Electronic cigarettes have always been a hot topic. Earlier on, they were seen as big business and many entrepreneurs jumped at the opportunity. In fact, those who have been in the industry for upwards of 20 years have been seen enormous returns on investment. In Indiana, particularly, e-cig business has been big business!
However, this smooth ride is about to come to a halt. If the new e-cig regulations that are currently being debated are passed into law, most merchants could be thrown out of business, never to b heard of again.
E-cigarettes have been causing a lot of fear recently, especially among manufacturers, distributors, and vendors. People working in the industry are worried about being hit with the same regulations that regular cigarette dealers operate under. Meanwhile, lawmakers and health experts feel that the time is right to place the e-cig sector under strict regulations to avert a possible public health crisis.
The worry first started when the CDC released its annual report on tobacco use among the youth. In the study, it was found that the number of middle and high school youth using e-cigarettes had tripled between 2013 and 2014.
While the report suggested that most of the students were using electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) in a bid to quite conventional cigarettes, which they pay for through sellers’ e-cig merchant accounts, health officers have expressed concern that the reverse could happen. They’re saying that the fact that these youths get exposed to e-cigarettes at such a young age means that they wouldn’t shy away from actual tobacco cigarettes in the future.
“That’s why Indiana is working hard to pass legislation to regulate e-cigarettes,” says Bryan Corbin who works in the Indiana Attorney General’s office. “The end goal is to avert possible public health risk associated with the rising use of e-cigarettes among our teens,” he continued. He also added that the AG’s office was afraid that the current trend would result in a “whole generation of nicotine addicts.”
Exactly what will be in the final bill remains anyone’s guess. However, it is very likely that the regulations will be strongly against the manufacture, sale, and distribution of any liquid or gel substance containing nicotine unless the product is in child-resistant packaging. Some have even suggested that those found in breach of the new law could be fined as much as 500 percent of the retail value of the substance in question, or $5,000.