Thursday, February 6, 2014

Anatomy of an E-Cigarette (And the Coming Regulations that Will Benefit Big Tobacco)



BusinessWeek explains:
In its simplest form, an e-cigarette is a cartridge filled with a nicotine solution and a battery powering a coil that heats the solution into vapor, which one sucks in and exhales like smoke. Typically, it looks like a regular cigarette, except the tip, embedded with an LED, often glows blue instead of red. The active ingredient in e-cigarettes is the same nicotine found in cigarettes and nicotine patches.
The effects of inhaling nicotine vapor are not totally understood, but there is no evidence to date that it causes cancer. Experts and logic seem to agree that it’s a lot better than setting chopped-up tobacco leaves on fire and inhaling the nicotine along with thousands of combustion byproducts, some of which are definitely carcinogenic. Because cancer is the main drawback of smoking for a lot of people, the delivery of nicotine without lighting a cigarette is very attractive. And because it produces a wispy vapor instead of acrid smoke, an e-cigarette lets you bring your smoking back indoors, where lighting up in an enclosed space is no longer socially, or legally, acceptable.[...]
In a way, electronic cigarettes were made possible by cell phones. The drive to make phones smaller and lengthen their battery life led to the development of batteries and equipment small enough to fit in a container the size and shape of a cigarette. There’s some dispute over who invented the modern e-cigarette, but the first commercially marketed device was created by a Chinese pharmacist, Hon Lik, and introduced to the Chinese market as a smoking cessation device in 2004. From there, e-cigarettes made their way to small shops such as that of the Vietnamese grocer who sold Verleur his first one four years later[...] 
During the debate over New York’s policy, a September report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing e-cigarette use on the rise among teenagers was prominently discussed. Spokesmen for Altria Group (MO), Reynolds American (RAI), and Lorillard—the Big Three of tobacco—are in agreement that children should be prevented from buying e-cigarettes, just as they are prevented from buying the regular kind[...] Big Tobacco’s advantages will probably strengthen once the FDA releases its proposed rules. Analysts expect some restrictions on Internet sales because it’s too easy for minors to get the devices online. But while it’s relatively easy for a small company to become established on the Internet, it’s much harder to secure scarce shelf space behind a drugstore counter. The tighter the FDA regulation, the more valuable distribution networks and marketing power become. And of course, the more lobbyists a company can afford, the more likely it is to get regulations it likes.

Altria and Reynolds, which are the market leaders in sales of regular cigarettes, are entering the market as well. On Feb. 3, Altria announced it was buying e-cigarette company Green Smoke for $110 million. They have also created their own products, MarkTen (Altria) and Vuse (Reynolds). Their e-cigarettes look sleek, but like traditional cigarettes come in only two flavors: regular and menthol. They’re rolled out exclusively through retailers.[...]The more lightly the area is regulated, the better chance the upstarts will have of taking on Big Tobacco and winning. “It’s our sincere hope,” he says, “that regulators and legislators take a responsible approach towards our category.”

6 comments:

  1. The effects of inhaling nicotine vapor are not totally understood, but there is no evidence to date that it causes cancer. Experts and logic seem to agree that it’s a lot better than setting chopped-up tobacco leaves on fire and inhaling the nicotine along with thousands of combustion byproducts, some of which are definitely carcinogenic. ecigs

    ReplyDelete
  2. Smoking causes 5,000,000 deaths PER YEAR.
    E-cigs? How about zero?
    So, we must stop people from choosing E-cigs. What will we do with all those extra people???

    ReplyDelete
  3. These battery-powered devices turn liquid nicotine into a vapor that the smoker inhales. Proponents say they are much safer than ordinary cigarettes because they don’t contain the tars and toxic chemicals generated by burning tobacco. But regulators say so little is known about e-cigarette use that, as a public health matter, they can’t definitively say the product is safer.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------
    E-cigs reviews

    ReplyDelete
  4. Global sales of smokeless tobacco products, including smokeless inhalers, has grown to nearly $3 billion and continues to grow. In an attempt to quit the tobacco habit as many as one-fifth of smokers have tried e-cigarettes. Now these e-cig can be found near by your store or for an ease via online. From where they can get e-cig with flavored e-Cig Liquid Concentrates which gives you a taste of Banana, sweet, Menthol, Caramel & many more flavored e-liquids. Choose the one which you like and get one step ahead for life.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is amazing . so it's good for pregnant women & so for all. please stop smoking for the upcoming child & also for own-self. I am appreciated to visit this site. I mean it is wonderful product. “These e-cigarettes are marketed in one way in that if you want to smoke you can VAPE indoors,” Alexander told The Nation’s Health. “You can beat the ban by smoking these e-cigarettes, that’s one marketing tool.”
    Electronic cigarettes — battery-powered devices that deliver a fine spray of nicotine without any flame or VAPE — have been sold in this country for about three years now. Some people use them as a way to quit smoking real cigarettes. Unlike gum or patches, the devices mimic the sensation of smoking while providing the nicotine rush. We pride ourselves completely on our huge product range, wide scope selection of e-liquids and our customer service. We focus solely on providing the BEST products on the market coupled with both industry experts and a fantastic aftercare service.
    So if you want to know about more product such as e-cigarette , vaporizer kits, e-liquid , ejuice, buy nicotine, mechanical mods,rebuild-able tanks, uk e-liquid, e liquid, e cig, quit smoking device,cloud chasing e-liquid , e cig accessories , drippers

    ReplyDelete