As we step into the New Year, JAC Vapour looks ahead to the changes coming our way in 2016 and how they will affect and influence how you vape.
TPD Comes into Effect in May 2016
By far the biggest event this year will be the passing of the Tobacco Products Directive into law across the EU. This piece of legislation brings about a number of changes to how e-cigarette vendors operate, and the products which will be available for sale.
Rest assured, we are working hard to ensure full compliance with the regulations as they stand.
We'll look at the TPD in greater detail closer to it coming into force, but the headline changes which you should be aware of include:
- The supply of e-liquids will be restricted to 10ml bottles, and a limit of 20mg in strength.
- Tanks will be restricted to a maximum of 2ml capacity.
- There will be restrictions on advertising (as well as a total ban in Scotland).
- A 6 month notice period for new products being brought to market.
The TPD is currently facing a legal challenge (with the Advocate General publishing her opinion on the legal case today), however, so the situation is still in flux. We should have a more definite idea of the situation early in the New Year. For more information and updates regarding the TPD, Clive Bates has been providing regular commentary on the status of the regulations and of the legal challenge.
In the meantime, we have been working towards full compliance with the regulations as they stand.
New e-liquids
We currently offer a wide array of premium e-liquids including our UK Made range and our unique Clear Steam, vapourless e-liquid.
2016 will see the introduction of a whole new range of JAC Vapour e-liquids, as early as January.
We'll reveal more very soon, but they will include 17 brand new UK made flavours, including several which have been created in response to customer requests.
Watch this space flavour lovers.
New hardware
2015 saw the arrival of our first variable wattage box mod, the SERIES-B Tilt. Since its launch in August, it has become a best seller and has been very positively reviewed and received around the world – a hit from Bolton to Boston, from London to Lima, from Glasgow to Girona (you get the drift…).
Planning is already underway for the launch of a raft of new hardware in 2016. We'll be looking at what has made the SERIES-B such a success, and using the lessons we learned during its design in the production of our next products at our UK R+D facility. Coming soon.
Market changes
2015 has seen a very noticeable shift in consumer behaviour in the market. The launch of a number of user-friendly box mods and sub-ohm devices in the early part of the year has brought sub-ohm vaping into the mainstream.
As we move into 2016, this trend is set to continue, with more and more new vapers jumping in with these more advanced devices. With vaping becoming much more prevalent, the wider public is becoming much more used to seeing box mods around. Where new users have in the past favoured cigalike or eGo style devices, many are now looking for more power, battery or advanced features over the simplicity afforded by 1st or 2nd Gen devices.
We can also expect a slowdown in terms of product development and innovation in the latter half of the 2016, as the new rules brought in by the TPD begin to take affect. This may mean a flurry of new releases prior to May, as manufacturers rush to get products to market ahead of the regulations.
2016 is likely to be a year of adjustments, as the industry changes to take account of the TPD, and new regulations in the USA. As more smokers choose to switch to vaping, however, growth within the industry as a whole is likely to continue, though with new legislation beginning to bite, it may spell the end of smaller vendors who lack the resources required to adapt