New website helps consumers make informed buying decisions with unbiased reviews of the
best (and worst) electronic cigarette brands. eCigs HQ advocates the adoption of e-cigarettes
as an effective nicotine replacement therapy for adult tobacco users.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LOS ANGELES, CA – July 31, 2012 – eCigs HQ (http://www.ecigshq.com) , a new user-centric website featuring unbiased reviews, industry news, coupon codes, special offers and exclusive discounts, has launched to the approval of e-cigarette enthusiasts from all over the world.
In order to provide site visitors with the greatest possible insight, each review includes a ranking analysis table in which brands are graded on a five-star scale for thirteen crucial factors. These scores are averaged and rounded to the nearest half star to produce a total score encompassing the e-cigarette’s taste, vapor volume, throat hit, quality, design, ease-of-use, shipping charges, guarantee, warranty, coupon code, price, value, and purchase satisfaction. Currently only three of the twenty brands reviewed to date have been awarded perfect five-star rankings (all via rounding) — these are SmokeTip, Green Smoke, and Apollo. Conversely, the lowest ranking to date was received by Smoke Fifty-One which managed only two stars.
Additionally, eCigs HQ invites visitors to comment on the reviews as well as submit their own critiques and ratings, which are averaged to produce a five-star scale “Users’ Score” that may be utilized by consumers to further inform their purchase decisions.
They import substandard
e-cigarettes made from who knows what; that taste like you know what; and somehow expect positive reviews…”Laura Conzo Brady
e-Cigs HQ Editor
Despite pressure from brands for which they are approved to act as affiliates, eCigs HQ’s reviews eschew marketing hype and provide consumers with brutally-honest evaluations of the brands tested. A number of the negative reviews have elicited complaints from the poorly-rated brands, and more than one company has asked what could be done to improve their ranking. “Produce a better product.” is eCigs HQ’s boilerplate response.
“Surprisingly enough, it is the lesser-quality brands that often prove to be the most arrogant. They import substandard e-cigarettes made from who knows what; that taste like you know what; and somehow expect positive reviews,” said eCigs HQ Editor, Laura Conzo Brady. She continued, “The FDA has found trace elements of toxins in in a number of these lesser-quality brands, resulting in an entire industry being tarnished by the business practices of a few miscreants out for a fast buck.”
The negative publicity generated by the FDA report has given rise to numerous largely negative media reports parroting the misconception that all e-cigarettes contain toxins including anti-freeze. While this public relations nightmare has led to certain positive industry developments, including higher-quality brands publishing third-party analyses of their flavor cartridge ingredients, to a great extent the damage has been done. Further, the FDA report has deterred numerous medical professionals from endorsing electronic cigarettes as a healthier alternative to tobacco.
“While we cannot vouch for the ingredients contained in the e-cigarettes we review, we take great pains to endorse only high quality products that we would use ourselves. With the potential to save so many lives, we believe that e-cigarettes are deserving of additional research and development efforts leading to widespread adoption among current tobacco users,” said eCigs HQ Editor, Anne Metzger.
“However, rather than embrace and enhance the technology, big pharma has chosen to form an unlikely alliance with big tobacco; and both have actively lobbied against e-cigarettes,” added Ms. Metzger. She continued, “This, despite the fact that thousands of lives lost annually to tobacco could be saved by their universal acceptance as a replacement for traditional cigarettes.”
Despite the negative publicity, electronic cigarettes have continued to increase in popularity. Recent studies performed in Great Britain have demonstrated their relative safety when compared to tobacco, and a report from a UK government advisory unit favored their adoption. However, these reports have largely been ignored by U.S. media outlets. Likely realizing that they were losing the war against e-cigarettes, in April of this year, tobacco giant Lorillard purchased Blu Cigs, a popular electronic cigarette manufacturer that utilizes smoke juice manufactured in the U.S. by Johnson Creek Enterprises. Additionally, tobacco giants Philip Morris and Reynolds are presently developing their own electronic cigarettes.
“We welcome these recent events and believe they will ultimately lead to even safer e-cigarettes that will be endorsed by medical professionals and accepted by the general public as a healthier smoking alternative,” added Ms. Brady.
While the American Association of Public Health Physicians (AAPHP) has endorsed electronic cigarettes, the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, the American Heart Association, and numerous medical professionals have advocated against widespread adoption. Some have even begun to question the safety of Nicotine.
“We find it disconcerting that doctors the world over have advocated Nicotine replacement therapies such as the patch, gums, lozenges, and inhalers when marketed by big pharma, but they somehow question Nicotine’s safety when used in e-cigarettes.” said Ms. Metzger. She continued, “We also find it problematic that the FDA has not moved more quickly to produce test results and advisories concerning high-quality brands like Green Smoke, The Safe Cig, and Blu Cigs.” She concluded, “Perhaps they will continue testing until they find another brand with toxins, as it would appear that they are loathe to endorse a safe e-cigarette.”
The official position of eCigs HQ is to support testing and regulation that ensure consumer safety without impeding the availability of high-quality electronic cigarettes to adults.
About eCigs HQ
Founded in the spring of 2012 by three reformed smokers, eCigs HQ is dedicated to providing real and unbiased reviews of the best and worst electronic cigarettes on the market today. The special offers, coupon codes, videos, news, rankings and reviews presented are all geared towards a single goal — providing consumers with the information they need to make informed e-cigarette buying decisions, while enjoying the greatest possible savings on their purchases. For additional information please visit http://www.ecigshq.com.
Additional Resources:
FDA Evaluation of E-cigarettes
Transcript for FDA’s Media Briefing on Electronic Cigarettes
AAPHP Statement re State Regulation of E-cigarettes
