The economy is always an uncertain subject to really nail, especially when it comes to making predictions on how products are going to sell in the upcoming year. Now more than ever, with e-cigs on the rise but an unpredictable market place, it is a good idea to find out what the experts think sales are going to look like on both a national and international basis. Beneath is a list of experts on the vaping market place who really have their finger on the pulse of what to expect in the upcoming financial year.
Clive Bates, the Ex-Director of Action on Smoking and Health believes that the change in US Government may have a positive effect on the guidelines and rules surrounding e-cigarettes. He believes that with a change in leadership at the World Health Organisation that the prohibitions on developing countries use of e-cigarettes may be relaxed and that with this may create new market places. With countries like New Zealand and Canada beginning to grow weary of out of touch anti-smoking lobbyists, he believes that there could be great harm reduction for smokers who will be encouraged to change to e-cigs.
Konstantinos Farsalinos is one of the world’s leading researchers in vaping. Much like Clive, he believes that the World Health Organisation’s push to ban e-cigs in developing countries is having a negative effect on many smokers health. He believes that denialism and bad quality case studies are leading to a push for better quality research into the subject. Konstantinos is also weary of the six month wait that there currently is between submitting a file on a potential product and the products marketing. This could lead to a delay in progress in innovative e-cig products.
Louise Ross is the Manager for Leicester’s stop smoking service, the first of its kind to become e-cig friendly and therefore sees the benefits in the growing popularity of vaping. Louise believes that, as opposed to the common myth that vaping is a gateway to smoking the opposite is in fact true. As e-cig devices become easier to use with new designs and better marketing, more people will use them as a gateway out of smoking, even if they didn’t want to give up. This will snowball as more people are convinced by family members to replace the habit with e-cigs. Louise also believes that as countries that prohibit the use of e-cigs rises, for the first time in years so will the number of smokers. Only in time will this bring about positive change to the prohibition laws, as more experts being to see the implications of the numbers.
Pamela Gorman is the head of the Smoke Free Alternatives Association. She believes that right now, innovation is not in e-cig businesses interests as it takes so long for new concepts to come through the FDA, who require complex and time consuming paperwork when submitting to them. Under the new American administration, she believes that laws on e-cigs are already changing and believes that there may well be a rebirth into the industry by the end of 2017.
Jean Francois Etter of the University of Geneva was one of the first people to conduct studies into e-cigs, having led studies on smoking aetiology, prevention and cessation research, He believes that innovative new technology such as the iQOS vaporiser and a growing interest and market in Japan will strengthen the e-cig economy. He also hopes for a growth and rejuvenated strength in the movements who are trying to change the TPD.
Richard Hislop is the Chief Executive Independent British Vape Trade Association. He says that in 2016 many pro vapers in the IBVTA fought long and hard against the TPD’s anti-vaping stance, even leading to a legal challenge at Luxembourg’s European Court of Justice. He believes that 2017 is to be another difficult year as the TRPR comes into effect in the spring, leading to further debate about taxation. There will also be guidelines produced on how companies can market their products and businesses under the TRPR.
With these experts and more, being very vocal about what they expect to come in 2017, there is only one thing for sure. New government changes in influential countries will lead to new lawas and stances on taxation and import, eve leading to more liberal views on the buying and selling of tobacco products.