A recent article in the Herald-Tribune profiled Totally Wicked’s operations in Florida. The piece also looked at who was using the products and other businesses that have entered the e-cigarette industry. Among the other businesses was a woman who owns a RYO tobacco shop that was deeply impacted by legislation and nearly went out of business. That is until the store started selling e-cigarettes.
E-cigarettes an industry on the make
Kimberly Hamilton had no choice but to embrace the e-cigarette business after an amendment buried in the federal transportation bill passed in 2012 that redefined tobacco manufacturers to include businesses that use machines to roll cigarettes.
Hamilton, who owns RYO Tasteful Tobacco at 5761 Beneva Road, in Sarasota, would struggle for the next year after losing money on roll-your-own machines that never made it to the store.
Hopefully Hamilton’s story won’t be foreshadowing of what’s to become of the e-cigarette industry. After all if something superior threatens established markets it must be stopped. The people the new products help be damned.
