Ladies and Gentlemen, the electoronic cigar!

I suppose it was only a matter of time. Sly marketing has been the surprisingly spry crutch of the tobacco industry for decades despite a general knowing better. People get smarter - nay, more EDUCATED - but big tobacco also wises up as the sand trickles down the glass and they learn to combat new evidence with new marketing. But in recent years, compounding legislative blows have been landed on a bloody and battered industry, and although on the ropes, big tobacco just won't throw that towel. Nearly every city, state, ordinance, township, county, peninsula, and treehouse have restrictions on where and when you can smoke and big tobacco has suffered tremendously. By taking the convenience out of the act, more people decided against taking it up. That is, until the E-cig came along.

Electronic cigarettes are a relatively new invention but already as easy to find as a Starbucks. Thanks to the use of water vapor in place of smoke, the E-cig callously goes where no cig has gone in a few years: indoors. The marketing "geniuses" with big tobacco missed the boat on that concept, though. While they invested in smokefree tobacco strips, sticks and snus, the makers of the finest American products (Hong Kong) invented the E-cig.

An E-Cig at rest.

Ruyan Group, out of Hong Kong, made the very first E-cig in 2005. Not long after, Philip Morris came a-knockin'. However, nobody outside of the two companies found out until earlier this year. Back in June, Ruyan's stock soared with a 35% increase when it was announced that they had begun negotiations for work with an independent third party. Days later, that third party was confirmed to be Philip Morris. Although only speculation, the general theory on the negotiations is that Philip Morris is attemtping either a total buyout or an exclusive partnership for their own E-cig. Either way, Philip Morris will have international ties and the world will learn the truth very soon, as Ruyan's public trading was suspended on November 2nd, 2009 due to the pending announcement of a "price sensitive matter."

Whether you want to chew, spit, smoke, suck, or inhale, Philip Morris will soon be able to market to both indoor and outdoor tobacco users. We took the convenience away and they gave it right back. Agents of social change, it's our move.

Read more about the Philip Morris' dealings with the E-Cigarette here.

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