by H.S. Ayoub
BioHealth Investor.com
During the November elections three states, Ohio, Arizona and Nevada, passed tight smoking bans. Arizona’s anti-smoking laws will be enforced in May, Ohio is proceeding through the final legal drafts, while Nevada has been challenged in the courts after the state exempted Casinos from the recent regulations (no surprise there!). The three states have now joined 12 other states in banning smoking in all restaurants and bars.
The recent tightening of anti-smoking regulations has given momentum to a brand new industry. Large Pharmaceuticals and smaller firms alike have jumped on this health conscious trend. The National Bureau of Economic Research Inc. suggested in a report issued last year that companies selling smoking cessation products saw total annual sales almost reach the $1 billion mark, with total advertising spending exceeding $100 million.
While GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, a division of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), has been selling its popular Nicorette gum and NicoDerm CQ patch for many years, sales have especially surged lately in states where tighter anti-smoking regulations have passed into law. GSK has also seen a surge in sales of Zyban, the prescription drug of choice for smokers looking to kick the habit.
Laser Innovations, a provider of laser systems, has been receiving more interest lately according to company president Ray Tucke. The company utilizes laser beams on various parts of the body to help smokers quit. It seems that this company is betting big on both the anti-smoking and medical laser health trends
No one could better gauge this recent trend than QuitSmoking.com, a company dedicated to selling all kinds of smoking cessation products, including “No Smoking” signs, nicotine reduction filters, and artificial cigarettes. The company’s president declared that sales of the above mentioned products have increased tremendously during the previous year.
The trend is surely to increase, as MarketResearch.com estimates that products designed to aid smokers in quitting will grow to $809 million in the U.S. alone.
It is not clear if that estimate includes the recent surge in hypnotherapy sessions designed to help smokers quit.
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