Big Tobacco To Join E-Cigarette Revolution

If the giants of a particular industry adopts a new and up-and-coming item, does that bring legitimacy to the product? In the case of EGO CE4, we’re about to find out. According to reports, companies that are immediately associated with Big Tobacco–Philip Morris USA (Marlboro) and Reynolds American (Camels)–are throwing their collective hat into the growing industry of electronic cigarettes, a move that is surprising simply because of how long it took these companies to offer these vapor-driven replacements for standard tobacco cigarettes.

When you consider the fact that e-cigarettes have officially crossed over to the mainstream, thanks in large part to the commercials created by Blu, one of the leading e-cigarette companies on the market. The one featuring actor Stephen Dorff is currently in rotation, depending on what channels you watch.

As these devices gain in popularity–look, even NBA players use them–it stands to reason the companies that profit the most from traditional cigarettes would enjoy a different, perhaps less controversial revenue stream. As indicated, the two giants of the tobacco industry are preparing to launch their own version of electronic cigarettes; the “MarkTen” for the makers of Marlboro and the “VUSE” from the makers of Camel. The VUSE ego t electronic cigarette will be introduced in Colorado on July, 2013, and the MarkTen will be introduced in the state of Indiana in August. If these limited introductions succeed, expect them to be released on a national, and perhaps international scale shortly thereafter.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Wednesday that existing e-cigarettes on the market were not good enough. However, manufacturers have time to raise their game and apply for a license, allowing them to sell regulated devices as over-the-counter products from 2016.

A growing number of established tobacco companies are investing in the ego-t battery market worldwide, including Lorillard, British American Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco, Reynolds American and Altria.

The primary components of electronic cigarette cartridges and vapor are propylene glycol, glycerine and nicotine. Smokers are harmed by the deadly tar and toxins in tobacco smoke, not the nicotine, said MHRA Chief Medical Officer Sally Davies in today’s statement.

Still, there has been little research into how safe electronic cigarette battery are, according to Cancer Research UK. Anecdotally, aspiration pneumonia and second-degree burns from a cigarette exploding in a consumer’s mouth have been reported, MHRA said.Researchers at the University of Athens said electronic cigarettes cause damage to the lungs, as shown in a study they presented in September at the European Respiratory Society annual meeting in Vienna.