The e-cigarette industry is expected to generate annual sales of one billion dollars in the next few years. It’s still in its infancy as an industry, and there are several important organizations that will likely shape how electronic cigarettes come to develop. Prominent regulatory bodies and industry organizations will determine how the innovative technology will integrate into society, and these are our top five influential organizations in the industry. Much of the important work goes on behind closed doors, but these voices consistently pop up in the public domain.
5: The E-cigarette Consumer Association of the UK
The UK’s ECCA aims to protect the rights of consumers and provide evidence-based support for electronic cigarettes. Over in Europe, the new EU tobacco directive threatens to pretty much kill off the e-cigarette industry there, so the ECCA has a big fight on their hands. They offer a wide range of informative articles, information for doctors and much-needed critique of the British health service’s “epic fail” (as they put it) with regards to helping people quit smoking.
4: Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association
The ECITA sets down the Industry Standard of Excellence for e-cigs, and manufacturers who meet the regulations are free to place the ECITA logo on their webpage. This establishes the product’s reliability and safety, and although it’s a relatively new organization it’s garnering support as an international authority of e-cigarettes. They present plenty of information and scientific data regarding e-cigarettes on their website, and they also bust a lot of myths perpetuated by the media, although mainly in Britain and Europe.
3: Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association
The Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association (TVECA) is designed to give legislators, the media and users themselves the scientific facts regarding e-cigarettes. They acknowledge that there is a glut of misinformation surrounding e-cigarettes, and aim to present scientific evidence to dispel the myths. Members have recently been quoted in the Financial Times, interviewed on Fox News, and featured in the Doctors, as well as on many other outlets.
2: The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association
CASAA are the consumer advocates group for the US, and as such operate in much the same way as ECCA UK. They’re completely non-profit, and their aim is to promote and protect harm reduction approaches to tobacco. Sticking up for the consumer and ensuring the availability of e-cigarettes means fighting battles related to things like Alabama’s move to ban the use of e-cigarettes in any smoke-free area. CASAA encourages reasonable regulations and thorough product testing to protect consumers, and is an invaluable voice in the continuing battle against misinformation. They’re regularly featured in the media, on CSPnet and numerous local news outlets, for example.
1: The Food and Drug Administration
The FDA is ultimately the most influential organization in the e-cigarette industry because the action they decide to take will determine the fate of the industry. If the products come under the jurisdiction of the FDA in the future, their take on the devices will be absolutely vital. Currently, an analysis they conducted revealed trace amounts of carcinogens, and it was up to Michael Siegel and other scientists to explain that the quantities were miniscule. Their opinion of e-cigs doesn't seem to have changed much, but unfortunately they are the most integral organization with regards to the future of the industry.