RJ Reynolds Turns Health Advocate?

As a professional writer it is my job to report to you the latest electronic cigarette news in a manner that, while editorially biased, is based on pure facts. I openly admit that this is not always an easy job for me. As a lifetime smoker, with a two pack a day habit, I tried for years to conquer my nicotine addiction without success. Even the loss of my sister, to the ravages of lung cancer, was not sufficient incentive to enable me to overcome my dependence on tobacco.

Over the years I tried.  All of the various stop smoking programs, including: patches, gums, Champix®, hypnosis, etc. Nothing worked for me until I started vaping.

Now, thanks to electronic cigarettes and e-liquids, I can proudly say I am smoke free.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because, there are times, when truth is truly stranger than fiction and today’s offering of electronic cigarettes in the news is one of those times.

It is my hope, that by telling you a little of my story, you will be able to forgive me, if I go a little over the top in reporting these types of stories.

To be completely honest, I almost shied away from reporting this story, simply because of its lunacy factor.

What are They Smoking

The news coming out of the United States this week has got to make you wonder; what exactly are they smoking over there? 

First their President gives a speech saying that the Islamic State Iraq and Syria (ISIS) isn’t Islamist. Apparently they were just confused when they picked their name, and now this;

The world’s number one tobacco company, RJ Reynolds (RJR), has filed a 119 page legal brief with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), calling for a ban on electronic cigarettes.

Their justification for advancing such an idea as quoted in the “Winston-Salem Journal” reads;

“We believe FDA should not allow such products to be sold or marketed,” Reynolds spokesman David Howard said in discussing the company’s submission. “We believe open-system vapor [sic] products create unique public health risks.

The question that begs to be asked is; at what point in the company's 101 year history of selling cancer sticks, coffin nails, cigarettes, call them what you like, did they begin to worry about consumer health?

Corporate Health, Not Public Health

Despite the great expression of, the company's new found concern over public health, this is a more than a transparent attempt by big tobacco to assure it can maintain its monopoly on nicotine containing products.

As was previously reported in “Big Tobacco Falters, Hooray for the Little Guy”, big tobacco's attempts to bend the electronic cigarette market to its traditional business model have been counterproductive.

As stated by Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association;

“R.J. Reynolds’ call for the FDA to ban the majority of e-cigarette products should be seen for what it really is — an admission that it simply cannot compete in the current e-cigarette market,”

“Recent market reports show that, while sales of open-system e-cigarette products and e-liquid are booming, sales of closed-system cigarette lookalikes [sic] – the kind that Reynolds sells – have stagnated.”

What is at Stake?

For RJR there could be more at stake than just their market leading position. The company has already incurred $27 billion in research a development costs, and according to the “Wall Street Journal” , they have been spending approximately $150 million annually on marketing. So far, this investment has netted them a diminishing market share.

They are successfully luring tobacco users to try e-cigs, but, as previously reported, are not capable of holding them in the light of the competition from specialised High Street and online vape shops like Exhale Ltd.

To state it simply; cigarette use is dropping, vaping is on the rise, and RJR is on the outside looking in.

Bizarre Turn of Events and Strange Bedfellows

Perhaps the thing that makes this story so bizarre is the fact that for the first time in history, Big Tobacco has found common ground with the WHO and other health advocacy groups. Truly big money can create strange bedfellows.

The question is; is there enough money left in the coffers to sell the idea that the worlds biggest tobacco company really cares about anyone’s health?

Until next time, here’s wishing you a smooth draw.

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