Vaping Advocates Fear that FDA Regulations Will Surrender Ecigs to Big Tobacco

There are hundreds of cigarette brands to choose from, but almost all of them come from four major tobacco companies. On the other hand, electronic cigarettes come from thousands of companies and each has their own unique approach to vaping and eliquids. Many of today’s ecig companies are still relatively small start-ups that are facing an uphill battle. With looming FDA regulations, some ecig businesses are concerned that they won’t be able to compete and Big Tobacco will ultimately gain control of vaping.

If the FDA chooses to regulate electronic cigarettes as tobacco products, all ecig companies will be required to go through a review process that can take months and cost thousands of dollars. For new start-ups, the process would be beyond draining. It could actually cause many companies to have to close their doors. Greg Conley, president of the American Vaping Association, recently estimated that 99 percent of vaping businesses would suffer from regulations.

Of course, ecig makers are not the only ones that will be impacted by FDA involvement. Vape shops that sell ecigs and eliquids will be forced to sell and distribute products that are FDA approved. That means some of their favorite brands might have to be pulled from the shelves and Big Tobacco’s ecig lines will likely move to the forefront. Because of the massive resources available to Big Tobacco companies, FDA regulation will only be a mild hiccup. The smallest of the four major US tobacco companies has a marketing budget of $26 billion. Small time ecig companies just can’t compete with that.

While the FDA claims the regulations are needed to insure proper safety protocols, their current recommended approval proceedings would just hand over the industry to Big Tobacco. Ultimately, Big Tobacco just can’t be trusted in this arena. If ecigs are intended for people who want to stop using tobacco products, why would they buy vaping products from the companies that make cigarettes? It just doesn’t make sense.

Do you think ecig regulations will kill small vaping companies? Are you worried that your favorite brands might disappear once regulations are implemented?