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There's a cynical part of me that wonders whether this big anti-vaping push is funded by the cigarette companies, because these products are cannibalizing their

by cbhl 8y ago

There's a cynical part of me that wonders whether this big anti-vaping push is funded by the cigarette companies, because these products are cannibalizing their business.

chcknsammich 8y ago
I worked on software for all of the major US cigarette manufacturers. These companies are very interested in pushing their own lines of packaged/disposable e-cigs. It is very different from the cottage style hobbyist/enthusiast e-cigs. The big companies are kind of blind to this segment of the market, I don't think they truly realize how large it is. Their approach will be to have the e-cig industry regulated much like the current cigarette industry is... in such a way that they can win through the sheer scale of legal attrition and achieve the current prices they have in cigarettes. It is not by mistake that there are maybe 3-4 meaningfully large cigarette companies in the US that set the prices and rules, it is impossible to enter the industry. I think there will always be an enthusiast segment of the e-cig market, much like the pipe tobacco one that exists now. Pipe has many small manufacturers and far less legal hoops and administrative overhead.
DanBC 8y ago
The cigarette companies know that we're going down the path of higher prices, higher taxes, more restrictions on sales and advertising, and more restrictions on places where you can legaly smoke. That doesn't make them scared of the vape business, it makes them want to join the vape business, and a number of them already are selling ecigarettes and juice.
- chcknsammich 8y ago
  This exactly, the rules around usage do nothing to curb actual usage and only to prevent anyone else from making cigarettes. This increases prices and hurts cigarette consumers. The only outcome here is that well-meaning therapeutic e-cig / nicotine quitting businesses will likely be stomped.
Sohcahtoa82 8y ago
If the cigarettes companies had any lick of sense in them, they'd pivot to producing vape juice.
microtherion 8y ago
Whatever evil cigarette companies are capable of, funding lawsuits establishing liability for delivering nicotine addiction devices strikes me as implausibly self-defeating.

by cbhl 8y ago

There's a cynical part of me that wonders whether this big anti-vaping push is funded by the cigarette companies, because these products are cannibalizing their business.

chcknsammich 8y ago

I worked on software for all of the major US cigarette manufacturers. These companies are very interested in pushing their own lines of packaged/disposable e-cigs. It is very different from the cottage style hobbyist/enthusiast e-cigs. The big companies are kind of blind to this segment of the market, I don't think they truly realize how large it is. Their approach will be to have the e-cig industry regulated much like the current cigarette industry is... in such a way that they can win through the sheer scale of legal attrition and achieve the current prices they have in cigarettes. It is not by mistake that there are maybe 3-4 meaningfully large cigarette companies in the US that set the prices and rules, it is impossible to enter the industry. I think there will always be an enthusiast segment of the e-cig market, much like the pipe tobacco one that exists now. Pipe has many small manufacturers and far less legal hoops and administrative overhead.

DanBC 8y ago

The cigarette companies know that we're going down the path of higher prices, higher taxes, more restrictions on sales and advertising, and more restrictions on places where you can legaly smoke. That doesn't make them scared of the vape business, it makes them want to join the vape business, and a number of them already are selling ecigarettes and juice.

chcknsammich 8y ago
This exactly, the rules around usage do nothing to curb actual usage and only to prevent anyone else from making cigarettes. This increases prices and hurts cigarette consumers. The only outcome here is that well-meaning therapeutic e-cig / nicotine quitting businesses will likely be stomped.

Sohcahtoa82 8y ago

If the cigarettes companies had any lick of sense in them, they'd pivot to producing vape juice.

microtherion 8y ago

Whatever evil cigarette companies are capable of, funding lawsuits establishing liability for delivering nicotine addiction devices strikes me as implausibly self-defeating.