With the latter, vendors can put ANYTHING they want in an eLiquid. What is to prevent them on the front end from doing this? I would argue nothing.
And as this poster has already made this thread partially about not responding to my posts, then I put forth this point for discussion as I see it as highly pertinent to this thread. Again, I have a very public wager put forth for anyone reading this saying that there will be more harm (that will be noted) coming to vapers in a the government regulated market verse what we have now. If you disagree with this, thinking government regulations will mean more safety/less potential for harm, then take me up on this wager. Thus far, after writing this wager about 10 times now, I have zero people interested. I take that as implied agreement with the point I am harping on or people not confident enough to win a bet knowing it might not be accurate to say things will be safer/better with regulations in place. But here in this post, I would also argue that it is because people do realize that a vendor can, at any time, put ANYTHING they want in an eLiquid.
What this really comes down to is if anyone does put anything in eLiquid, are they willing to deal with whatever backlash may ensue.
We currently aren't experiencing a vaping market where there are many known incidences of harm coming to vapers because of something put into eLiquid intended to lead to immediate harm for the user of that eLiquid. That there are a few incidences of harm in this way, strikes me as ABSOLUTELY NORMAL, for this surely happens in the food industry all the time (as in every year for perhaps the last 4000 years).
In the heavily regulated market, a vendor could put something in that isn't of the immediate dangerous variety, and likely get away with it indefinitely. Who would know? Tell the FDA one thing, do another, and if there is no one looking in huge bureaucracy, then it won't be found. Hence, the reason the FDA is banking on idea that the industry will be whittled down to say 20 or fewer players in the industry so they can keep up with all the possible variations, in all the possible batches of all the possible flavors that will be allowed on the eLiquid market. But even under a scenario where there are say 3 legal companies, that have say 20 flavor choices (total), it won't be possible to keep up with every single batch, from the FDA's perspective.
It will be possible that if any company is selling something they thought was good, but turned out to be bad (according to public health advocate du jour), then on the backend, the vendor would be reprimanded. No doubt that any vendor will be reprimanded (in some fashion), if they put substances in that are intended to lead to immediate harm of their user. But only after the fact. Would take a whistleblower from within that company to prevent it from happening on the front end.
This would be the long winded explanation that explains half of the reason why I am okay with anything being put in, because I can't see how being not okay would possibly work out. That's just superficial ideology and wishful thinking. And to the degree that is debated, I can invoke the other half of rationale that would further this point and make it more clear as to how you are actually very okay with how this is all set up, even while you may try to claim otherwise. Becomes a bit more philosophical at that point, but isn't like it can't be explained or discussed. Just that we think by saying, "I'm not okay with anything being put in," means we will somehow change things to a world where it conforms to everything we think we want. Instead, I would argue that by stating what you are not okay with, would likely attract to you an experience of that particular situation, that will not be at a time of your conscious choosing.
It is nice knowing that the people who read all this, are open to thinking deeper than the superficial take on matters.
And also nice knowing that the ones who claim to not read my words, did actually read this post, but will never openly admit it.
I find that humorous.
