One of the hot button issues in this industry is if manufacturers are marketing for kids, primarily through the availability of flavors in e cigarette cartridges. These concerns are not without precedent, given that the tobacco industry and other adult-restricted industries have skated on that thin ice in the past. All the same, does this mean that e-cig manufacturers are doing it too?

Flavored E-Cigarettes vs. Other Flavored Adult Products

A popular argument supporting the idea that e-cigarettes are targeting children by flavored vaping is that many of the flavors are appealing to children, and analog smokes have already been banned from using them. There are some inconsistencies with this argument. Not the least of which is that it suggests that adults have no sense of taste.

While nicotine devices are facing bans over how they are flavored, the alcohol industry is not. Certainly, questions have been raised about this issue, but bans on this basis are rare. The continued existence of wine coolers says it all. Taking this line of reasoning even further, no one questions who edible underwear, which is made of licorice and is commonly cherry flavored, is marketed for.

E-Cigs Not Intended for Minors

Most sellers of vapor devices will not disagree with motions toward a ban on sales to minors. The original intent of these devices was as a smoking cessation device, and as such, was not intended for kids. It was only through a Federal Judge decreeing that they should be regulated like tobacco products that they became recreational smoking alternatives.

The intention of flavors in e cigarette cartridges is similar to the intention of flavored vodkas, Kahlua, and other flavored adult consumables. People want a variety of flavors, and by manufacturers providing them, these flavors are subject to industry standards. Besides, it's just more convenient.

For example, to make a tiramisu martini, you could either buy vanilla vodka and Kahlua, or you could make these ingredients yourself and hope you get it right. The same idea applies to e-cigs—if a person wants a coffee-flavored vape, they can either buy it premade, or they can add coffee flavoring and hope that they get it right. Besides, unless you are a modder creating a cheeseburger flavor, you would probably rather have premade flavors.