WINSTON SALEM, N.C. When change has come for the tobacco industry during its long history, it usually has arrived at a leisurely pace.

Not this time. The crop and products made from it face something that has gutted or transformed many other industries in recent years a disruptive technology.

Electronic cigarettes are winning over smokers so quickly that some analysts predict the battery powered newcomer could come out on top of traditional cigarettes within a decade. That s unsettling for the farmers and manufacturers who still make North Carolina the national leader in tobacco production and Virginia the leader in cigarette manufacturing.

E cigarettes heat a liquid, usually containing the highly addictive stimulant nicotine, into a vapor that users inhale. Nicotine for the liquid is extracted from tobacco, but experts think it may take less tobacco to make the “juice” than required for an equivalent amount of traditional cigarettes.

That economic threat can also be an opportunity.

Some think that e cigarettes may even offer a way to slow the gradual slide in tobacco sales for domestic use, a slide that began decades before the advent of e cigarettes.

“It has been interesting to watch e cigarettes move from almost a novelty to a trend,” said North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler.

“The bad news is, if it results in the decline of demand for traditional tobacco, then we are going to have a new set of problems, but the good news is, yes, we are poised to take advantage of it.”

This may be the key year in North Carolina s effort to muscle into that leadership role. One reason is that Big Tobacco is becoming Big Vapor, too Major tobacco companies are moving to get ahead of the potential shift in the market by selling e cigarettes themselves, either by buying companies already in the business or starting their own. And two of the nation s three largest tobacco companies are here.

With their deep pockets, intimate knowledge of the market, powerful research and development capacity and massive sales and distribution networks, they are in a position to quickly seize the majority of the market for e cigarettes, said Bonnie Herzog, an analyst with Wells Fargo Securities who follows the e cigarette and tobacco industries.

She and other experts believe that the big companies will market devices that simply work better, which will win over more smokers.

Greensboro, N.C. based Lorillard, the nation s third largest tobacco company, has been perhaps the most aggressive, snapping up an established e cigarette company called Blu in 2012 for $135 million. Lorillard now has nearly half the national market share for e cigarettes.

And the nation s second largest tobacco company, Reynolds American Inc., based in Winston Salem, N.C., has launched its own e cigarette subsidiary, R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. It has developed an e cigarette that, unlike nearly all its rivals, is made in the United States.

Reynolds is planning to launch its Vuse brand nationwide this summer. Its test marketing results suggest the effect will be huge. In July, it started sales in Colorado and quickly gained more than half the market in that state. And RJR Vapor Co. President Stephanie Cordisco said in an interview that a second phase of test marketing that began in Utah in late January is showing similar results.

The largest tobacco company, Richmond, Va. based Altria Group, has test marketed its own e cigarette, MarkTen, in two states and plans to go national in the second quarter of the year. Altria is the parent company of Philip Morris.

The stakes are huge.

Last year, Herzog forecast that by 2023, Reynolds could earn $5.2 billion in revenue from e cigarettes and $3.1 billion from traditional ones.

And it, Lorillard and Altria would all see about half their revenue from traditional cigarettes vanish by 2023.

If analysts such as Herzog are right, the tobacco companies have to get involved to protect not just their profits, but perhaps their future, said Blake Brown, a professor of agriculture and resource economics at North Carolina State University and an extension economist who specializes in tobacco issues.

“They can t afford not to do this,” he said.

“If you re a tobacco company, you don t want to be the next Eastman Kodak. They didn t understand that they were in the image business. They thought they were in the film business.”

Electronic cigarette reviews

Inexpensive cigarettes from european countries – on-line shops7444280 – triumphall

If you are looking for the best best price e cigarette that really resembles the traditional marketing you are accustomed to seeing with tobacco, you have to try Bull Smoke Electronic Cigarettes. Their brand has carved out a reputation for making e cigs that really work and that really click with consumers looking for something very close to the ‘real thing’ only in a vapor device.

They offer a starter kit that ranks up there with the best of them for only $29, because they know you’ll like their brand and customer service so much that you’ll be back for cartridges and other accessories.

The Most Popular Brands Right Now&#8230

When I tried an estimated over 500 electronic cigarette brands and models of e cigarettes, and shared them with my peers, the most popular brands were V2 Cigs, Green Smoke and Vapor Zone .

V2 Cigs and Green Smoke sell more traditional products that look and feel like cigarettes so there really is no learning curve.

VaporZone’s line includes more of a high powered, off the wall, yet incredibly effective device that uses refillable vials of e liquid. It’s really a personal preference as to which device is for you, but in case you need more information I’ve provided more information below on each brand.

