Lorillard purchases Blu E-Cigs

[Myk]

The "ONLY" motivation for Blu to improve the quality of their e-cigs
would be IF it would significantly increase their profits (period)

As the 5% figure has been mentioned I don't think they have that motivation because it doesn't exist. But I think the motivation does exist to grab that 5% just like Joytech does (eGo series advances are obviously watching mods and copying). Not only do you grab that 5% you keep yourself from losing the ones who don't stick with Blu. Sure they may not stick with Blu to go back to cigarettes but at least for the time being you're not sending most of your profit to the government with e-cigs.
If it works like I think and the government will be hard pressed to pass a high "sin tax" on something that's getting people off burning tobacco we could actually see BT rather people vape than smoke.

As far as the flavors being banned mentioned above you, we are in control of that. We need to make those quit or die antis eat their words. Every bill they put up trying to ban flavors will have me being a very squeaky part of the 5% because it is most definitely the flavors they want to ban that make me rather vape. I kind of don't even want to smoke my pipe and I have some great pipe tobaccos.

 

[Petrodus]

We won the war against e-cigs being banned.
We will not win the e-juice/nic war.

 

[kristin]

We will not win the e-juice/nic war.

If we can win against e-cigarette bans based on science and fact, then there is no reason to assume the same couldn't eventually work with the rest.

CASAA's mission is to keep tobacco alternatives available, affordable and EFFECTIVE. There is much evidence that flavors and nicotine strengths - ie. market diversity and customization options - are a large part of what make e-cigarettes effective for a LOT of smokers who switch to vaping long term. If they ultimately acknowledge e-cigarettes as acceptable alternatives, they have to acknowledge what vapers tell them WORKS to keep them from relapsing to smoking. Vapers' needs and wants, not the e-cigarette industry, are what have been winning this war and we can't give up now.

 

[Petrodus]

If we can win against e-cigarette bans based on science and fact, then there is no reason to assume the same couldn't eventually work with the rest.

CASAA's mission is to keep tobacco alternatives available, affordable and EFFECTIVE. There is much evidence that flavors and nicotine strengths - ie. market diversity and customization options - are a large part of what make e-cigarettes effective for a LOT of smokers who switch to vaping long term. If they ultimately acknowledge e-cigarettes as acceptable alternatives, they have to acknowledge what vapers tell them WORKS to keep them from relapsing to smoking. Vapers' needs and wants, not the e-cigarette industry, are what have been winning this war and we can't give up now.

I hope your right
The focus will be EFFECTIVE alternative
which of course, includes taste and available nic levels.

I'm not giving up before they "officially" come at us.
However, there's is going to be a hard fight to protect
the ground we have taken.

My comfort level is 24mg
Blu's highest level of nic is 16mg (full bodied)
Wondering how hard Blu is willing to fight to keep 16mg.

Needless to say ... E-cigs are a threat to BP's nic patches and gum sales
There will be a hard highly emotionally charged fight.
The odds are ... at the very least, we are looking at some serious
compromises in the future.

Edit:
Where are we going to draw the battle line? ... 16mg ??

 

[kristin]

The FDA usually has public comment periods regarding proposed regulations. It will be very important for vapers to comment, as well as supporting CASAA in its efforts. The key will be publicity and getting the word out to the media, medical community and public and educating them about what actually makes e-cigarettes effective and an acceptable alternative for smokers.

We have to let them know that vaping is NOT like smoking. Smokers need e-cigarette options in order to keep their quit - it is NOT "one-size-fits-all." That mentality is why NRT doesn't work and trying to limit options for vapers in that way will only guarantee they go back to smoking - where "one-size-kills-all."

 

[Randyrtx]

I think that many of the worst-case fears are based on the idea that the FDA will equate e-cigs to cigarettes, and I just don't see how they would be able to get away with that. While it works for some smoking products, it wouldn't be a good fit for e-cigs.

Restricting sales to only pre-filled carts would only make sense if e-cigs were marketed as cessation products, but they aren't. They are marketed as a smokeless alternative to cigarettes.

The FDA might try... but it's up to us to make sure they don't succeed.

 

[Petrodus]

The FDA usually has public comment periods regarding proposed regulations. It will be very important for vapers to comment, as well as supporting CASAA in its efforts. The key will be publicity and getting the word out to the media, medical community and public and educating them about what actually makes e-cigarettes effective and an acceptable alternative for smokers.

We have to let them know that vaping is NOT like smoking. Smokers need e-cigarette options in order to keep their quit - it is NOT "one-size-fits-all." That mentality is why NRT doesn't work and trying to limit options for vapers in that way will only guarantee they go back to smoking - where "one-size-kills-all."

