subject: The Future Of Electronic Cigarettes [print this page] Electronic cigarettes are a recent enough technology that they are still being perfected, as well as legislated. They have been on the market long enough, though, that we can begin to speculate on where they are going in the future.
WebMD has posted their own analysis, but without the perspective of an avid vaper, these are simply quotes and statistics. Inside experience with e-cigs and their culture and usage may provide a bit more insight.
The big e-cig questions
So many questions still loom on the horizon for vapers and e-cig companies. Of primary concern to both vapers and legislative bodies: what are the long-term effects of electronic cigarettes, and are there any unknown or unanticipated dangers?
Since e-cigs are not quit smoking aids and instead only intended as a cigarette alternative, many of the questions the uninitiated ask are really irrelevant. Any discussion of whether e-cigs truly help people quit smoking, for example, is really a moot point.
The target audience for these devices is not as much people who want to quit smoking, but those who truly enjoy the act of inhaling accompanied by the hand-to-mouth action, and also seek an alternative to inhaling combustion-based smoke.
Once you toss out the pointless e-cig issues, though, you are still left with the concern of what long-term effects electronic cigarettes might have on the body. Frankly, it is simply too soon to answer this question. More studies will have to be performed, and these studies will need to include far larger sample groups and last for a much longer duration than any e-cigarette research that has been seen so far.
As to the unknown, unanticipated dangers, the WebMD piece trots out the tired old gateway argument. From within vaping culture, though, anyone could confirm that e-cigarettes are not being marketed to or pushed on those who do not already use traditional cigarettes. The reason? At this point, vaping is still primarily a word-of-mouth industry.
Since electronic cigarettes are not heavily advertised through the usual venues, the way most people hear about e-cigs is from vapers themselves. The vaping community is made up of former smokers, who know better than anyone why nicotine addiction is not something a person should pick up on purpose, so the chances of a vaper suggesting e-cigarettes to someone who does not currently smoke are insignificant.
The future of the industry
So long as electronic cigarettes are not marketed as a way to quit smoking, there will be limits to how they can be legislated.
Making health claims about them would put them on the FDAs radar for serious restrictions, so it is important that both vapers and electronic cigarette companies continue to emphasize their use as an alternative.
So long as electronic cigarettes are not marketed as a way to quit smoking, there will be limits to how they can be legislated. Making health claims about them would put them on the FDAs radar for serious restrictions, so it is important that both vapers and electronic cigarette companies continue to emphasize their use as an alternative.
Still, it seems likely that more formal regulations will eventually be placed on e-cigs. If handled correctly and backed with the right evidence, this could actually turn out to be a positive for vapers. A standardized format for battery threading, for example, would curtail certain e-cig companies that use proprietary threading to keep vapers purchasing their expensive cartomizers rather than the less expensive refill juice.
Some sort of industry standard for e-juice manufacturing could also benefit vapers, who currently have to do extensive research to find a brand of nicotine liquid they can trust.
In short, the future is open wide for electronic cigarettes, but where the industry goes from here rests on the shoulders of both vapers and manufacturers. As long as companies do not make health claims about e-cigs and vapers continue recommending these devices only to current nicotine users, growth and a positive outlook could be in the future for electronic cigarettes.
