Michigan Bans Flavored E Cigarettes

[Athene]

The tobacco industry's customer base continuously dies off in large numbers. Chemical addiction (to nicotine) is necessary to ensure that replacement consumers stay dependent on Big Tobacco's products for the duration and allows the industry to maintain it's profit margins. That's why tobacco has been genetically engineered to contain more nicotine and why BT formulates their products to ensure maximum delivery of said addictive substance. Many of the major e-cig brands contain more nicotine than cigarettes and most of the e-cigs they offer require purchasing an entirely new unit/set up for folks wishing to "step down" their nicotine levels.

They need people hooked. Chemically hooked.

I agree.

There are plenty of consumers who resent these tactics, myself included, and would rather not feed the Big Tobacco beast at all.

This is where I am not convinced.  How many is plenty? When JUUL sells most of these products and is partially owned by Altria group does not seem to indicate that there is enough to scare the tobacco companies.

I've also noted that most of the non or nominally-addicted recreational vapers I know will not knowingly purchase from BT because they simply do not trust the industry to properly disclose nicotine levels and/or are opposed to the industry in general ethical terms.

 I am not convinced that there is enough of these people to make a difference.

So yes, I think that the ability for vaporizer users to customize the amount of nicotine themselves and use little or none is deeply problematic for the industry. 

It can't replace the revenue lost by the deaths of half a million addicted consumers every year with a growing number of non or nominally-addicted people have no need or motivation to be product loyal.

If younger generations choose vaping as the Premier Pointless and Utterly Stupid Habit over smoking, then the tobacco industry could conceivably be screwed within a decade or so. It would undoubtedly still exist, but it would be greatly diminished from what is today in terms of revenue and political influence.

I guess we will see what happens.

Around these parts you're much more like to see a younger person using custom vape devices more than e-cigs. E-cigs seem to be more the of choice of current and former smokers; Presumably because they have more of the look and feel of an actual cigarette.

We'll have to agree to disagree, I suppose, and see how the saga unfolds.