For more information, contact us today at 818-621-4893.
E-Cigarettes (e-cigs) and vaporizers have become a booming business sector as more casual and conventional smokers alike are switching to the smokeless, vapor approach to smoking. Merchants in this sector have sprung up quickly, yet the uncertainty of such a new market has caused the industry to be labeled as high risk. Touted as a healthy alternative that decreases carcinogens, forgoes combustion, and provides a cleaner product than cigarettes and other traditional tobacco products, vaping has moved beyond a trend and into the territory of a rapidly expanding market. Yet the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to regulate this industry creating wildly fluctuating product standards and city ordinances. The future of your e-cig shop and merchant account will depend on the FDA’s future rulings.
FDA Regulation
The FDA is expected to release new regulations and rules regarding e-cigs and vaporizers in the coming days regarding their use in public places. Vaporizers and e-cigs are not controlled substances and are not regulated as ‘tobacco products’ to this point.
Currently, permissions to use e-cigarettes and vaporizers are based on city ordinances or the rules of any given establishment. Vaporizers operate by using vapors from heating a cartridge with an herbal blend, nicotine product, or aromatherapy oil for inhalation by the user. They are smokeless and only emit vapors.
Health Concerns?
The lack of regulation by the FDA has given birth to concerns regarding, among other things, nicotine levels in e-cigs and vaporizer products. Nicotine levels that vary greatly can have dramatic impacts on different users and can endanger their health.
Additionally, e-cigs and vaporizers are a new product meaning there has been insufficient long-term data regarding potentially harmful side effects down the road.
Between high nicotine levels, dangerous byproducts from foreign suppliers, and the lack of long-term study the perception of vaping has begun to shift. Instead of being the healthy alternative, many are coming to see this new product as dangerous and uncertain.
The coming FDA rulings regarding vaping and vaping products will help to determine the future of this new industry and e-cig merchants. Rights to vape in public spaces, health regulations, and how new regulations relate to tobacco products are all issues waiting to be addressed by the FDA. The impact of the FDA’s ruling will be felt in the vaping industry for years to come. If you are an entrepreneur or business owner in this sector then the impact will be felt in how you apply for an e-cig merchant account, what kind of accounts are available to you, and the overall success of your business.
For more information, contact us today at 818-621-4893.