After decades of campaigns, tax increases and restrictions, aimed to deglamorize smoking, a new electronic cigarette sparks fears that it could cause the unhealthy habit to once again increase in popularity.
While smoking has continued to fall in numbers, the newfound trend “vaping” is rising. Vaping allows users to get a kick of nicotine with out the harmful products found in cigarettes. While some are against the trend, claiming it could re-glamorize smoking, many, including myself see it as a positive, as it is helping drive users away from it’s harmful alternative. You also have to give the company credit for their innovation. They have encouraged a cutback in cigarette sales, and given regular cigarette users a safer way to get that “hit of nicotine” that drives regular smokers them to buy another pack. They have also been embarking on new opportunities and broadening the audience to which they currently appeal. By offering various flavors, strengths of dosage, and increasing their distribution to convenient stores and gas stations, it has allowed their product to gain credibility in a market that is currently dominated by regular cigarettes, nicotine patches and nicotine gum. While I don’t necessarily encourage the use of nicotine products, particularly for younger users, I do find it as a much-improved alternative to classic cigarettes and the rate at which the company has been expanding is something to be admired.