Kiosks To Cause Ecig Downfall

[MorisatoIncorporated]

I gotta say that kiosks can be even worse then the fda. Here is an interesting read I got about them catching a smoking everywhere kiosk selling to minors.

http://www.totallywicked-eliquid.com/link.html?uri=http://www.abc15.com%2Fcontent%2Fnews%2Finvestigators%2Fstory%2FElectronic-cigarettes-under-fire-for-targeting%2F06PXDQXwE0e7KsJkDkyRzA.cspx

PHOENIX - In a hidden camera investigation, the ABC15 Investigators found Arizona electronic cigarette kiosk salesmen selling their nicotine device to kids.

It is not illegal. But, there is controversy over what the devices do to our bodies.

Amir Hakak operates electronic cigarette kiosks in four Valley malls.

He said the e-cigarette helps people kick the real habit.

“It is the same as the patch or the gum. Actually, we add the vapor to it. The smoker gets the sensation, you feel you smoke; you trick the mind,” said Hakak.

It closely resembles a real cigarette. It blows smoke and has nicotine, but has no tobacco. The vapor is actually water.

It comes with a battery and filter in a variety of flavors.

And, it contains nicotine which not only makes it addictive; it also makes it come under the scrutiny of the Food and Drug Administration.

Last July, the FDA found dangerous chemicals in some electronic cigarettes they tested including diethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze that is toxic to humans.

So then why are these e-cigarettes sold in a variety of flavors at kiosks in the mall -- where teens regularly hangout?

That's the question John Wickwire asked when his 17-year-old son came home from the mall.

“He come (home) excited and saying, 'Oh yeah, there's this new thing. It's so cool. They have these flavors,' and I'm like, 'what is it?' Oh, it's this new kind of cigarette,” said Widkwire.

“We think this is cutting edge,” said former Arizona congressman, Matt Salmon, who helped push through one of the first public smoking bans.

He doesn't smoke, but has seen devastating effects of smoking on his family members.

“Our product is marketed to long-term committed smokers who are killing themselves with combustible tobacco,” said Salmon.

Today, Salmon leads the Electronic Cigarette Association with very specific rules: they don't make health claims, don't sell to minors, and say they shouldn't be sold at kiosks in the mall. And just like real cigarettes, they should not sell flavors targeting children.

But, we found just the opposite. Using a hidden camera, we went to a "Smoking Everywhere" kiosk in the Arrowhead Mall in Glendale.

Not only did the salesman make health claims saying the E-cigarette helps with influenza and pneumonia, but he sold it to our underage shopper.

With permission from his parent, Zach asked to buy the nicotine refills. They sold him 10. They never asked him for his I.D. and never even asked him his age. He is 16.

“This was a critical mistake,” said Hakak, “You can come and check at each of our locations again. There is no way that it could happen again. “

Well, 10 days later, we went back to the same kiosk in the same mall with the same child.

And the very same thing happened. Once again, Zach bought 10 nicotine refills. No one asked him his age or for his I.D.

The only difference this time was that they charged him half as much.

Wickwire thinks there's a better place for this product than the mall.

“It's nicotine. It's addictive. It should be in a drugstore,” said Wickwire.

The FDA warns against the product being sold to minors because of limited testing.

Many countries have banned the cigarettes. But in the U.S., only one New York county bans them.

[Brian]

The idiots out to make a quick buck with no regards for anyone other than themselfs will give the FDA (and the public) plenty of amunition. No doubt about it. I hope the media plays fair and reports on both sides of the story, but I doubt that will happen.

[keenan]

Yup, its greedy morons like this who will bring us down. No doubt about it.

[TheGreen]

Come on Smoking Everywhere, get your heads out of your A**es. They need to realize that if a total ban comes because of there lack of control on who they sell to will be bad for the eCig community and themselves as a business.

[Sinikal]

Come on Smoking Everywhere, get your heads out of your A**es. They need to realize that if a total ban comes because of there lack of control on who they sell to will be bad for the eCig community and themselves as a business.

F*ckin Kiosk.

[Knight]

F*ckin Kiosk.

Good Grief! I wonder how many kiosk's they checked before they found the one they wanted? I also wonder if these "top notch investivative reporters" ever went under cover at a local gas station or convienence store to see if they were selling alchohol or cigs to minors. We all know that would never happen.

Makes the ACORN under cover vids look pretty tame doesnt it

[bzeisman]

and the sad thing is, they dont even know what it is they are selling. not talking about the nicotine, talking about the product. i went to one of these kiosks looking to buy an atty cuz they were selling a 901 variation. i asked if i could buy just an atty, and he said "a what?!?". i figured i could go to one of them if i needed parts in a pinch, guess not.

[christania]

Those mall kiosks are rip-offs anyway. Evidently, we even have one in our little mall. I'm not a mall person so I didn't know until someone told me recently. They said they wanted over $100 for their kits. wtf? I looked at a bunch of reviews on different e-cigs before I committed to any purchase and the ones I saw on smoking everywheres and the gamucci were both very poor so I decided to stay away from them. I think those kiosks would be more apt to sucker in the younger and more inexperienced buyer... and also impulse buyers mainly. So they have you paying double for a product that is inferior? Most smart shoppers know you can get better deals on almost anything you find in the mall if you shop around online and most online retailers I've seen try to make sure buyers are at least 18.

It just sucks that they are giving a bad reputation to something that could ultimately be the best alternative for committed smokers (if it works for them - hopefully me too lol). I have even hear that these models you get in malls have caused certain people to think vaping is ridiculous, doesn't work and they won't try it again... so they just go back to reg. cigs... Are they TRYING to screw over e-cigs? What I'm afraid of is OVER regulation by the gov't... I could see it potentially being another tax hog. Hope not though... Just hope that sellers in places like that show a little more intelligence, discretion, integrity, etc. or sell them in places like tobacco stores or even pharmacies I think. More practical and more likely to be age discriminate. too much to hope?