For a while, negative press coverage of vaping has been dying down. Then a few months ago, we started seeing odd reports here and there in the American press. Previously, most of the articles in the press revolved around publications of new studies and what vaping “might” do to you. This new bout of press coverage was different.
Many of you will be aware of the recent press coverage of lung illnesses in the USA in which the CDC has stated vaping to be the only known causal link between the cases. Together with the negative coverage which companies such as Juul has been getting for a while over high-nicotine, flavoured products and its appeal to non-smokers and those too young to vape, the press and authorities have bundled the issue in to a nice neat package for regulators to tackle.
The US state of Michigan has already banned the sale of flavoured e-cigarettes and New York has since followed suit, giving retailers just two weeks to clear their shelves. India has also announced an e-cigarette ban in the past days. Whilst there is no indication yet that the UK is considering a similar move, there is fresh mounting pressure in the press and across all our stores, we’re seeing the effect it’s having on public opinion on a daily basis.
The long and short of it is this. It seems clear that there is a desire from certain groups to curb the growth and possibly even ban vaping by using the argument that flavourings are bad for human inhalation. Perhaps not directly, but the presence of flavouring makes vaping more enticing and that opens the doors to the user being exposed to other unknown chemicals and harm.
So what can you do?
As an individual store or a small chain of stores, there isn’t much other than continue to educate those people that pass through your doors.
Here at Euro Vapour, we will continue to use our scientific resources and expertise around the products that we manufacture to ensure that regulators do not base decisions on the fear that is being spread throughout the press.
I won’t lie. It’s not an easy fight. But we do have one advantage in the battle on flavour and that is in the way that we create flavours.
Unlike most companies, we don’t use blended concentrates from flavouring companies. Our qualified flavourists manufacture all flavourings at the compound level from both natural and artificial sources. We strictly control both what goes in to our blends as well as what results from any reactions that follow with time. This is more critical than most e-liquid companies realise and as as the American market is already showing, it will prove to be the difference between those who survive and those who do not.
We’re working with hundreds of vaping companies to prepare their businesses for higher flavouring scrutiny. We’re helping them to create brands of short fill products for their shelves that they can sell with confidence. Confidence in the technical quality and compliance of the flavouring components and with the knowledge that working with us ensures that their business is ready for whatever challenges regulators may put in their way.