The Future History Of E-Cigarettes – Increasing Popularity Or Attempts to Ban?
Electronic cigarettes have a short history as they were introduced in 2003 by the SBT Co. Ltd. of Beijing, China. After the first launch, Ruyan developed the electronic products further and introduced electronic cigarettes to the European market at a 2006 Austrian conference. Marketing promotions assigned the name “Electro fag” to electronic cigarettes.
Initially, the e-cig was not meant as a replacement for tobacco but as an alternative nicotine delivery system to be used where tobacco smoking was not allowed. The purpose was simply to ease the nicotine cravings of smokers during periods when smoking was not an activity they could indulge in. Overly promotional marketers quickly began referring to e-cigarettes as a method to help the public stop smoking. Manufacturers recognized the danger of making such claims and disapproved of the ads. The World Health Organization issued a statement condemning the portrayal of electronic smoking products as a cure for smoking as benefits and risks of e-cigarettes had not been tested.
Some smokers consider e-cigarettes to be a hobby but not a habit. Gathering online in forums, electronic smokers who refer to themselves as “vapers” argue the merits of one e-liquid over another, offer advice on the best electronic cigarettes and discuss vapor volume endlessly.
Initial products attempted rather unsuccessfully to mimic the appearance of tobacco cigarettes. As the e-cig has become a product in its own right those designs have been joined by colored and brightly decorated models and with e-cigarettes displaying logos. The electronic products that do resemble standard smokes are much more realistic in detail than those early products on the market.
A trade association was formed by the suppliers of electronic cigarettes to present the e-cig as a viable and safe alternative to smoking tobacco. The rapidly increasing popularity of electronic brands makes it imperative to share accurate information with the public.
The powerful lobbies have pressured the FDA to ban electronic cigarettes or to strictly regulate their use. Although the FDA seems to have buckled under the pressure a recent court decision may prohibit this government agency from acting in a way that promotes the interests of big tobacco and big pharma.
Misinformation and outright lies have been issued by big tobacco in an attempt to damage the market for e-cigarettes and generate fear in the public. From a distance, it is strange to hear expressions of concern for public health issued by companies that sell the most dangerous product legally available to that public.
An innovative new e-cigarette design is a two piece product with a replaceable cartridge. The mouthpiece is pre-loaded with nicotine solutions. One mouthpiece is equal to approximately one pack of tobacco cigarettes (about 400 puffs). The ability to replace a cartridge with no more effort than is needed to open a pack of cigarettes has been a hit with e-smokers. They no longer need to carry bottles of e-liquid with them wherever they go and no cleaning is required.
Electronic cigarettes may have a short history but there is a huge potential market for these products. Demand continues to increase as more information about the safety and improved quality of the best electronic cigarettes becomes available to the smoking public.
Mary Kay Rivers is a true expert in the field of electronic cigarettes. Her publications about the FDA’s stance on e-cigarettes and about the best electronic cigarette have become well-known.
