We all know this, the tobacco lobby does not like the electronic cigarette. These actors, weighing multi-billion dollars annually, are slowly coming out from their hibernation as they stare at the steady decline in their income. They actually face a big problem: they have no market power over the electronic cigarette. Chris Williams, a longtime blogger and advocate of vape, gives an overview of the media and judicial war between tobacco lobbies and market players in the e-cig.
Bureaucrats and science.
On his blog (bestelectroniccigaretteblog.com), Chris explains, using the example of a town in Kentucky, that the committee in charge of health looks into finding ways to restrict the use of electronic cigarettes and better communicate the dangers they involve. Scott White, a member of the committee, described the tobacco lobbies as the devil. A first, we would be inclined to think that he supports the cause of the electronic cigarette. This man had even participated in the great campaign of lawsuits against the tobacco lobbies in the 90. "If inciting children to use a dangerous product is not the work of evil, what is it?" declared Scott talking about the e-cig and sweet e-liquid flavors.
Chris highlights the inability of bureaucrats and media to give the real picture of the e-cig industry. Indeed, in the United States, there remains a skepticism regarding the origin of the electronic cigarette. Thus, the anti-smoking advocates do not rule out the possibility that the electronic cigarette is actually a creation of Big Tobacco Companies to exit global regulations, affect children, and get back those who want to quit smoking. According to Chris, this skepticism aims to associate the electronic cigarette and conventional cigarettes. He explains that among all the shops he visited, none offered products originating from Big Tobacco Companies. According to him, one of the strengths of this Lobby is its distribution network. Indeed, "a product of this lobby will have a greater chance of ending up on the shelves of a gas station or tobacco shop" explains Chris.
This argument holds. Indeed, most specialty shops mushrooming here and there mostly come from persons wishing to obtain a piece of cake in this market. However, originally what drove individuals to create their shops was none other than passion. Shops wishing to make quick cash do not have that little spark and are therefore modeled on passionate shops. Thus locking big tobacco products out of specialized stores. A good example is the commercialization of the Ploom by Japan Tobacco (manufacturer of Winston and Camel), condemned to never appear in the catalog of a specialized store.
E-liquids for children?
Regarding the completeness of the market flavor range for electronic cigarettes, Chris explains that this is not a way to attract young people. As this industry aims smokers, it is the basic law of supply and demand. Indeed, a smoker is only used to the taste of tobacco. It is for this reason that more than 80% of vapers start with a tobacco flavor. This is somehow the only comparative basis in making the link between conventional cigarette and electronic cigarette. Once the link to the electronic cigarette is made, vapers inexorably move away from tobacco flavors to delicious fruity flavors. Hence the appearance of childhood flavors such as cola, sweet strawberry and others reminding childhood sweets and not to generate demand from children.
Today, in the United States, the growing skepticism aims to divert attention of anti-smoking groups by redirecting them to the electronic cigarette. This feeling is not yet present in Europe. It is well known that in Europe, consumers need a lot of information, especially regarding health. So in your opinion, the e-cig concept, Big Tobacco invention or Big Tobacco killer?
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