Why E-Cig Makers Put Up Large Warnings On Their Packs

Big tobacco companies are usually not fans of heath warnings on cigarette packs. We have written earlier on how Philip Morris is dragging the Uruguayan Government to court after they passed legislation mandating the display of large warnings on cigarette packs. (See Philip Morris’ Uruguayan Lawsuit) It turns out that in the U.S., tobacco companies that have diversified into e-cigarettes are voluntarily putting up large warnings on e-cig packs. In this article we examine the causes and consequences of such behavior. Our argument will be that there are two reasons for it. The first one is the desire to prevent attrition of tobacco smokers to e-cigs by portraying e-cigs as harmful. Secondly, such voluntary efforts at social responsibility increase the pressure on smaller manufacturers to follow suit as the government amps up regulation. This can help consolidate the e-cigarettes industry faster as smaller players either shut down or get bought out.