Though, I'm not completely new to e-cigs, having had several over the past few years...I am, however, fairly new to the love of vaping. This is just a written thought of the fate of the ever growing vaping/e-cig industry from a person who has been involved with facets of technological and pharmaceutical industry...and the government's involvement in both. This actually started as a response in another thread, but I then realized that I was hijacking the thread, so I then tried to search for a good thread to put this in, but couldn't really find a thread that involved both the technological and governmental aspects.
To start off, I have devoted the last couple of weeks to finding the best way to take my next step in my vaping lifestyle. I find the time is worth it, because every day I stay on the mission of vaping, is one more day I stay off of analogs. I've been researching 808's, 510's, battery mah as compared to overall size, cartos/clearos/tanks, manuals or automatics, and how they all apply to my personal preferences and the overall preferences of the consuming masses. It's quite overwhelming...but not something I can't understand with ease.
This leads me to the current nagging problem I see with the e-cig industry... Which is too much time spent on what most smokers (looking to make the switch) would consider indecisive and also impractical. Instead of just picking one thing and standardizing parts (so they're interchangeable), and then focusing on making those parts better...even if it slightly increases the buyer's cost for less frustration. Instead, what I see is companies keep trying to reinvent the wheel in order to create their own niche in the market. Over the past few years, I've had three "gas station/pharmacy" e-cigs, and not one of them were interchangeable with the other...or with anything else. Those gas station e-cigs are what smokers go to first when looking to quit the analogs, and when they find that the parts/flavors suck, and there are no other options for them...they go back to smoking because ANY functional lighter will ignite ANY dry cigarette. I bet less then 20% of those that try gas station e-cigs end up finding the large 808/510 market that has so many more interchangeable options....and even then it's overwhelming, indecisive, and impractical. We're still having to mod brand new Nth generation clearomizers (removing silicon seals, fluff wicks, etc.) to keep them from burning, losing taste, losing vapor, etc. Or we're having to throw out cartomizers with almost an ml of juice in it because it just decide to quit functioning. Or we're trying to have to decide between an analog-sized e-cig with crappy battery life, a cigar sized mid-size battery with decent life, or a vv mod that is weird shaped that has looooong battery life and provides many different vaping options. Not to mention the decision between carrying a carto and a bottle, 5 pre-filled cartos, a 2ml clearo, or a Camelback connected to a drip tip (slight over dramatization
).
However... I'm keeping my faith though, that we as a group can eventually make vaping an easy and viable option for smokers simply looking to quit, and vapers looking to continue vaping. I really only think it's a matter of a couple of years down the road and we'll have 6 hour batteries in the size of a a 78mm X 9mm size for the people wanting lasting fashionable inconspicuous e-cig. I think cartomizers/clearomizers will finally be leak free, wicking fluid at a consistent rate/taste, and coil arrangements will be more efficient, less strain on the battery, and last longer. Just look at how far electronics (cell phones, tablets, etc.) have come in the past two years. The e-cig industry is growing more and more every day, and I can expect the same from it as time goes on. Then bring that to the masses.
Now, for the long term nagging issue... As a guy who has worked avionics/electronics/training/supervision/engineering in the aviation industry for almost 20 years, I've witnessed mass advancement in technology, and I've witnessed, ran from, and interacted with the government intervention on a daily basis. And though I praise the FAA and NTSB for their intervention and contribution to the safety of the industry (my mission is to actually work for one of them some day), their parts and mechanic certification requirements increases the cost 10-fold for the owner/operator of the aircraft. After 9/11, the aviation industry broke down for 2 solid years, and I took a job as a supervisor of manufacturing at a small generic pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, where I then interacted with the FDA on a weekly basis...and they were a pain in the backside (for good reason I guess). Their involvement and requirements, (having several 6-figure-salary licensed Pharm D's on staff, for instance) also increase the cost for the consumer.
In the end, the only REAL problem with vaping is when the government will fully step in and also impose more regulations, such as require licensed Pharm D's to be on staff at e-juice manufacturing facilities. Expect that the better this gets...the more people that will get on board...the more the government is sure to notice and get in on the bandwagon (because they already are). I envision us only being able buy our juices from a select few FDA regulated and approved manufacturers, which will drive the cost through the roof....even if you DYI. The only question is where the government will choose to take its stand in terms of taxation. Will they give breathing room to e-juice manufactures/suppliers because in the end it will decrease the healthcare costs? Or, will they see this as a way to sin-tax something that will cost them less in healthcare, in order to supplement the other things (such as tobacco smoking) that do increase healthcare costs.
