The tobacco industry’s pushed aside as popularity arises for e-cigarettes. These devices contain nicotine without the harmful toxins from burning tobacco and Europe has approximately 7 million users. Studies show they’re far safer in comparison to tobacco, similar to nicotine patches and gum. However, there are hundreds of suppliers and there’s no consistency with quality or labelling and with no restrictions, three worries come about in this emerging market. Young people are more likely to get lured into a nicotine addiction, tobacco quitters are prone to transitioning into this new product, and smoking is very likely to be re-glamorized.
Some are fighting to increase product standards and reinforce the rules to reduce the number of smokers as it will cause variety to fall and prices to rise. Those currently in the tobacco industry are hoping to avoid another Kodak mistake. Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, and other companies alike plan to market other less toxic substitutes by 2017, such as nicotine inhalers and a device that will heat rather than burn tobacco. The government’s view on e-cigarettes will be determined on October 8, as the European Parliament votes on a proposal to regulate e-cigarettes as medical products.