V2 Cigs

This brand has something for everyone for non advanced e cigs. A huge variety of battery lengths, colors, sizes, and specs. They have a huge roster of 0% (nicotine free) to 2.4% (full flavor, big throat hit) e cigarette cartridges, and a massive selection of accessories. Even in the competitive 2014 landscape, they remain the best brand of e cigs for sale, without a doubt in my mind.

Here’s Their Ultimate Starter Kit

They also reveal seasonal exotic flavors like Cinnamon, Grape, Pumpkin Spice, and many more. There is always something new in the development pipeline at V2.

  • Price 5 stars. They have the cheapest refill cartridge prices, which is where you’ll spend the bulk of your money.
  • Flavor 5 stars. Each flavor (I’ve tried them all) replicates what they were going for and is “spot on.”
  • Durability 5 stars. I’ve never had issues with V2 battery life or power. They are simply the best.
  • Style 5 stars. So many options to choose from, especially with the new EX batteries, which are a game changer.
  • Vapor Production 5 stars. read the V2 Cigs review, it explains how the vapor seems thicker than other e cigs, its just on another level.

I have yet to meet one person I’ve turned on to V2 Cigs that has decided to stop using it in favor of another brand. That’s a testament to how good they really work.

Check out their product line at their website

Here’s a video from the company

About Green Smoke

These guys are a very solid company, with excellent quality products, and are renowned for their great customer service.

They have excellent flavors, and their e cig batteries are of the longest lasting batteries out there. It is a unique product with their flavors, and they also have the thickest vapor of all the standard sized electronic cigarettes we have tested, and some of the longest lasting cartridges.

This is an excellent choice for anyone looking to possibly transition to e cigs from analogues to see if these are for you.

Here is the Green Smoke Ultimate Kit, which has everything you need

Buy Online

Use one of our Green Smoke coupons on this page for extra savings!

Here’s a video from the company

About VaporZone

An advantage you get with Vapor Zone electronic cigarettes is the style of their products. The Air is an unusual, compact shape. A Rebel is beastly while the Jet is agile. Pro systems can be adapted to become Variable Voltage devices. All of these items possess a modern, minimalist, sophisticated style.

Quick Review

These guys have all the bases covered, with everything under the sun in the world of vaping, and all products are made by them, as many shops with this level of product sell products from other companies.

They also keep it simple with six starter kits Express (smokeless cigarette), Air, Jet, Pulse, Rebel, and Pro.

Buy Online

Here’s The Pro Starter Kit

The Skinny on Batteries

Their batteries are mostly all upgraded eGo style, which is clearly the wave of the future of vaping.

For the Express, these are $19.99 each. You can order a standard or high capacity battery, the latter available as a manual or automatic device.

There are three possible Pro batteries a 650, 1000, and variable voltage 1000mAh power supply. This is not including 10 color choices for 1 and 2 (VV batteries come in black only). Prices are $24.99, $27.99, and $29.99 respectively.

Air Batteries, black only, are $24.99 and give you just 350mAh. Jet Batteries, again only in black, carry 650mAh, are 85mm long, capable of voltage variation, and have a digital screen. This shows battery percentage and puffs. It costs $39.99.

The Pulse is cheaper $29.99, but with more power (750mAh) but not possessing variable voltage. They come in black.

Rebel batteries are $14.99 or $17.99, but that is just for a big battery. The control tube costs extra.

Chargers are specific to particular batteries as well.

A Pulse battery fits with multiple cartridges in the Vapor Zone line. Use it with the Pro L, Pro XL, a Tank carto, Premium Carto, Platinum, Titan Dual Head, or the Clear.

Tanks, etc.

This is the crux of Vapor Zone’s products, and they have a few tank variations, just the right amount really. When you shop for tanks, clearos, and refillable cartomizers, you can choose your juice. When you do, Vapor Zone carries everything a creative vaper could dream of.

Official Site

Use our Vapor Zone discount here for hardware purchases

On another note, the parent company of V2 also owns Vapor Couture, which is a slimmer, more feminine e cig for the ladies. It has top of the line packaging and super high end accessories for that sophisticated woman who loves vapor cigarette smoking.

Since I’ve dedicated such a substantial website reviewing e cigarettes, many brands have approached me in regards to advertising. I do this as a hobby and a way to give back knowledge on these devices, so instead, what I allow the many brands to do is send me current coupon codes.

Looking for deals on other e cig brands?

  • e cigarette coupons follow that link and you’ll open up Pandora’s box of e cig coupons. (No matter what brand you smoke, I usually have the latest scoop on which e cig coupons work.)

I encourage user feedback and only moderate comments if they contain profanity. If you have something to share, please, share it.

I have several methods of contact, so please, get in touch if you ever want to share comments or have questions for me. I’m happy to examine products, provide advice on which brand may suit your tastes, or just shoot the breeze.

Reader satisfaction is goal #1. Make an informed purchase by using my electronic cigarette reviews to your advantage.

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