Tabacco Company Investments

[Sad Society]

I'm sure big tabacco companies gotta know about the ecig by now. Regardless of what may be going on with the FDA, does anybody know if any tabacco companies or cigarette manufacturers are in the works of testing and/or looking to make their own brand of ecig? Or are they all totally snide about it because it steers people away from tabacco use and sales?

Or maybe they won't waste the time to try if they know that the FDA could possibly ban them.

 

[optsmk]

That's a good question but I'm sure they are feverishly working on getting something out to market.

 

[suhrim21]

I think they are the ones forking out the money to have e-cigs banned. I dont think they have any plans on getting an e-cig out there. hell it isnt as addictive as their analogs. if they make an e-cig then people could stop buying analogs and game over for them. I fully think they want these to be banned so that more people will go back to analogs so they can make more money.

 

[Vapor Pete]

I believe there has been some rumblings about PM already looking into the technology and possibly coming out with their own e-cig version. As for the ban, a company like PM could certainly spend the money and get the resources together and run the required tests to get them legal. The ban is only eminant because the proper tests/studies have not been done per FDA guidelines. I would venture to guess that should someone step up complete said tests/studies, their product would be ban proof as long is its health and safety findings met FDA regulations.

My best,
-VP

 

[Mr Sinister]

I would assume they would be looking into creating their own version. They have plenty of disposable money to do such. If it ends up not being banned, just regulated, they have an opportunity to make even more money. Possibly even improving their image a little.

 

[Vapor Pete]

I think they are the ones forking out the money to have e-cigs banned. I dont think they have any plans on getting an e-cig out there. hell it isnt as addictive as their analogs. if they make an e-cig then people could stop buying analogs and game over for them. I fully think they want these to be banned so that more people will go back to analogs so they can make more money.

Im not sure that they are forking out money to have the e-cig banned. Besides, the banning of e-cigs is not directly related to money. Its related to the fact that the proper steps were not taken in the begining by the inventors/suppliers. As long as nicotine is addictive, Big tobacco will get its money. Believe me, Big Tob. knows that e-cigs could very well become a huge marketfor them. Dont forget, PM already came out with some interesting ideas and test marketed them. Their ideas didnt catch on. Point is, they are willing to grab other market shares if it puts more money in their pockets. E-cigs would do just that.

My best,
-VP

 

[Sad Society]

If I were big tabacco company with lots of frivolous income then wouldn't it be in the best interest to be the first tabbacco company to have a nation wide ecig product on the market if they become legal?

An ecig that is reliable and affordable so that people would recommend it.

I think a wave is coming that could possibly be unstoppable by the FDA. And it would be wise to get on the wave...not try to stop it.

 

[suhrim21]

Phillip Morris is the only one I think that if they lost all of their power to sell anything with tobacco in it would be able to survive. They own Kraft and all of its subsidiaries. PM was also the first tobacco co to sponsor commercials to help people quit. I could see them trying to make an e-cig but I still think the companies are having lobbyist try to buy enough people to get these things banned in the US. Our government doesnt care about anything besides money. Now granted there are some people in power that dont care about the money that truelly want to help the people but they are greatly outnumbered. One of the news links talked about the FDA witholding info about the e-cigs to make them look bad. Why do you think they did that? Why do you think the bill to help california turn green has changed so many times to where now it is a bill to get these banned?

 

[wrecktangle]

Personally, I really don't think big tobacco really cares all that much. Let's face it, we vapers are a very very small minority in the nicotine consuming world. We're nothing more than a hair on a freckle in the body of life.

I read somewhere (sorry for lack of source) that there are only about 1 million vapers; compared to probably tens of millions (or perhaps hundreds of millions?) of regular smokers.

Big tobacco may have the ear of the FDA and could very easily wipe us off the face of competition. Perhaps big tobacco is merely building some advertising interest by having the FDA go after us. Then, big tobacco will step in and reap the benefits of an established vaper base and sell their version of the electronic cig.

