The tobacco industry's influence over ENDS systems’ regulation has been controversial, with concerns about their marketing practices, product safety, and lobbying efforts. 

While adult consumers argue that vape devices help reduce smoking prevalence, others (parents, tobacco lobbyists, and congressmen), have called for stricter regulations to protect “public health.”

There have been concerns about the role of the U.S. tobacco industry’s efforts in reducing availability of competitive vape ENDS systems while not supplying better alternatives itself. 

It is important to note that the most popular vape products owned by large tobacco companies are vape pods such as Juul and Vuse.

IN SUMMARY

While both the U.K. and the U.S. acknowledge the potential of ENDS as a cessation tool, they have taken drastically different approaches to its use. The U.K. sees ENDS as a practical option for smokers who are unable or unwilling to quit smoking, while the U.S. is more cautious about the potential risks and has called for stricter regulation of ENDS to protect young people.

The specific policies and priorities do differ between the two countries. Both the U.K. and the U.S. are taking a multi-faceted approach to reducing tobacco use, including implementing policies to regulate tobacco products, funding tobacco control initiatives, and supplying support for smokers to quit.

Ironically, the alternative to the vape products that U.S. anti-vape groups are trying to shut down, are the same tobacco products that started the problem to begin with. So, if the anti-vape constituents can outlaw vaping, the alternative product most vapers are expected to go back to is tobacco (traditional combustible cigarettes). The irony is not lost on me (an ex-smoker who now hates the smell of tobacco).

The US Government anti-vape groups suggest ex-smokers should use the ENDS solutions already available and approved by the FDA: gum, patches, prescription medicines and other ENDS products already available on the market and approved by US policy makers. In answer to them (as an ex-smoker) I can say they didn’t work for me. If gum worked, we wouldn’t have had to invent vaping. The staggering decrease in cigarette consumption across the United States happened after the invention of the e-cigarette, not the nicotine gum or patch.

Take away my vapes and I’ll probably go back to smoking cigs for my nicotine consumption. Not my first choice, but it seems that could be the only legal solution that our US government will leave me for my nicotine addiction.