So, there is definitely going to be a battle for the E-Cigarette and it's place in the world. Traditional cigarettes and tobacco products make A LOT of money for the companies that make them, the governments that tax them, and the stores that sell them. There are smoking opposition groups that believe e-smoking is a gateway to real smoking. Companies are advertising and marketing these things as quit smoking devices without the proper documentation or proof. Not to mention just pure anti-nicotine folks.
E-Cigs have been flat out banned in parts of Australia. Just this week, flat out banned in Hong Kong. The FDA is all of a sudden confiscating shipments that are improperly labeled. There are anti e-cigarette fluff pieces popping up in Newspapers all over the place, including the AP. Television news stories doing the same. All highlighting the "not tested" and "unproven" angles to the product.
These points are somewhat valid. However, if everyone is worried about the product's safety, why don't these health organizations, investigative journalists, politicians, et al, do a damn study all ready? So far, I am only aware of
one scientific study on the actual product, and it's results were POSITIVE.
I think the reason is that
they don't want it to succeed. Folks that don't want these products out there who have the ear of these journalists and politicians are whispering in their ears "Hey, you see this - not safe. Go tell someone."
On a less nefarious level, these folks are reacting first without research. A good "watch out, they aren't safe" story will get picked up, get more hits, sell more papers, get more views than a "look at this wonderful new gadget" one. And politicians, all you need is one loud focus group saying NO and it's gone. Not worth the trouble, plus brings you no money, no votes, and makes you look like the protector.
Couple those two scenarios, and the groundwork is laid for whoever doesn't want these things out there to swoop in and make sure they are not.
Anyway, this round of banning and media attention is just round one. I think we will see a lot more coming. Some horror stories of kids/pets getting into it, someone reacting negatively to the ingredients, some tainted juice. Units causing a fire. Freak things that will get highlighted as a high-level potential situation. Then a full on ban in EU/US. In all forms. Years later, some big name group will come out with a "Safe/Regulated" version, and it will be hundreds of dollars, and not competitive with tobacco products.
The same amount of effort in banning could be put into a couple studies, some standards and regulation of product, some marketing laws, done. Don't sell to kids, don't market as safe, dont market as quit smoking, and no-smoking laws also apply to e-cigs. Done. I get to vape, you get to keep it not-cool and away from kids.
Kinda pisses me off.
/end conspiracy theory
03-10-2009, 02:35 PM
!!! 
