s just about the only way to save a tree from being killed by emerald borer beetles. It’s not a common one though since it only saves it for a season. This also assumes the DIY water extraction method fails, which I am not currently sure of. I know it isn’t very good, and it’s dirty enough that you’re basically stuck with tobacco flavor. Still better than smoking though. I would even attempt hot knifing before I started smoking again. Cigarettes are a dead end for me anyway. I originally quit not because I particularly wanted to quit, but because I was no longer capable of smoking. It ripped my lungs up. Recurring bronchitis and other problems. Basically it got so that if I smoked I’d get sick as a dog. Which perhaps makes me an outlier. Lacking house-to-house searches and confiscations though, I doubt many of the long term EFS would be even seriously inconvenienced.

 

[Letitia]

That’s probably mentholated so menthol crystals dissolved in alcohol and sprayed onto the leaves then dried. The stuff that can make you cough up blue.

I smoked menthol cigs for 46y and never coughed up anything blue.

 

[DPLongo22]

I cheated

I’m now working remote for my old company.

#vapeallday

CONGRATS, Smacks!!! I can relate, JBTW.

View attachment 1003683

 

[bombastinator]

I smoked menthol cigs for 46y and never coughed up anything blue.

Ok. I did. Cigarettes didn’t agree with me as well as some though.

 

[Fidola13]

Those of us here that quit long term cigarette smoking by switching to vaping and have been vaping for several years, this question is to y'all. If for some reason vaping suddenly became unavailable, who would be able to not start smoking again? I'd like to think I could pull that off, cigarettes are just too nasty to me now.

I’d like to think that wouldn’t go back to cigarettes but the hand mouth routine is so engraved in me that I probably would start smoking again. I don’t need to worry about that though since I have enough vape gear to open a vape shop lol

 

[bombastinator]

I’d like to think that wouldn’t go back to cigarettes but the hand mouth routine is so engraved in me that I probably would start smoking again. I don’t need to worry about that though since I have enough vape gear to open a vape shop lol

Me too. I keep my RDAs and RTAs in old pill bottles on a shelf. Theres a table with plastic drawers filling it and they’re all full. Whole tool box trays filled with nothing but wire. Still saved a bunch of money over that many cigs though

 

[GeorgeS]

I'm sorry but your topic 'does not compute'.

You see I'm one of the many that years ago when everything was inexpensive and available stocked up.

- the battery sizes used in Vaping are common in other (IE: non-vaping) devices
- the raw wire for coils is used for other things
- VG is used in cooking and cosmetics
- flavorings are used in cooking and candies
- I have a 2x lifetime supply of "Sallys celucotton"
- I have a 2x lifetime supply of -2F frozen nicotine base

ok, with the above said my all time favorite 'replacement' is nicotine lozenges. I personally like the 2mg 'mint' flavored.

Last I stocked up I could get over 1 MONTH supply for less than a carton of smokes. (Costco) (which BTW the carton of smokes would last me ~1 week)

Since it is technically "NRT" (nicotine replacement therapy) IDK it does not seem to be TAXED has much as smokes.

YMMV.



g.

 

[Fidola13]

Ironically I dislike menthol/ minty juices but would only smoke menthol tobacco.

That is unusual!