Rough estimates of ecigarette sales......$500 million in annual sales.....
When Lorilard bought Blu Ecigs, Blu's was showing $30 million in revenue ...
Do you realize the huge TEAMS of legal and bean counting analysts a company of this size employs to do research? Lorillard says e-cigarette sales have been doubling every year and is betting the product will grow more quickly than other smokeless alternatives.
The Big Boys don't make bets like this if they think they have a bad poker hand. They just don't. Murray Kessler doesn't make $3.2 million a year in salary and bonuses as CEO because he's a dumb .... You think he's going to go down in flames?
That's why I don't buy into the hysteria. I read Forbes, try to figure out who is doing what and why.
By the way, Kessler's daughter is an extremely talented young lady and was selected to be on U.S. Olympic Team for show jumping and placed 6th. Very talented at a very young age. As a matter of fact, both Mr. Kessler and his wife are competitive riders as well, so I knew something about them since I follow the "horse thing".
Best thing the ecig bus can do, and should have been doing all along, is mount up enough studies and research to show it isn't hazardous to health. I guess I'm left wondering why, in an industry that has $500 million in sales last year (and to be honest, I think that is a very CONSERVATIVE figure, it's way more than that) , can't seem to pummel and absolutely drown the FDA reveiwers (who are already under-staffed and overwhelmed) with enough research to tilt the wheel. Seems to me the $$ is there?
As a vaper, I'm already spending enough on products, and asking me for $$ for research is like the cigarette companies asking their customers for $$ for THEIR research. Their customers DO support the reseach, by buying the products.
Now, to be honest, who are the "fall guys" going to be if there is ever research that shows ecigs are harmful to people, esp. young people who may be starting to use them? I really can't blame the FDA in a lot of ways. I don't want to see our children take up smoking but I also don't want them to take up something else that might harm them. This is why PROVING is necessary. The more the better.
When I say fall guys, I mean, who in this industry is going to pay (like big tobacco did) for the fallout IF something happened? Let's say 20 years down the road? My thoughts right now is that all you will see is a bunch of "404 not found" internet sites. You NEED to have the big guns getting into this industry. As a cottage industry, *vaping* just doesn't have the power, the pull, the resources, or the $ for studies, etc.
And yes, the more mainstream something is, the more it can expect regulation. That is going to be true in the U.S. or anywhere else for that matter. If enough people inbibe or inhale a substance, or pick up a habit or hobby, expect it to be looked into. That is just the way it is. People hate OSHA too, but the number of people cutting their hands off in machines, and buildings blowing up, is way less than it used to be 3 decades ago, due to safety regs. Big Corporate is NOT going to institute safety measures if that means profits can go to the CEOS, that's just capitalism folks. So, as much as some of you seem to hate the government, I'm glad they're there.
I think the reason is all the guys I know work in *dangerous* industries, I'm glad to know they are a little safer. I know Big Oil isn't going to care if some young diver gets his hands blown off welding a pipeline underwater. They just don't...it's just a $ number in their actuaries accounting sheet....something to get paid and over and done with. I know insurance companies and bean counters and how it all works.
When Lorilard bought Blu Ecigs, Blu's was showing $30 million in revenue ...
Do you realize the huge TEAMS of legal and bean counting analysts a company of this size employs to do research? Lorillard says e-cigarette sales have been doubling every year and is betting the product will grow more quickly than other smokeless alternatives.
The Big Boys don't make bets like this if they think they have a bad poker hand. They just don't. Murray Kessler doesn't make $3.2 million a year in salary and bonuses as CEO because he's a dumb .... You think he's going to go down in flames?
That's why I don't buy into the hysteria. I read Forbes, try to figure out who is doing what and why.
By the way, Kessler's daughter is an extremely talented young lady and was selected to be on U.S. Olympic Team for show jumping and placed 6th. Very talented at a very young age. As a matter of fact, both Mr. Kessler and his wife are competitive riders as well, so I knew something about them since I follow the "horse thing".
Best thing the ecig bus can do, and should have been doing all along, is mount up enough studies and research to show it isn't hazardous to health. I guess I'm left wondering why, in an industry that has $500 million in sales last year (and to be honest, I think that is a very CONSERVATIVE figure, it's way more than that) , can't seem to pummel and absolutely drown the FDA reveiwers (who are already under-staffed and overwhelmed) with enough research to tilt the wheel. Seems to me the $$ is there?
As a vaper, I'm already spending enough on products, and asking me for $$ for research is like the cigarette companies asking their customers for $$ for THEIR research. Their customers DO support the reseach, by buying the products.
Now, to be honest, who are the "fall guys" going to be if there is ever research that shows ecigs are harmful to people, esp. young people who may be starting to use them? I really can't blame the FDA in a lot of ways. I don't want to see our children take up smoking but I also don't want them to take up something else that might harm them. This is why PROVING is necessary. The more the better.
When I say fall guys, I mean, who in this industry is going to pay (like big tobacco did) for the fallout IF something happened? Let's say 20 years down the road? My thoughts right now is that all you will see is a bunch of "404 not found" internet sites. You NEED to have the big guns getting into this industry. As a cottage industry, *vaping* just doesn't have the power, the pull, the resources, or the $ for studies, etc.
And yes, the more mainstream something is, the more it can expect regulation. That is going to be true in the U.S. or anywhere else for that matter. If enough people inbibe or inhale a substance, or pick up a habit or hobby, expect it to be looked into. That is just the way it is. People hate OSHA too, but the number of people cutting their hands off in machines, and buildings blowing up, is way less than it used to be 3 decades ago, due to safety regs. Big Corporate is NOT going to institute safety measures if that means profits can go to the CEOS, that's just capitalism folks. So, as much as some of you seem to hate the government, I'm glad they're there.
I think the reason is all the guys I know work in *dangerous* industries, I'm glad to know they are a little safer. I know Big Oil isn't going to care if some young diver gets his hands blown off welding a pipeline underwater. They just don't...it's just a $ number in their actuaries accounting sheet....something to get paid and over and done with. I know insurance companies and bean counters and how it all works.