Is Big Tobacco on the Verge of an E-Cigarette Takeover

[KulrMeStoopid]

E-cigarettes are tobacco products, just like their light-and-puff counterpart. At least that's what a French court determined in a recent ruling that requires anyone who sells e-cigarettes must also have a license to sell tobacco products, such as regular cigarettes and cigars.


However, unlike traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes don't contain tobacco. They emit a vapor that comes from a tube of steamed, nicotine-infused "juice," providing the user with the feeling of smoking. Nevertheless, the French ruling comes at a time when the United States is considering similar legislation that would equate the two.

http://mashable.com/2013/12/11/french-e-cigarette-ruling/

"If they do that, that is as good as handing over the future of the [e-cigarette] industry to the tobacco industry, and a stray few e-cigarette companies that have wall street investors," Gregory Conley, an adviser to the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association, told Mashable.

​

"It might be easier to sell e-cigarettes in France in a few years than it will be to have a business in the United States."

 

[Tubbyengineer]

Well It's not a ban but not necessarily good news for our Gallic counterparts...

 

[steffijade]

Being classed as either tobacco or medicine would be bad imho.

Medicine and and we'd have most (if not all) current devices outlawed and Big Pharma would be left to take control and the lion's share of profits.

Tobacco and Big Government would be able to justify taxing vaping to the same degree as smoking, despite the tax originally being justified by the harm that tobacco smoking does and Big Tobacco would get a get of jail free card.

In either scenario, Big Government wins financially through licensing, taxation or a combination of both.

Unfortunately, in either scenario it would be us, the vapers, who end up losing out.

 

[Ninjaassasin1983]

Being classed as either tobacco or medicine would be bad imho.

Medicine and and we'd have most (if not all) current devices outlawed and Big Pharma would be left to take control and the lion's share of profits.

Tobacco and Big Government would be able to justify taxing vaping to the same degree as smoking, despite the tax originally being justified by the harm that tobacco smoking does and Big Tobacco would get a get of jail free card.

In either scenario, Big Government wins financially through licensing, taxation or a combination of both.

Unfortunately, in either scenario it would be us, the vapers, who end up losing out.

Good points as always steffijade
We would lose out and all of our beloved products would be off the market. That would really suck we need to fight em till we can't