He mentioned a prediction I hadn't heard before, how many more millions in the US might switch to vaping in the next few years, a big, important number. If it happened tobacco tax revenues would be decimated. The funding cuts would hurt the people who are most opposed to vaping and help the people who need it most, low income smokers--and their households.
One of the lessons from this mess is "public health" does not refer to the public's health.
Yes, already an estimated 9 million no longer contribute to Big Tobacco in the U.S.. He's expecting that to double to 18 million within the next few years.
On average say a pack of cigarettes costs $6.00.
There are 10 packs per carton. This is $60.00 per carton, prior to taxes.
Let's keep it simple and go with a flat rate of 10% tax.
Add $6.00 to $60.00 = $66.00 per carton * on average 2 cartons a month = $132.00 monthly * 12 months = $1,584.00.
Now, let's take say $1,500 to be conservative, graceful and multiply that by 1 million = $1,500,000,000.00 that is 1.5 billion dollars that big tobacco does not see annually from only 1 million consumers.
We have 9 million consumers so that is $13,500,000,000.00, 13.5 billion big tobacco is not getting a year.
If we double that consumer base in the next few years $27,000,000,000.00 27 billion dollars will go away from Big Tobacco.
Alright, now that is only here in the United States. England and the U.K. seem keen to have their health care system be dispensing vaping to get smokers to quit big tobacco products. I do not know even estimated figures for there.
I question, if there is 27 billion in only the United States is that not enough incentive to provide motive for collusion, conspiracy & R.I.C.O? The governmental agencies are nothing if not an organized system. When such a system is used in criminal endeavors is it not organized crime?
At any rate, now you can see what Big Tobacco is fighting to hold on. I'm not too bright but it seems to me that when I try taking away a rawhide from dog's they fight against me, $27 billion buys a lot of rawhides. This is per year. Now, let us think in terms of 5 years. My calculator does the weird error bit. Let me do rough estimate though, 20 billion a year times 5 years is 100 billion, that is 1/10th of 1 trillion.
I'll toss out another estimate here to show some difference. If I recall correctly, it would cost me about $35 per year to get the ingredients, mix up a simple 1.8mg/mL nicotine juice of half PG & half VG. Compare $35 to our graceful figure of $1,500 annually for big tobacco. Let me say I may spend $70 a year on hardware. That is still only $105 a year. It is spent on something that is proving out to work for a majority of smokers, is less risky than drugs, gums, patches, cigarettes. Word after word vapers are in some cases literally singing praises of how vaping has saved their lives, or lives of loved ones.
I have strong doubt be any prohibition.
No, no small group of motivated, people ever did a thing at all. Forget that America was founded by any such group. Forget any such group allegedly went to the moon & back.
We vapers are apparently being a rather large fly in someone's ointment lest there would not be such a torrent of force set to oppose us.
