Big Tobacco lights up e-cigarettes Is this good or bad news for public health?

摘要

E-cigarettes, more formally electronic nicotine delivery systems, were introduced in 2007 but remain a relatively tiny market. In the United States they accounted for about $500m (￡330m) in sales last year, perhaps 0.5% of tobacco receipts.That is changing. The tobacco company Lorillard purchased the leading e-cigarette maker Blu lastyear. Reynolds American is expanding marketing of its Vuse e-cigarettes; and Altria, the largest US tobacco company, has announced that it will enter the e-cigarette market laterthisyearwith its own product.1 Marlboro e-cigarettes, anyone? The game is on.