In many countries around the world, the regulatory issues facing the electronic cigarette may inhibit the import and sale them in some markets, but there is no doubt that even when they are strict rules for illegal, they gain market share is growing. In this article, the electronic cigarette industry is the first in a series of articles, we look at some of the so-called "evaporation" product facing regulatory hurdles, and seek to make these products are more likely to obtain some strategies.

 

Electronic cigarettes and accessories sales are all over the world experienced remarkable growth, even in those countries officially banned them to sell.

 

When they were initially launched, many people think that the electronic cigarette is a flash in the pan of fashion and novel products, will never be able to match with traditional cigarettes and cigars. But in a short span of few years, consumers have already accepted the idea, the market is flooded with numerous models and choice, from traditional analog cigarettes and cigars appearance and style of products to equipment and have no similarity, and so on.

 

In many countries, there is no clear regulatory framework hindered the growth of the market, often is the use of unfounded rumours "evidence" to enhance their persuasive zealously anti-smoking groups, and to maintain the status quo of large pharmaceutical companies together to protest the results of the lobby, the fact that cigarette harmful user health is pharmaceutical companies to boycott can significantly reduce health risks associated with the use of nicotine innovation product of a major economic incentives, thereby reducing the used in the treatment of traditional cigarette smokers may face the potential sales of smoking-related diseases drugs, thus protecting the previous is basically "smoking cessation therapy" for marketing alternative nicotine delivery systems of monopoly market, some of these products with electronic cigarettes (though in many cases, the nicotine content higher than the electronic cigarettes) the same way of vaporizing (vaporized nicotine).

 

A large number of companies are now production, distribution and sales in a short span of a few years of electronic cigarettes and vaporizing products, manufacturing, marketing and sales of these products, the lack of a clear regulatory standards management, not sure why should divide these products category, accordingly, the lack of a clear tax, in most markets, electronic cigarettes are still in a gray area. As mentioned above, in some countries, they are completely banned, in some countries, tolerant of them, in a few countries, the electronic cigarette is sold legally, the debate continues, to determine exactly how they classification, tax and sales.

 

forefront

 

The United States has been in the electronic smoke at the forefront of debate. When the FDA responsible for supervision of tobacco products, the first reaction is to try to ban electronic cigarettes sales. But fierce opposition from the emerging electronic cigarette industry, with the support of rational logic and rational thinking, no longer see the FDA is opposed, realize the electronic cigarette is a substitute for smaller than traditional tobacco products damage. Support us to make progress, to realize the electronic cigarette is tobacco products, not drugs or medical AIDS. One representative of the electronic cigarette industry is the main lobbyist tobacco vaporizing electronic cigarette association (TVECA), it is a non-profit association of private enterprise. Its members include electronic cigarette creation and promotion of all areas of the company. "Smoke everywhere" Ray, the chief executive of the boss and TVECA SiTao (Ray Story), launched on the FDA's litigation, claims that the electronic cigarette is a kind of tobacco products, rather than as a drug delivery device. On December 7, 2010, and won the support of the electronic cigarette electronic cigarette industry consistent court judgment.

 

"Electronic cigarette is not claimed to be a drug, they cannot treat, reduce or change course, as a result, the electronic cigarette is regarded as a kind of tobacco products, now defaults to belong to the products made from tobacco category," SiTao for Asia tobacco said.

 

Made no electronic cigarettes can help smokers quit statement, this product is for tobacco products for marketing, the FDA's supervision and direction of the electronic cigarette is based on traditional tobacco products in the same manner, the relevant departments to determine what kind of tax should be imposed on them. Is hindering the development of the regulatory framework coherent and comprehensive to a certain extent, the lack of accurate evidence and scientific data, namely, from which can be used to extract the accurate data and to make accurate health statistics. Is all people should be aware of the dangers of electronic cigarettes significantly lower than the traditional tobacco products. Anything about electronic cigarettes and other health and social issues of vaporizing products other declarations, such as whether they encourage minors smoking, whether they are an effective smoking cessation device, whether or not they can guide users to use the traditional tobacco products, although some opponents raised some sharp charges, but either way it is difficult to prove.

 

 

 

No boundary problem

 

Across the Atlantic, in soon have 28 eu countries of Europe, the regulation is very fragmented. There is no universal tax policy. In the Netherlands, which is regarded as a kind of consumer goods, in most eu countries, it is regarded as a drug, in a few countries, it is regarded as tobacco products. Some eu countries have completely banned the sale of electronic cigarettes and vaporizing products, while other countries allowing them to sell advertising even. In the European Union, it is a kind of can buy the product, however, because it is a borderless products, for traders, legally purchased in a country, and across the border to put them to another country, there is no problem. Therefore, the electronic cigarette almost everywhere. In Europe, the TVECA positive requires a unified regulation of electronic cigarettes. TVECA members including the United States, Germany, Italy, Britain and the Netherlands, as well as in other eu member states, more European companies are applied to join. It also represents all existing dealers association, including in Italy, France and Germany, is about 80% of the organization of the electronic cigarette stakeholders.

