Samantha Bee: In the Big Tobacco vs. Little Vape Fight, the Underdog Keeps on Puffing
New government regulations announced earlier this month may give Big Tobacco a huge advantage over its major competitor—the vape market.
“Who will stand up for the artisan makers of e-liquids like unicorn puke and dragon jizz?” joked "Full Frontal" host Samantha Bee.
Thousands of small stores and manufacturers dominate the fast-growing sector of the vaping economy, or as Bee calls it, “the douche-conomy”—also comprised of hover boards, EDM festivals and protein shakes, according to Bee.
But in all seriousness, Big Tobacco has struggled to compete in the vaping and e-cigarette market. Its prime hope is the lengthy federal review vape manufacturers will now have to undergo in order to stay on the market. Because while Big Tobacco can afford to lobby for new FDA rules, its puny competitors "may soon vanish like some sort of metaphor," as Bee puts it.
Vaping uses a battery-powered unit to turn e-liquids into vapor. A recent study from the Public Health of England says e-cigarrettes are 95 percent less harmful than normal cigarettes. One vape company even helps veterans by donating the earnings from its vape juice, “F*ck ISIS.” You can't underestimate the creativity there.
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