In Ireland and the world over the popularity of e cigarettes is on the rise, with more and more tobacco smokers making the switch to these cleaner, safer, better-smelling alternatives. Of course, with people flocking to buy electronic cigarettes, the sales of tobacco cigarettes have taken a knock, causing an interesting ripple effect in what is one of the world's most lucrative industries.
 
E Cigarettes by Numbers
In Ireland alone, tobacco sales have slid over the last few years. In contrast, over the 2013-2014 period sales of e cigarettes increased by a whopping 478%, generating revenue of more than 7.3million euros. With figures such as these, you cannot ignore the popularity of these devices and the fact that so many smokers are now choosing to buy electronic cigarettes rather than tobacco.
 
In 2013, tobacco sales across Europe fell by 6%, which is a huge number when compared to recent years' statistics that seem only to have been affected by economic conditions. Nielsen's Total Scantrack data revealed that Irish tobacco sales brought in 1.2 billion euros in 2013, which may sound like a huge sum but it is a drop of 1.2% when compared to 2012's figures. Sales of cigarettes have fallen by 4%, and they look set to continue their decline as more and more smokers move over to vaping. 
 
Online Sales Contribute to Increased Interest
Many people have chosen to buy electronic cigarettes online, which has created a new community of buyers and made vaping easier, more accessible and cost-effective. For many it's the savings that these electronic devices offer that make them so attractive, combined with the fact that they offer an alternative to tar- and chemical -filled tobacco cigarettes.
 
Tobacco companies have recognised the impact that e cigs have on their sales, and some brands have resorted to creating their own e cigarettes in an effort to move with the times and keep up with the demand for a product that's taken the world by storm. With limited regulations governing e cigarettes, the marketing of these devices has also been intense, and these nicotine alternatives have been advertised extensively in print media and across the web. 
 
With e cigarette use on the rise, we can expect to see a further dip in tobacco sales in the future. These electronic devices certainly seem to be threatening one of the biggest and oldest industries in the world, where even a small dip in sales can mean a loss of millions.