 

"TVECA have multiple offices in the United States and the European Union is a non-profit association official," SiTao says. "We are with the FDA and the European parliament. In the European Union government, TVECA is considered, a spokesman for the electronic cigarettes, in the European Union, we have the lawyers and lobbyists, we meet every week and mp."

 

The strategy is to try to create a suitable for the entire outside the European Union and the regulatory environment.

 

"TVECA tries to ensure that the global understanding electronic cigarettes, so that in the European Union and the United States, the electronic cigarette industry has the ability to flow freely and to do business," SiTao told us. "Global coordination is necessary, so that products can flow freely from Asia to all other markets. To carry out business activities, the more the less misunderstanding. Make the regulatory framework for coordinated in the whole world, it is in everyone's best interests. We feel that if we have the ability to influence the process of the United States and the European Union, so in terms of commercial interest, the rest of the world will follow. We have put the U.S. food and drug administration in the United States and the us department of justice, and health and human services to court in the Netherlands, we stick to our belief, the electronic cigarette is not a drug delivery device, although no injury history, but should be as a substitute for the traditional tobacco products sales, should serve as a kind of taxes on tobacco products."

 

For a product is classified as a drug, it must prove that it is really useful, so to make the drug, the statement must have scientific data to prove the effectiveness of the statement on the package. Electronic cigarettes to do this, they have no claims to "cure" any disease, nicotine itself has no pharmacological effect, although many users said that have a soothing effect. Define more specific drugs, so the electronic cigarette is not in conformity with the current definition of drugs. Regulators are now aware of the fact that began to claim that electronic cigarette is not drugs, which opens up for them are simply classified as the path of another kind of tobacco products - this is the urgent requirement of the industry, in order to make it compete with electronic cigarettes in traditional tobacco products of similar products, a product.

 

Fighting continues in Europe, once the fighting began to victory, and in the United States and the European Union SiTao, think so looking forward to other parts of the world with the regulatory reality is reasonable.

 

"Most eu countries now give up drug classification, TVECA for tobacco products are working to ensure that our European directive (TPED) was adopted by the European Union countries."

 

Lobbying efforts, and to pressure regulators, TVECA trying to influence and education lawmakers in the United States and other places.

 

"In the world, we hired some of the best law firms, so far, we have been very successful use of the present law to prove that the electronic cigarette is clearly not a drug, they like traditional cigarettes do, just to get rid of all the chemicals and high temperature decomposition negative problems and smoke and secondhand smoke exposure," SiTao says.

 

Asia: the final frontier?

 

Today you can buy most of most of the components of electronic smoke, are manufactured and assembled in China. So not surprisingly, China is Asia's largest electronic cigarette product markets. But many other Asian nations continue to ban the sale vaporizing products, although in many Asian cities it's not hard to find in the streets of sale of electronic cigarettes.

 

"Asia is becoming more and more interested in electronic cigarette, but we are dealing with the legal issues", according to SiTao said. "In Japan, for example, its illegal. There is a very big production base in China, if the product is promoted, is a huge potential market, especially considering the inherent danger of traditional cigarettes. China electronic cigarettes as a safer product promotion: evidence for legal requirements, we can't do that. In the United States and the European Union is more confusing, nicotine is a kind of can not be imported or trade into the products in these countries, so it is difficult to coordinate the laws and regulations, especially in China, the European Union and the United States."

 

So Chinese exports of electronic cigarettes and vaporizing product manufacturing and production of the regulatory minimum.

 

"Is suitable for the battery, electronics and vaporizing machinery industry standard, belongs to all products must comply with the current consumer protection laws and regulations of the category," SiTao told us. "That includes standard of smoke bomb and so on is not very clear, so there is no rules. Such as the temperature of the smoke bomb to determine provides steam is the most ideal, but it wasn't until a product is clearly defined, no one can perform. Coordination will bring manufacturers into the business, and the structure of the products will be subject to regulatory control."

 

Chemicals used in the manufacture of smoke bombs are: propylene glycol, glycerin, nicotine, water and spices. All through the human consumption in the FDA and the European Union for approval. Critics claim that some of them in when ingested is potentially harmful, SiTao rui and other electronics industry quickly.

 

"Propylene glycol asthma inhaler is a main composition, so it can promote lung function", SiTao says. "The history of glycerin no harm, used in many products. Water is a composition, clearly have a harm to human health, the history of people, after all, been drowned in the water, but obviously these arguments is taken out of context."

 

TVECA put forward some simple and basic rules and regulations, covers the electronic cigarette products and ingredients, responsible manufacturer has kept most of these regulations.