If you've made it this far in my post... I actually look forward to hearing from the vaping veterans, who have witnessed the expansion of technological and regulations of vaping over the past few years. I also hope to hear from the newer kats who might also have initial impressions that may sway them one way or another in terms of vaping, smoking, or quitting both all together.
To start off, I have devoted the last couple of weeks to finding the best way to take my next step in my vaping lifestyle. I find the time is worth it, because every day I stay on the mission of vaping, is one more day I stay off of analogs. I've been researching 808's, 510's, battery mah as compared to overall size, cartos/clearos/tanks, manuals or automatics, and how they all apply to my personal preferences and the overall preferences of the consuming masses. It's quite overwhelming...but not something I can't understand with ease.
This leads me to the current nagging problem I see with the e-cig industry... Which is too much time spent on what most smokers (looking to make the switch) would consider indecisive and also impractical. Instead of just picking one thing and standardizing parts (so they're interchangeable), and then focusing on making those parts better...even if it slightly increases the buyer's cost for less frustration. Instead, what I see is companies keep trying to reinvent the wheel in order to create their own niche in the market. Over the past few years, I've had three "gas station/pharmacy" e-cigs, and not one of them were interchangeable with the other...or with anything else. Those gas station e-cigs are what smokers go to first when looking to quit the analogs, and when they find that the parts/flavors suck, and there are no other options for them...they go back to smoking because ANY functional lighter will ignite ANY dry cigarette. I bet less then 20% of those that try gas station e-cigs end up finding the large 808/510 market that has so many more interchangeable options....and even then it's overwhelming, indecisive, and impractical. We're still having to mod brand new Nth generation clearomizers (removing silicon seals, fluff wicks, etc.) to keep them from burning, losing taste, losing vapor, etc. Or we're having to throw out cartomizers with almost an ml of juice in it because it just decide to quit functioning. Or we're trying to have to decide between an analog-sized e-cig with crappy battery life, a cigar sized mid-size battery with decent life, or a vv mod that is weird shaped that has looooong battery life and provides many different vaping options. Not to mention the decision between carrying a carto and a bottle, 5 pre-filled cartos, a 2ml clearo, or a Camelback connected to a drip tip (slight over dramatization
). However... I'm keeping my faith though, that we as a group can eventually make vaping an easy and viable option for smokers simply looking to quit, and vapers looking to continue vaping. I really only think it's a matter of a couple of years down the road and we'll have 6 hour batteries in the size of a a 78mm X 9mm size for the people wanting lasting fashionable inconspicuous e-cig. I think cartomizers/clearomizers will finally be leak free, wicking fluid at a consistent rate/taste, and coil arrangements will be more efficient, less strain on the battery, and last longer. Just look at how far electronics (cell phones, tablets, etc.) have come in the past two years. The e-cig industry is growing more and more every day, and I can expect the same from it as time goes on. Then bring that to the masses.
Now, for the long term nagging issue... As a guy who has worked avionics/electronics/training/supervision/engineering in the aviation industry for almost 20 years, I've witnessed mass advancement in technology, and I've witnessed, ran from, and interacted with the government intervention on a daily basis. And though I praise the FAA and NTSB for their intervention and contribution to the safety of the industry (my mission is to actually work for one of them some day), their parts and mechanic certification requirements increases the cost 10-fold for the owner/operator of the aircraft. After 9/11, the aviation industry broke down for 2 solid years, and I took a job as a supervisor of manufacturing at a small generic pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, where I then interacted with the FDA on a weekly basis...and they were a pain in the backside (for good reason I guess). Their involvement and requirements, (having several 6-figure-salary licensed Pharm D's on staff, for instance) also increase the cost for the consumer.
In the end, the only REAL problem with vaping is when the government will fully step in and also impose more regulations, such as require licensed Pharm D's to be on staff at e-juice manufacturing facilities. Expect that the better this gets...the more people that will get on board...the more the government is sure to notice and get in on the bandwagon (because they already are). I envision us only being able buy our juices from a select few FDA regulated and approved manufacturers, which will drive the cost through the roof....even if you DYI. The only question is where the government will choose to take its stand in terms of taxation. Will they give breathing room to e-juice manufactures/suppliers because in the end it will decrease the healthcare costs? Or, will they see this as a way to sin-tax something that will cost them less in healthcare, in order to supplement the other things (such as tobacco smoking) that do increase healthcare costs.
If you've made it this far in my post... I actually look forward to hearing from the vaping veterans, who have witnessed the expansion of technological and regulations of vaping over the past few years. I also hope to hear from the newer kats who might also have initial impressions that may sway them one way or another in terms of vaping, smoking, or quitting both all together.
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