Electronic Cigarettes Are The Norm?

There is no doubt that the battle for credibility and acceptance has been long and tough for the electronic cigarette industry, with many years of battles to follow, but there are some positive signs. Despite the fact that we hear of local authorities in the US and other parts of the world looking to introduce electronic cigarette taxes, it seems that the UK authorities are finally accepting electronic cigarettes as an everyday way of life.

Now part of UK inflation figures

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the UK recently updated the “general basket of goods” which it uses to calculate price inflation. There had been no mention of electronic cigarettes being added to this basket but the news that electronic cigarettes will now be part of the UK inflation figure has certainly caught the attention of enthusiasts. Even though the ONS is not part of the UK government it does give an ongoing reflection of consumer trends across the UK. It now seems that electronic cigarettes have been accepted by the UK public!

What does this mean in the short term?

In simple terms the ONS has no power or input with regards to regulations or indeed government policies. As we touched on above, it is simply a reflection of ongoing consumer trends and used as a means of tracking inflation. However, when you bear in mind how politicians and critics of the electronic cigarettes have talked down the industry for many years, this could well be a turning point.

There were signs a few months ago that the UK general public was beginning to ignore sensationalised and often misleading comments and headlines in the media. Many parties have been found-out peddling information which was at best “sketchy” with even the European Commission accused of cherry picking from medical trial reports in its quest to regulate and tax the industry. Whether this is a sign of the growing popularity of electronic cigarettes or as much a disinterest in what the politicians have to say is a matter of debate!

More power to the vaping community

Slowly but surely the vaping community is growing in strength, both figuratively and financially, with a number of ongoing legal actions challenging various misplaced assumptions by governments and regulators around the world. The fact is that the vaping community has no issue with regulations based upon called hard facts but rumours, counter rumours and in some cases blatant mistruths are not a fair basis for regulating the industry.

Up until just a few weeks ago the sector itself seemed to be maintaining a policy of letting the facts speak for themselves but recently we have seen legal action and indeed a number of fighting funds created. We are certainly moving towards the crunch point for not only the UK vaping industry but the worldwide sector and the pressure is beginning to ramp up on both sides. Where this ends remains to be seen but if critics of the industry thought that supporters would lay down their arms and surrender, they are seriously mistaken!

Mark Benson

For further information about electronic cigarettes please visit the OKCigs.co.uk website