What would come to mind when two huge tobacco companies – Lorillar (manufacturer of Newport) and Reynolds American (maker of Camel) – openly call for U.S. FDA’s strict regulation of vaping products? Do you know that Reynolds American even went to the extent of writing a lengthy 119-page document to explain the many risks of vaping on health? The act doesn’t go unnoticed. Many in Washington DC find that effort to be too ironic coming from major players in the tobacco industry. Just what is their game.
You can’t help but question their real agenda behind screaming about the health risks knowing they made their wealth and built their reputations around tobacco products that killed and are still killing millions of people every year. They are pushing for officials, particularly the FDA, to move swiftly in the regulation of electronic cigarettes. They claim that having no clear guidelines for e-cigarettes makers is deterring the decision of many quitters to make the switch to less-dangerous vaping products.
The Call for Regulation
The pleas for regulation was made by the executives of the two companies – Reynolds Chief Executive Officer Susan Cameron and Lorillard CEO Murray Kessler – during the “Global Tobacco Networking Forum” held recently (October 2014) in West Virginia, USA. The lack of regulation, they say, can lead to the infiltration of the market by many low-quality vaping products to the detriment of would-be quitters.
The call is being reinforced by several other tobacco companies through printing warnings about their e-cig products that apparently overshadow the warnings in the traditional tobacco products. One example is the 117-word warning printed in MarkTen, an e-cig brand manufactured by Nu Mark owned by Altria, which also owns brands such as Marlboro, Parliments, Virginia Slims and other brands under Phillip Morris. There are more of these warnings in many other e-cig brands peddled by big tobacco companies.
E-cig advocates, however, see these as ways to limit the vaping industry as strictly as that of tobacco manufacturing. Without the regulation, e-cigarettes and e-juices are coming in unlimited flavors and varieties unlike traditional tobacco cigarettes that are only allowed a limited number of brands and flavors.
The Justification
The sudden concern exhibited by the big tobacco companies may deceive health buffs especially those who are not aware who owns what. Yet for staunch e-cig supporters, the sudden change in their allegiance is doubtful.
The industry’s critics are scratching their heads as they observed that the warnings in MarkTen (and other products such as Vuse by R.J. Reynolds) are not only extended to117 words, they are also more strongly-worded compared to traditional tobacco products. This was noticed by New York Times and by The Washington Post.
William Phelps of Nu Mark said that the extended warning labels are intended to be a part of “a goal to openly and honestly communicate about health effects.” Nu Mark also said that this is being done “in the absence of a government-mandated warning.” Other companies cite social responsibility to be the main reason behind the extended warnings in the labels.
What are the Real Motivations?
Is it wrong to be skeptical about the motives of these major tobacco players’ sudden concern for the health safety of their tobacco users, who are now faced with a healthier option?
Can it be that they just want to ease out the smaller companies out of the big boys’ race? With their smaller, usually bound resources, they might struggle with the additional cost of keeping up with changing regulations concerning packaging changes.
Is it also possible they are trying to create a “culture of danger” for e-cigarettes so as to keep traditional smokers in their pockets? If e-cigarettes pose a threat to health just like the other tobacco products, there seems to be no real benefit in making a shift?
The New York Times offers that it is a “low-risk way for the companies to insulate themselves from future lawsuits and, even more broadly, to appear responsible, open and frank.”
The Bottomline:
Big tobacco companies have always placed great importance in appearances. It is not easy for them to appear responsible being the reason behind 6 million deaths worldwide every year (WHO). With these companies’ money and connections, however, they can put people and organizations in their pockets. They can finance a “show” to make them look responsible, even if that seems ironic.
The e-cig industry is fast growing reaching its current worth of $3 billion in just a few years. While the figure merely constitutes about 5% of the traditional cigarettes’ sales, there is always a possibility of it growing and taking a bigger share in the future. Afraid that e-cig sales will overtake sales of tobacco and that they will be caught flat-footed, more and more tobacco companies are jumping on the e-cig bandwagon. At the moment, this is how they choose to slow down e-cig growth, by playing their game and putting their money where their mouth is.
If you are serious about kicking the habit, don’t get intimidated by those scary warning labels or by some other underhanded tactics these companies are using to quell the competition that e-cig presents these companies. An FDA regulation is scary alright, but the knowledge that electronic cigarettes come healthier than traditional cigarettes is enough for e-cig advocates to feel confident it will come through cleanly. Meanwhile, be ready for a rough sailing ahead not certain what other underhanded tactics they will hurl the e-cigs, especially the small players in the industry.