Blu Cigs Acquired by Lorillard Inc.
Blu is now owned by Lorillard Inc.
It has recently come to my attention that Lorillard Inc, a major U.S tobacco retailer (the makers of popular cigarette brands including Kent and Newport) has purchased the e-cigarette brand Blu Cigs for the sum of $135 million dollars. I’m excited about this move, as I feel that with Lorillard’s resources the Blu Cigs brand will continue to improve in quality. I’m curious to see if other major tobacco companies will follow suit and purchase other e-cigarette companies.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – blu ecigs is extremely proud and excited to announce today our acquisition by one of the largest and oldest companies in America, Lorillard, Inc. Lorillard, through its Lorillard Tobacco Company subsidiary, is the third-largest manufacturer of cigarettes in the U.S and has a long and proud tradition that will complement the passion of blu ecigs in the emerging electronic cigarette category.
“This is a very exciting move for me and my team. I am particularly excited about what this means for the brand and our customers. It gives us access to the tremendously experienced team and resources at Lorillard and will allow us to move to the next level on our expansion and product development. I’m happy to say that now as part of Lorillard, blu ecigs will be able to deliver an even greater level of quality and innovation to its customers that they have come to expect from blu. I can’t wait to get started on this next phase and to see the response from our amazing customers.” Jason Healy, President and co-founder of blu.
In conjunction with this announcement everyone at blu would like to extend a huge thank you to all of our customers for their outstanding support and loyalty to a brand we are so proud to represent. We can’t wait to serve you in the future as we continue to grow and unveil new products and services.
From an operational point of view, it will be business as usual for our customers, retailers and other partners through a normal transitional period. Following this transition, we look forward to expanded distribution capabilities that will be communicated in the near future.
You can read the full article here.
South Beach Smoke Deluxe Personal Charging Case
It has recently come to my attention that the South Beach Smoke Deluxe personal charging case has become the hottest selling accessory on South Beach Smoke’s website. I’ve done some digging aruond, and the deluxe charging case appears to be quite similar to the 510 Smart PCC for the Joye
The South Beach Smoke PCC
510. The case has a large advanced cell battery inside (which makes charging very safe), and can be recharged via a USB port located on the side of the case. On a full charge, the case is able to recharge your South Beach Smoke Deluxe e-cigarettes (including SuperMax batteries) up to four times, which makes it ideal for when you’re on the go and don’t have access to an outlet. The case also has a battery indicator to let you know when you need to recharge the PCC.
I really like the design of the case, as I find it looks quite classy and professional. It also comes with interior and exterior lights which can be illuminated to help you see better in low light environments. I look forward to writing a review on the case in the near future. If you’ve given the South Beach PCC a try, feel free to let me know what you think of it via the comments section!
E-Cigarette Wins in Hawaii Senate
It has recently come to my attention that a bill proposing a 70% tax on e-cigarettes has been amended, and the proposed tax will not come into effect in Hawaii. An e-mail statement I received from the Hawaiian-based Volcano E-Cigs claims that
The Senate had received more than 1,200 pieces of testimony on the issue and decided last friday to ENFORCE the part of the bill that restricted the use of ecigs to persons under 18 years of age BUT they amended the entire part that would tax the product.
I feel that this amended legislation is both a reasonable and responsible decision regarding e-cigarettes from the Hawaii senators. I don’t feel that minors should have access to any nicotine products. However, adults should have the freedom and right to choose a much better alternative to traditional cigarette smoking.
Don’t forget to support organizations such as CASAA either through volunteering or by sending a donation. CASAA is working hard to raise awareness of the benefits of e-cigarettes and other forms of nicotine replacement therapy, and can help policymakers introduce smart e-cigarettes legislation like in Hawaii.
Joyetech Releases Joye eGo-C
The Joye eGo-C Atomizer (separated)
I’ve recently learned that the e-Cigarette manufaturer Joyetech has recently released a new e-cigarette model called the Joye eGo-C. It uses a standard eGo battery, but from what I understand, the eGo-C’s atomizer uses a newly developed technology which separates the atomizer into two parts, the base and cover. The base of the eGo-C atomizer is designed to be easily unscrewed for easy washing or replacing.
I think that the new eGo-C will be a welcome improvement over the existing eGo-T. Many eGo-T atomizers (including some of mine) have had clogging issues, and it is very tough to clean them without being able to remove the atomizer from within the assembly. Replacements are also cheaper, since you only need to replace a small piece of the atomizer.
The new eGo-C is also compatible with both the eGo as well as the eGo-T. Stay tuned for a review here on E-Cig Central within the next few weeks!
