The E-Cigarette Timeline

The history of electronic cigarettes. The Way From Idea to Popularity.

A modern electronic cigarette, as we know it, was created and started to be manufactured in 2003 in China.

But this is not the beginning of the story.

The first mention of an attempt to create an electronic cigarette refers to a patent registered in the United States in the 1930s by Joseph Robinson. Still, there is no specific evidence that this technology existed.

The first attempts to create an electronic cigarette were made in the United States by Herbert A. Gilbert. But his invention did not gain popularity. Most likely, the inventor just ahead of his time.

In 1979-80, Phil Ray, in collaboration with his doctor Norman Jacobson, worked on the creation of an electronic cigarette. As a result, this led to the first scientific work on the potential delivery of nicotine. Attempts did not stop, and in 1990-2000 tests were conducted during which a new "heat-not-burn" technology was developed, which used today.

So, we are approaching 2003, when the first one was released, and what is very important !! successfully established in society an attempt to create an electronic cigarette. It happened in China, and its inventor was a 52-year-old pharmacist and part-time smoker, Hong Lik. At that time, he worked at Golden Dragon Holdings, where he developed his new product, which he named Ruyan, which means "like smoke".

After passing the tests and obtaining certificates in medical services in China, in May 2004, the invention went on sale. In the same year, a new series of electronic cigarettes released, "e-pipe" in shape they were similar to smoking pipes.

The electronic cigarette, which looked more like a real cigarette, was called the "V8", went into mass production only in 2007.

At the end of 2007, the RUYAN e-Gar series imitating cigars launched.

Since 2008, electronic cigarettes have been gaining "popularity" in the world. If I may say so, as with many new inventions, it has been criticised and prohibited by the law.

At first, the buyer was sceptical of the new product, for a very long time there has been a series of lawsuits and bans on the sale of electronic cigarettes in countries around the world. The sale, advertising and storage have been prohibited at the legislative level. However, there was still interest.

It took time and new research before May 2009. The United States Smoking and Health Act(ASH-US) filed a petition with the FDA calling for FDA regulation of electronic cigarettes.

The ECA Electronic Cigarette Association established, a trade association consisting of manufacturers, distributors and sellers of electronic cigarettes. Their plans included setting industry standards.

In autumn 2009, the Association of Consumer Rights Advocates for a Smokeless Alternative(CASAA) became active. The organisation included consumers and sellers. Their goal was to increase public awareness of alternatives to smoking (namely, the method that can deliver nicotine into the body, without the harmful components of tobacco and the combustion process.

The first generation of electronic cigarettes available in the United States had been criticised as strange, unsatisfactory, and overpriced. As a result, a cult group of "vapers," former smokers who make their electronic cigarettes, appears. The electronic cigarette is gaining fans!

In autumn 2011, the results of the first clinical trial of electronic cigarettes appeared, which are reported by BMC Public Health magazine. Electronic cigarettes can be useful for smoking cessation. They can also be an alternative for smokers who do not want to give up smoking.

The following steps to legitimise the vape industry in the world TVECA's United Tobacco Vapor Group Inc. won a lawsuit challenging a Dutch Ministry of health ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes. The Smokeless Alternatives Trade Association (SFATA), a trade association representing a wide range of the vapour product industry, has been established.

In the fall of 2012, the American Electronic Liquid Manufacturing Standards Association(AEMSA), specifically created to regulate the electronic liquid manufacturing standards of its members used in electronic cigarettes, announced its launch.

Smokeless Alternatives Trade Association (SFATA) debuts at NACS 2012.

In autumn 2013, the European Union issued a press release rejecting the wholesale ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes. There has also been a lifting of the ban on vaping in public places in Italy. In the winter of 2016, the Steam Technology Association (VTA), the national trade association, announces its launch.

Aspire, Kangertech, Innokin, and SMOK co-founded SEVIA USA, an association of Chinese e-cigarette manufacturers, to raise resources to tackle the "unfair FDA rules." The electronic cigarette has come to a long and thorny path to its popularity. The demand from a vast number of people has determined their choice in vaping e-cigarettes.

Given the forecasts of the analytical company Euromonitor, in 2018 there were about 40 million vapers in the world, and by 2021 that number will increase to 55 million people.

 The vape industry is prevalent almost all over the world. The most significant number of electronic devices for vaping sold in the United States, Japanese and British manufacturers are competing with American companies. Among the countries with the largest sales of electronic cigarettes are also Sweden, Italy, Norway and Germany. According to Research and Markets, the list of key companies in the vape industry looks like this:

• Altria Group Inc 
• British American Tobacco
• Imperial Brands
• International Vapor Group
• Japan Tobacco International
• Shenzhen IVPS Technology Co. Ltd
• Shenzhen KangerTech Technology Co. Ltd
• NicQuid
• Philip Morris International Inc 
• R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company

 At the moment, we all know about the wide variety of vape devices from simple to bright neon colours and embedded with diamonds and gold. Any vaper will appreciate an array of vape liquids.

The path of the electronic cigarette was long and not smooth, but vaping is here to stay.

We look forward to seeing what else the vaping industry will surprise us with in the future!