“The more things change, the more they stay the same”.
Converting smokers, networking, educating the public ETC
In other words ... Back to the Campaigning forum and supporting CASAA

The war against e-cigarettes continues ...
One thing is for sure, the e-cig movement ain't boring

 

[kristin]

Well, Petrodus, persistence can work. For example, my daughter now eats all of her supper before asking for M&Ms.

 

[Cool_Breeze]

I wonder...

* What is the number of present day 'serious smokers' that have quit for good using aids other than the method we choose..?

* What is the number of 'serious smokers' that have quit utilizing our method..?

Were the latter at some point demonstrated to be larger than the former, a signficant statistiacal point would be reached. I haven't given thought to what these actual numbers might be. Obtaining such a level would certainly add gravity to our efforts.

Perhaps others have thoughts of how 'social smokers' might figure into the equation.

 

[rolygate]

I've seen a couple of surveys of ex-smokers where the major proportion quit via cold turkey. Pharmaceutically-assisted quitters were a small percentage - many more people had quit successfully without pharmaceutical interventions than with them. When those surveys start showing ecig users in their results, you'll have your answer.

 

[Cool_Breeze]

More quitters via ecigs than pharmaceuticals might be a positive. Is there anyway to estimate current day quitters regardless of method?

 

[Myk]

Problem is hardcore antis will not count e-cigs as quitting even if they cut nicotine to 0mg. They will have to quit smoking and then quit vaping.
I experienced similar thoughts when I switched from cigarettes to a pipe. The fact the '64(?) SG's report showed pipe smokers lived longer than even non-smokers didn't phase them.

 

[TennDave]

Where are we going to draw the battle line? ... 16mg ??

I hear you but we have to get them to understand that vaping 16mg is NOT the same as a 16mg patch or lozenge.
Vaping happens to be a very inefficient way to induce nicotine or for that matter any other substance into the body.

 

[TennDave]

I've seen a couple of surveys of ex-smokers where the major proportion quit via cold turkey. Pharmaceutically-assisted quitters were a small percentage - many more people had quit successfully without pharmaceutical interventions than with them. When those surveys start showing ecig users in their results, you'll have your answer.

True but a lot of folks who quit say 20 years ago (cold turkey) weren't living in the same smoking world as us who have quit in the last few years. I believe that BT put more chemicals in our cigs than were in the earlier versions to addict us even worse.

Even while Vaping (and I started at 36mg- now at 18), I certainly went through withdrawals from those chemicals.

 

[Myk]

Even while Vaping (and I started at 36mg- now at 18), I certainly went through withdrawals from those chemicals.

I had the same problem switching to a pipe.

 

[Petrodus]

How cigarettes are made
History Channel documentary

 

[Cool_Breeze]

How cigarettes are made
History Channel documentary

...past preformance is not an indicator of future yeilds.

 

[NC_Fog]

I was definitely missing something for the first couple of weeks. I vaped my brains out of 24mg trying to compensate with no real success of getting what was missing. Don't get me wrong it wasn't bad enough to make me light an analog. After the initial couple of weeks I immediately dropped down to 18mg. I'm now down to 10mg and can go several hours(if im busy and not sitting around)without even thinking about it.

 

[Cool_Breeze]

Many of us vape more frequently than we smoked. I recall about 20 hours into vaping, making the statement that 'vaping is about 80% as satisfying as smoking.' Few times since that time some 15 months ago have I felt any urge to ammend that statment. As well, that statement isn't meant in any way to say that I'm '20% tempted to smoke.' My one sampling of Whole Tobacco Alkyloid seems to have made little difference.

The traditional tobacco companies have some knowledge through their experience. Could it be within their capablilty to provide that (no doubt arguable) 20% some of us may be missing AND provide an experience somewhere to the low side of, 'I can't set this thing down,' while maintaing approximately the level of healthfulness that we believe we have..?

 

[VapingRulz]

I haven't finished reading this thread yet but I have to ask: why the assumption that Lorrilard (sp?) will produce and sell only the Blu-type of e-cigs? Couldn't they also produce the Ego-types of e-cigs - or would that require a different patent that they haven't yet secured?

If they are paying attention to the e-cig market they will have noticed that a large percentage of vapers move on rather quickly and/or slowly-but-predictably to Ego/Kgo/Riva types of models because they last longer and may operate at higher voltages than the Blu. Leaving the mods out of the equation for now because those really are used by only a minority of vapers, why wouldn't they have made plans to produce a long-lasting 650-1,000+ Mah model?

Re: the taxation question. As someone rightly pointed out, BT does not benefit from the ridiculous prices being charged for cigarettes; that excessive and extorted revenue goes directly to state/federal coffers. It would be in BT's best interest to ensure that it is understood by the general public that vaping is clear and distinct from smoking, not a health risk, and therefore not fairly subject to punitive taxation. If they do this, they will maximize their profits in way that is not possible with tobacco cigarettes.