End Canada’s Ban on E-Cigarettes
I recently read this article in the National Post, and I felt the need to mention it here on E-Cig Central. The article is really well-written approaches the subject of 
tobacco harm reduction in a very positive light. For those of you unfamiliar with Canadian laws,
In 2009, Health Canada issued a warning on its website, saying that e-cigarettes fall under the Food and Drugs Act and must therefore be approved by the government for sale in Canada. But, so far, “no electronic smoking products have been granted a market authorization in Canada.”
As a Canadian citizen, this means that I have had a difficult time buying e-liquid from local distributors within Canada (although non-nicotine e-cigarettes can still be sold). In comparison to traditional cigarettes which contain more than 10,000 chemicals and 40 carcinogens, e-cigarette liquid (e-liquid) has not been found to contain more than trace elements of any of the carcinogens found in tobacco smoke.
The article leaves readers with an interesting end note to think about in regards to why the ban may be in place, claiming that
To figure out why the government would try to prohibit the use of these products, one simply has to follow the money. Between 2001 and 2008, the federal government collected $20.4-billion worth of tobacco taxes. Rather than implementing policies that are in the best interests of Canadians, it is the government that has become addicted to the lucrative tobacco industry.
I feel as a Canadian, now is the time for us to stand up and oppose the e-cigarette ban in Canada. Since I made the switch from traditional cigarettes to e-cigarettes over a year ago, I have personally felt much healthier and love how no one around me is bothered by the vapor (unlike regular cigarette smoke). I am going to be looking into starting a petition to bring the e-cigarette ban to light, so keep checking back for more information on the subject. I have high hopes, especially since last year a judge ruled that an FDA ban on e-cigarettes in the United States was unconstitutional.
Black Friday E-Cigarette Deals Roundup
As most U.S visitors know, Black Friday marks the kickoff of the holiday shopping season. This season, many E-Cigarette retailers have been offering some great deals on popular e-cigarette starter kit models. Below is a rundown of some of the ongoing sales and promos various retailers have started to offer for a limited time. If you’re in the market for an e-cigarette this holiday season, now may be a great time to take advantage of some super savings! I have linked the reviews of various models that I have tried in order for you to see which model is best for you (or for someone you know!).
Greensmoke is offering 15% off all products. Use the coupon code HOCUSPOCUS at checkout!
SouthBeachSmoke is offering a discount of 10% off all starter kit models if you enter the coupon GIVE2011 at checkout. The offer expires on Sunday, November 27th, 2011.
V2 is offering 15% off sitewide from Black Friday until Cyber Monday.
ProSmoke E-Cigarette
ProSmoke is offering 20% off everything sitewide for Black Friday as well as Cyber Monday. Use the coupon code BLACK2011 to take advantage of the sale.
I’ll be posting more sales as I get word of them!
Great NY Times Article on E-Cigarettes
Today the New York Times published a very insightful and well-researched piece on e-cigarettes and their potential to reduce cigarette consumption. I highly recommend giving the article a read, as not only is it informative, but it also approaches the topic in an honest way rather than putting a negative spin on electric cigarettes like a number of newspapers have in the past.
In my experience, smoking e-cigarettes has drastically reduced my smoking. In the past month, I’ve only had a real cigarette once, when I was at a bar an my e-cigarette ran out of batteries. Next time I need to make sure that I have a smart PCC on me when I head out!
If you want a truly frustrating job in public health, try getting people to stop smoking. Even when researchers combine counseling and encouragement with nicotine patches and gum, few smokers quit.
Recently, though, experimenters in Italy had more success by doing less. A team led by Riccardo Polosa of the University of Catania recruited 40 hard-core smokers — ones who had turned down a
free spot in a smoking-cessation program — and simply gave them a gadget already available in stores for $50. This electronic cigarette, or e-cigarette, contains a small reservoir of liquid nicotine solution that is vaporized to form an aerosol mist.
The user “vapes,” or puffs on the vapor, to get a hit of the addictive nicotine (and the familiar sensation of bringing a cigarette to one’s mouth) without the noxious substances found in cigarette smoke.
After six months, more than half the subjects in Dr. Polosa’s experiment had cut their regular cigarette consumption by at least 50 percent. Nearly a quarter had stopped altogether. Though this was just a small pilot study, the results fit with other encouraging evidence and bolster hopes that these e-cigarettes could be the most effective tool yet for reducing the global death toll from smoking.
But there’s a powerful group working against this innovation — and it’s not Big Tobacco. It’s a coalition of government officials and antismoking groups who have been warning about the dangers of e-cigarettes and trying to ban their sale.
The controversy is part of a long-running philosophical debate about public health policy, but with an odd role reversal. In the past, conservatives have leaned toward “abstinence only” policies for dealing with problems like teenage pregnancy and heroin addiction, while liberals have been open to “harm reduction” strategies like encouraging birth control and dispensing methadone.
