First Convention
The Tobacco Plus Expo was held in Vegas last week. There were about 400 plus vendors including Rocky Patel, Altadis, General Cigar, Drew Estate, Oliva, and CLE, but the biggest thrust of the show was Vapes. Over 80 vendors came from China, where most of the products for vaping are made. The show was attended by about 1400 considering the “blizzard” on the east coast (yes some areas were hit hard but others just got a dusting and one mayor overreacted) that wasn’t bad. Most were pretty optimistic. I admit I know little about vapes, although I do have a few friends who use them as a means of quitting cigarettes. What I can tell you is some of the vapers at the show were almost as bad as non smokers. I saw several walking by cigar booths and waving the smoke from the cigars away as they puffed on their electronic device. Then there is this:
These women were in a booth and demonstrating what I found out is called Cloud Chasing. Apparently the idea is to get as much vapor as you can into your lungs and the blow out the biggest possible cloud. In the picture I think they were only getting started. I first saw this when I was outside the show waiting to go in and wanted to get a photo of people going in. Two guys were behind me and they were able to basically obscure the entrance with their clouds. I was enveloped in vapor. Oh and it does have a scent. While I liked the optimism of the show, I am not certain if it is born from true optimism or ignorance. I do believe that the FDA will come down hard on the vape products, and with vapor “enthusiasts” making nuisances of themselves with clouds, cities and states will crack down too—not to mention the taxes on them. Alas I see the vape revolution going on now as much the same was as the cigar boom. Ours ended naturally, I believe theirs will end by fiat.
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