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Is this the final swish of the political tail before ecig taxes?

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As the popularity of e-cigarettes and vaping continues to grow it was inevitable that politicians would look to reassert their authority at some point. This is an industry which despite constant criticism from the political arena, suggestions of heavy regulations and unfounded accusations continues to expand. If only the authorities had realised the impending explosion in e-cigarette use at the turn-of-the-century they would have been more prepared. So, with the US authorities targeting the electronic cigarette industry with an array of negative advertising is this the final swish of the political tail before ecig taxes? US Authorities The US Government is currently running a campaign against electronic cigarettes with an array of sensationalised and misleading headlines. For some reason the political arena is now looking to crush the vaping industry despite the fact that some medical experts see the sector as the one and only answer to tobacco addiction. Interestingly, the US government's attack on electronic cigarettes seems to be backfiring! Will we see other governments join in? While the US Government, and an array of US State authorities, continue to target the vaping industry many are now looking towards Europe as the next point of attack. It is no secret that the European Commission would rather that electronic cigarettes disappeared but the fact is that they are also gaining popularity across Europe. As a consequence, many experts believe that over the coming months we will see yet another concerted attack by the authorities with one aim in mind. Compromise, compromise, compromise Whatever the politicians say in public the fact is that electronic cigarettes are now so popular that an outright ban would cause repercussions that could be felt across the political spectrum. So, there's a growing belief that these vicious attacks from the US authorities, and expected attacks from European counterparts, are the final swish of the political tail before the introduction of electronic cigarette taxes. Assuming, and it's very dangerous to assume in this industry, the vaping public will accept this! On the surface it looks as if politicians are confident of crushing the sector but behind-the-scenes this does not appear to be the case. They may well be looking for a compromise and the introduction of "small" taxes although very quickly these would grow and this would be the thin end of the wedge. At this moment in time the vapers and the vaping industry have a growing voice, a platform from which to shout and they no longer need to take what the political elite dictate without consideration. Conclusion While we await long-term medical trials to clarify that there are no long-term implications when using electronic cigarettes, the political arena has come alive with attacks on the vaping industry. The US authorities began this trend just a few weeks ago with many expecting their European counterparts to follow suit. They may well assume that a compromise deal can be reached with regards to "small" electronic cigarette taxes but this is a very dangerous assumption. The more medical trial data available the less likelihood of electronic cigarette taxes being introduced because there will be no factual support. So, it does look as though this is the last swish of the political tail before they attempt to do a "compromise deal" angling for their "second best" option of electronic cigarette taxes. We will see! Guest blog brought to you by... Ok - E-cigarettes

By Lenny

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