Thoughts on recent FDA legislation...and the continued survival of our industry

[sawitall]

From what i see; most of the legislation that could end the e cig industry has allot to do with the way vaping is marketed..e.g..alternatives to smoking, or as a nicotine cessation product(not any more). But what if we take a new standpoint; one which the FDA has no jurisdiction over? it might seem absurd to resort to this...but in a if-but situation that vaping becomes severely regulated, I'm sure we can look towards the paraphernalia industry for clues. call our hardware something else entirely like a smoke prop, within the same marketing segments as fog machines and theater props. By just that any internet merchant can continue to sell atomizers, batteries, mods, cartomizers, and even e liquid as long as no nicotine is contained in the juice. but as far as nicotine extracts you can always say *for educational purposes only...not meant for human consumption* or the like. its just an idea.

what are your thoughts on this route if it came down to it?

 

[rustybikes]

No.

Granted, the paraphernalia scene is sometimes clever about the marketing of product. However, we don't want eCigs to be further marginalised by making it sound like we're trying to get away with something. "Not for human consumption" has been used by the folks marketing "herbal incense", "potpurri" and "bath salts" for the same reason (forum rules prevent me getting any more detailed - Google is enlightening). It didn't prevent the DEA getting involved, just as a similar move regarding eCigs wouldn't keep the FDA out of the mix. If anything, it'd make things worse.

 

[sawitall]

i suppose...really just an insight into the "worst case scenario" and how we would still be able to vape

 

[rustybikes]

Understood. The FDA really is the 800lb gorilla. We don't like it, but we are going to have to play by their rules. The alternative is to be left with only the black market to sell our wares, and I don't think anyone wants that...

 

[sawitall]

As it is now, were on a good path and there is certainly allot of standardization and self regulation within the e cig industry...some standards include routinely using u.s.p grade v.g and p.g, common threaded ends between devices(510, kr808d-1) the move away from cigarette looking devices and more to devices that look built for the purpose of vaping. my automatic reaction would be to show vaping in a positive image and keep our standards high within the industry and its something im seeing were doing all on our own. its not like the olden days of proprietary crap and unknowns in the liquids. so sans the worst case scenario do you think the FDA crackdowns are an end all or a growing pain?

 

[zzooti]

Problem is, the FDA, in & of itself, produces nothing; they do what they're told-either by Big Business (money) or by the government (politics) This is one of the reasons I'd like to see some big U.S. companies get on board; it may hurt us as far as how much our gear costs, but they could easily fund a study that would conclude once and for all that vaping is safER than smoking, and that as long as juice meets food safety standards and pv's meet other applicable safety standards there is no reason for some fascist ban.

 

[rustybikes]

I think it's mostly just growing pains. The eCig industry is still very young, so some of this is to be expected. One thing that we need is a more solid self-regulatory framework/structure in place. If our industry can clearly demonstrate a good-faith effort in avoiding issues that would otherwise cause problems, it'll go easier for us. Fortunately, on a mostly informal basis, a good deal of that framework is already forming.

For example, if a juice vendor was selling mis-labeled nicotine concentrate, it would be in our best interests for this knowledge to be shared amongst ALL vendors (and end-users). It would be a hugely damaging thing for someone to unwittingly load up a carto with 100mg/ml juice. Funny thing - some of this has already happened (no-one got injured), and the players within our industry did the right thing - shared knowledge, recalled product, and prevented a potentially disastrous situation getting any worse. If you're sufficiently curious, search around for "Box Elder" to see what happened.

 

[sawitall]

about the most positive thing ive heard in vaping lately rusty.

 

[bnrkwest]

I don't know how they can make something without nicotine regulated tho, I vape zero nic and I vape nic juices, I hope someday to go more zero. I am not convinced that nicotine is bad for you in some low doses tho. Isn't niacin, nicotine and that is why our brain has nicotine receptors. Any biochemists want to comment on the niacin/nictotine chemical make up?? Can we vape niacin and get nicotine?? Just asking because I don't know if they are chemically the same or not. bnrk

 

[spicyed]

Any biochemists want to comment on the niacin/nictotine chemical make up?? Can we vape niacin and get nicotine?? Just asking because I don't know if they are chemically the same or not. bnrk

Not a biochemist, but no. They are not the same. Niacin was discovered through research of nicotine however.