
North Carolina Sues 8 More Vape Companies for Allegedly Marketing to Kids - innovateee
https://gizmodo.com/north-carolina-sues-eight-more-vape-companies-for-alleg-1837621141
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aphextim
Does NC truly care about the children, or do they have another interest they
are trying to protect?

[https://www.statista.com/statistics/192022/top-10-tobacco-
pr...](https://www.statista.com/statistics/192022/top-10-tobacco-producing-us-
states/)

I'm guessing this has more to do with the tobacco lobby trying to stifle
competition. There may be those who want to pass this to help protect minors
which is also very well and good, however there would be better regulation
than outright banning it.

How about making it so producers of e-juice need to have neutral packaging. I
think the flavors personally are nice and do not smell as bad as a cigarettes
so to claim that just because it tastes good it is aimed at minors is not very
correct.

You could say the same for all the new flavored alcoholic water drinks coming
out if that is what they are going for.

~~~
ekimekim
> I'm guessing this has more to do with the tobacco lobby trying to stifle
> competition.

My understanding was that all these vaping companies are owned (or at least
heavily invested in) by the tobacco companies anyway?

~~~
aphextim
These are the brands being attacked. None are owned by big tobacco to the best
of my knowledge. Why isn't Juul being attacked? They are partnered with
Altria.

Beard Vape Direct eLiquid Electric Lotus Electric Tobacconist Eonsmoke Juice
Man Tinted Brew VapeCo

There was recently a merger between Phillip Morris and Altria

[https://www.vapor4life.com/blog/altria-pmi-
merger/](https://www.vapor4life.com/blog/altria-pmi-merger/)

FTA

>Altria supports a flavor ban, which would benefit a combined Phillip Morris-
Altria. The one-note iQOS is a much more appealing option when pitted against
tobacco ejuice flavors, which simply are not as popular with adult smokers as
the sweeter varieties.

>With no fruit and dessert flavors to compete with, it would boil down to who
has the best tobacco flavor. Altria clearly thinks the iQOS would win that
contest. The edge is even greater when it comes to novices and smokers who
have never tried vaping.

>Where Juul ends up, and if it will be pitted head to head against the iQOS is
another market disruption that is nearly impossible to predict.

>We are fast approaching a scenario that resembles regulatory capture. The
practiced hands of the tobacco industry are the largest and most influential
stakeholders. They are pushing for regulations that destroy the competition
and leave their own products untouched.

>How the public would react to this sleight of hand and a restructured vaping
industry dominated by Big Tobacco and Juul could end up making this power move
a pyrrhic victory.