I'm not a big conspiracy theory believer. I do believe big tobacco has an interest, but if the interest were that big, I think the FDA would have already negatively ruled on e-cigs.

Just my very humble opinion (for now).

 

[martha1014]

I think you are wrong in saying banning is not directly related to money. I think it is the Big Tobacco money that is behind banning ecigs. If ecigs keep growning as it has recently this could certainly affect them financially.

 

[suhrim21]

yes we are small in numbers, but e-cigs are still new. Think about this if every e-cig user got one person to use e-cigs we double in size and so forth. yes we may be small right now but in a couple of years whos to say we dont have 10 million users. give some quick math if every person of 10 mil smokes a pack a day averaging 5 dollars a pack (I know most places is more just using a nice round number) that would be 18,250,000,000 dollars lost a year for the tabacco companies. for the 1 mill we have right now it is 1,825,000,000 lost a year. yea that isnt a lot of money compaired to what they make but Im sure how you could see in maybe 10 years it could easily be 50 million e-cig users. That is what the tobacco companies are looking at. the potential for people to use the e-cigs since they are cheaper and better for your health. If I was an owner of a big tobacco co trust me I would be looking at buying other companies so I could ensure if the tabacco co goes under I still have money.

 

[LaceyUnderall]

Here's an interesting factoid I stumbled across through Bill Godshall:

According to Bill Godshall in a comment posted on Dr. Siegel's blog,
he has been urging the big tobacco companies to start selling
electronic cigarettes... however, according to the MSA (Master
Settlement Agreement), they cannot do so because they are not allowed to use their brand names (Marlboro, Camel etc) on products that are not tobacco products.

SO... if this is true... then IF the ecig does become a tobacco
product, THEN they can begin selling their ecigs and this MAY be why
they have not been able to do so thus far.

Is that not interesting or what? It makes total sense.

 

[suhrim21]

if the ban doesnt go through then it would not be considered a tobaco product if it does then the tobacco companies can have the FDA approve it as a tobacco product after they fork out the money to have the tests done. am I right on this?

 

[Kent C]

Tobacco companies make about 47 cents profit on a pack of cigarettes. The cost from the manufacture is $2.22 (in 2007) - the rest of the actual cost for a consumer is taxes.

 

[cerios]

They had a similar product but seemed to be a flop, think it had a plug of tobacco that was heated with charcoal or something.
Anyone know if they still make these?
YouTube - It's Hard Being a Smoker!

 

[LaceyUnderall]

if the ban doesnt go through then it would not be considered a tobaco product if it does then the tobacco companies can have the FDA approve it as a tobacco product after they fork out the money to have the tests done. am I right on this?

Well... it depends. If the FDA is given the winning ticket by Judge Leon that these are NRT's, then Pharm will get them. (Unless someone appeals)

If they are "suggested" to be a tobacco product, that's still a grey area and not necessarily does the suggestion by the judge to regulate them as tobacco, make them so. (Unless someone appeals)

It's very complicated and the placement of the ecig in the grand scheme of things could be an ongoing fight for years.

However, that said, Congress could come in, pass specific legislation quickly and voila... it is what it is. (But IMHO, I think that is less likely to happen. It could be tacked onto some transportation bill somewhere (LOL) but they would be hard pressed to create a bill specifically for ecigs.

Seriously, it's like trying to navigate a tanker through an ice field Every move is slow and it's really hard to tell what's going to happen with the shifting ice ahead.

EDIT: If it IS a tobacco product, then currently, no tests are needed to prove safety. However, that too could change if the new regulations set require such testing. However, the testing for NRT's which would prove that it is a quit smoking product would definitely be off of the table.

 

[Sad Society]

That is a real interesting video.

 

[cerios]

The only positive thing about big tobacco producing e-juice would be they have pockets deep enough to fight fda, but we would pay the price in the end.

 

[Dirtybutts]

I think it would be great if Marlboro came out with their own e-liquid then I could quit searching for some that taste like a Marlboro!

 

[Notwell25]

When you find that Marlboro taste, let me know!