So WM Drops the e-ciggs, but keeps selling the regular stuff...

[purplefaithful]

I'm not advocating vaping usage or that vaping is not harmful - but this doesn't make much sense to me. Last I read, cigarettes do tend to have a harmful effect too. 


Walmart to End Sales of E-Cigarettes as Vaping Concerns Mount
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/busin...sales.html

[Guest]

Completely asinine. Gee wonder if big tobacco is behind this. 

[Guest]

I was wondering who buys eliquid at walmart (lol), but that's not their target market.

Walmart predominately sells big tobacco's ecig products...  Juul, probably their most popular product, was purchased by Marlboro's parent company. Juuls are raking in millions and millions of dollars. Walmart's 2nd most popular product (probably), VUSE, is owned by RJ Reynolds.

Big tobacco has been a strange ally of vaping - when they first bought their way into the market there was a ton of fear that they would mess the mechanical market up in their favor. All kinds of stuff... patenting tech, to lobbying for other vape products to be banned and then making terrible vapes that forced people into switching back to cigs. Since then, Big Tobacco has constantly had to go bat for that same community in order to, obviously, protect their own investments. Nobody trusts them, but they've pounded the table the hardest when things look bleak for people who just want to be able to buy a bottle of eliquid...

They'll fight this because it's their products on the line. You can't buy a SMOK mod or a 30ml bottle of eliquid blended by a reputable small american company from walmart. I don't think you can even buy an 18650 battery there...

I suppose what Big Tobacco can do probably is survive an ecig legal apocalypse that shuts everything down (web based sales, smoke shop/vape shop sales) until a study slanted in their way gets them an asterisk law allowing only Juuls, VUSEs and other products that can afford the privilege of FDA "approval" to be sold after the fact. The niche market dies under political turmoil while big tobacco gets free reign on ecig sales...  :#

I'd love to see big tobacco fall to the giant number of american small business' selling unique eliquids and proven atomizers but they've paid their way to the top of it all and hold all of the cards it seems when it comes to influencing gov't policies and laws.

[Guest]

@Mike Olson said:
Completely asinine. Gee wonder if big tobacco is behind this. 

I doubt they are wanting to do anything that limits peoples access to nicotine and the related products.   doesnt suit their interests now or in the long run.

[Guest]

Obviously neither are safe, I think the difference is that the vaping is causing problems shortly after using them.  Years of smoking will in most cases cause health issues but everybody knows the risks and the cause. With vaping it is only taking weeks and the big issue is nobody knows the cause.

[Guest]

@Purple Haze said:
Obviously neither are safe, I think the difference is that the vaping is causing problems shortly after using them.  Years of smoking will in most cases cause health issues but everybody knows the risks and the cause. With vaping it is only taking weeks and the big issue is nobody knows the cause.

and the fact that it is being targeted at kids,  anybody that doesnt think the flavorings and marketing targets kids wasnt around for Joe Camel.

[Guest]

Honestly, i see the non big-tobacco eliquid industry to be targeting it's own niche market with flavors. There are literally people buying no nicotine eliquid because they think X brand or X flavor offering is absolutely delicious. This niche market of vapers is probably the loudest of the vaping community. It's comprised of mostly internet dependent brands that absolutely do not want to rock the boat in any way when it comes to their ability to manufacture and sell their own product. These types go out of their way to put their own common sense warning labels on their products before law mandates, and they happily comply with whatever labels are asked to be put on their products.

I've never gotten a "oh these sneaky bastards are fishing for kids" vibe from these sites I personally order from... sure, they have packaging that looks like they ripped off Sour Patch Kids or Fruit Stripes Gum or whatever; is it not conceivable that their products actually taste like the product who'd likeness they are ripping off? And if people keep buying it like, "holy shit that tastes like my childhood?!," I mean... i'm not saying it's good for you, but it's not exactly some sleezy henchmen rubbing their hands together counting up how many kids are going to be hooked on nicotine... 5 other eliquid manufactures notice "Fruity Pebblez" is moving fast and they make their own to get in on it. It's pretty easy to source in bulk; there are literally eliquid recipe sites/sources on the internet. It's less "this tastes like shit but at least i'm getting my buzz" but more "whoa that one tastes incredible!"

The nature of eliquid makes it incredibly easy and reasonable to add flavoring...

None of that really speaks for Big Tobacco's JUUL or VUSE line, or their Big marketing. I can't really disagree with any shit they get over their marketing history. Who would be dumb enough to trust them? But only recently have they acquired the balls that they now have in the overall vaping market. The niche market should be scared, because State Gov't depends on revenue generated not just by tobacco; it's big tobacco business'. If the State can help Big Tobacco shut down these niche market internet/vape/smokeshop sales they will divert the flow of cash right into the State through taxes on Big Tobacco...

[Guest]

I was vaping.  

For a short period of time.  Ended up at doctor’s office near death.  Oxygen was 82.  Needed shots of steroids in ass, breathing treatments, steroids for weeks, symbicort.  

Never again.  

[Guest]

what were you vaping A1?

[Guest]

@A1Janitor said:
I was vaping.  

For a short period of time.  Ended up at doctor’s office near death.  Oxygen was 82.  Needed shots of steroids in ass, breathing treatments, steroids for weeks, symbicort.  

Never again.  

Wow, that's awful...

Hope you're on the mend. I'm off the vape myself now too.