Page 28 - TOB Magazine March/April 2013
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TOBACCO OUTLET BUSINESS
MARCH/APRIL 2013
be used on either platform.
Kretek is also prepared for lessening
the burden of e-cig taxation down
the pike. The EZ Cig rechargeable’s
hardware
and
cartomizer
are
intentionally sold separately so that
only the cartomizer portion (and
not the battery portion) is taxed like
tobacco in states where that’s already in
place for e-cigs (such as Wisconsin and
Minnesota).
Flavor innovation is coming from
manufacturers such as White Cloud
Electronic Cigarettes, which recently
launched its cinnamon-flavored “Cin” to
its Fling line of disposable e-cigarettes.
The flavor is available in light, full and
extra strengths of nicotine.
From e-cig newcomer Elektrostiks
comes the industry’s first “all-natural”
e-cig,according to its founder,Jon Clem.
“I know there’s a lot of competition out
there, but they’re all basically doing
the same thing with ingredients, so I
wanted to approach it in a different way;
ours is truly a ‘healthier’ alternative,” he
tells
Tobacco Outlet Business.
Clem, with a background in organic
food and holistic medicine, created a
disposable e-cig with 100 percent non-
GMO vegetable glycerin (as opposed
to propylene glycol), with no synthetic
chemicals and no artificial flavors.
Elektrostiks come in two versions: Reds,
which Clem says is similar to Marlboro
Red, and Greens, which he says is on
par with Newport. “As far as I know, we
are unique,” he adds. “There are one or
two companies doing organic things,
but they don’t make disposable e-cigs,
they’re just making the juice for refills.”
International Vapor Group (IVG),
which manufactures and distributes
electronic cigarette brand South
Beach Smoke and EverSmoke, is
now manufacturing nicotine liquid
cartridges in the U.S., which the
company said allows it to “guarantee
maximum flavor and freshness in every
batch while maintaining the highest
quality and safety standards.” CEO
Nick Molina maintains that he expects
“nothing less than perfection from our
new juice and [we] are excited to gain
positive feedback from our customers
and the industry.”
JUICE STANDARDS
It is the juice or the e-liquid,
behind the formation of the American
E-Liquid Manufacturing Standards
Association (AEMSA), which intends
to standardize and raise the industry
bar on e-liquid made in the U.S.
Currently with 13 e-liquid vendor
members, AEMSA was established to:
•Verify the accuracy of any nicotine
content in e-cig products;
•Ensure the quality and safety of all
ingredients in its e-liquids;
•Make sure products are prepared in
a clean, sanitary and safe environment;
•Ensure its products are packaged
and delivered in a safe manner, and
•Provide a level of transparency
into the monitoring and verification
process.
The association was created by
two passionate and involved e-cig
consumers, Lou Ritter, president,
and Linc Williams, secretary, who
volunteer their time for a cause they
truly believe in.
“We believe the liquids are the
primary focus, there is some hardware
being made in the U.S. that’s very
promising in terms of safety issues,
but more liquids are made here and
we knew there was those among them
that wanted to further their level of
protection and responsibility as the
industry moves forward,” explains
Ritter.
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“Our short-term goal is to get the FDA
and other regulatory agencies to recognize
there is some self-regulation out there, to get
a conversation going with them.”
—Lou Ritter, AEMSA