When it comes to nicotine, though, the abstinence forces tend to be more liberal, including Democratic officials at the state and national level who have been trying to stop the sale of e-cigarettes and ban their use in smoke-free places. They’ve argued that smokers who want an alternative source of nicotine should use only thoroughly tested products like Nicorette gum and prescription patches — and use them only briefly, as a way to get off nicotine altogether.
You can read the rest of article on the New York Times here.
GreenSmoke Releases New Tobacco Gold Flavor
Just today, the popular e-cigarette maker GreenSmoke has just released a new flavor choice for its customers. Known as Tobacco Gold, this new flavor combines a fine blend of Virginia, Oriental, and Burley tobacco flavors in order to create a new flavor that will run alongside the existing Red Label Tobacco cartridges.
GreenSmoke’s Tobacco Gold will be released only in their new FlavorMax format, which delivers even more vapor than their previous cartridges did. It is available now for purchase on the GreenSmoke website. I am looking forward to giving the Tobacco Gold cartidges a try, especially since I enjoyed the Red Label flavor.
First Clinical Trial of Electronic Cigarettes Suggests They May Be More Effective Than Traditional NRT Products
When I originally tried quitting smoking, I tried using nicotine gum with no success. The problem was, I missed the actual feel of smoke along with the other physical aspects of cigarette smoking. Fortunately, e-cigarettes have been able to replicate these feelings quite well, and it comes as no surprise that studies are finding the same thing to be true. Yesterday, the results of the first clinical trial of e-cigarettes was published here in the journal BMC Public Health, a reputable public health journal. According to the researchers
The subjects were 40 healthy, adult, regular smokers with no interest in quitting. They were provided with electronic cigarettes and minimal intervention (a baseline and four follow-up clinic visits). They were not instructed to try to quit smoking, but were simply allowed to use the electronic cigarettes however they wished.
The sustained smoking abstinence rate at six-month follow-up was 22.5%.
The proportion of subjects who experienced a sustained reduction in the amount smoked by at least 50% was 32.5%.
Thus, 55% of subjects either cut down their consumption by 50% or more or quit smoking altogether at six months follow-up.
No serious adverse events were reported in the study.
This is very encouraging news for potential cigarette smokers who have not yet given e-cigarettes a try. The authors of the study concluded that
Although not formally regulated as a pharmaceutical product, the e-Cigarette can help smokers to remain abstinent or reduce their cigarette consumption. By replacing tobacco cigarettes, the e-cigarette can only save lives. Here we show for the first time that e-Cigarettes can substantially decrease cigarette consumption without causing significant side effects in smokers not intending to quit.
If you have yet to try an e-cigarette, I suggest giving one a try! Winter is fast approaching here in the western hemisphere, and with many countries imposing stricter anti-smoking laws, being able to use your e-cigarette inside is a nice treat!
E-Lites featured on ITV Daybreak
It has recently come to my attention that the E-Lites e-cigarette has been featured in the television show Daybreak, and has received a positive endorsement from those on the show. In my review of the E-Lite E200 ecig, I mentioned that I really enjoy how long the battery lasts on a single charge, and I have been happy with the product so far.
E-Lites has also released a new product known as the E-Lites e-gar. The eGar is a disposable electronic cigarette with the look and feel of a real cigar. The eGar contains approximately 40 cigarettes worth of puffing, and is available in the starter kits section as both a single unit and in a disposable 5-pack. I have yet to try an eGar, but as an occasional cigar smoker, I am tempted to try one.
ITV’s Daybreak signalled a new dawn for smokers today as Dr Hillary Jones and fellow presenters discussed the benefits of stubbing out tobacco cigarettes in favour of healthier electronic cigarettes such as E-Lites.
They were commenting on the opening of a ‘Vaping Bar’ in Yorkshire where smokers can freely use electronic cigarettes, which is often nicknamed ‘vaping’ because the devices produce nicotine in the form of a vapour that can be inhaled.
The E-Lite electronic cigarette featured on ITV's Daybreak
Dr Hilary said: “Electronic cigarettes like E-Lites give you vaporised nicotine but no tar, so no carcinogenic lung cancer causing chemicals and no passive smoking element. People want to go to the pub and still indulge in smoking, and they can do so safely with electronic cigarettes.”
Presenters including Adrian Chiles, Christine Bleakley and Kate Garraway discussed the way in which electronic cigarettes contain only nicotine and therefore replicate the sensation of conventional cigarettes in far healthier way due to the absence of tar and tobacco.
Dr Hilary commented that E-Lites were similar to nicotine gums, patches and sprays in terms of helping satisfy the craving of smokers.
You can read more on the story and see the video on the E-Lites homepage. The vaping bar mentioned in the article looks to be quite neat, and if you have happened to take a visit there, let us know more about it in the comments section!
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