Cigarette smokers are buying a third of their e-cigarettes as they age, according to a study published in the journal Tobacco Control.
And it doesn’t sound like they are doing so because they want to.
Regal E Cigarettes, an e-cigarette maker based in New Jersey, estimates that half of its e-liquid comes from people who smoke.
That means the company, which launched in 2013, is paying a higher price for the e-juice that customers vape than most other e-cig companies.
“The big difference between us and our competitors is that we actually know how to manufacture e-liquids that actually work and do not produce carcinogens,” says Rob Sargent, co-founder of Regal.
“And so, when we produce the e liquid, we know exactly what’s going into it and what’s not.”
Sargent and his co-founders are not alone in thinking e-cigs are not addictive.
A 2016 survey by the National Institutes of Health found that the most common reason people cited for trying e-sounds like someone trying to quit smoking, not because they are trying to stop, but because they like the taste.
Sarget says it’s the second-most popular reason for people to try e-smokers, after wanting to quit.
The reason?
Smokers often don’t like the nicotine, he says.
Sargon is optimistic about the future of e-mics, even though it has been a year since he and his team introduced the first one into the market.
“We’re just in the early stages of our marketing campaign, and we’re looking to build the brand and get the word out,” he says, referring to the marketing campaign that started in February of last year.
But he admits it’s been a tough road.
“A lot of the brands are starting to get traction and getting in front of consumers,” he explains.
“A lot, a lot of them are getting in the middle of a recession, and so they’re having to re-invent their products, so we’re not seeing that kind of growth.”
For the first few months of the year, Regal had a limited supply of its new product, but the company is working on ramping up production.
Sarget is optimistic, and thinks that by the time the market is ready, Regals e-smoking product will be more popular than nicotine replacement products.
Regals first e-flavor, which he calls “EZ,” is an unflavored e-Liquid, and the company says it is available for purchase in New York City and Philadelphia.
The company is also working on a second flavor, which it describes as a “high quality, flavor-rich and high-nicotine liquid.”
The company will release a limited amount of eflavors for customers in September.
Sars, a maker of e liquid and e-vaporizers, has also been getting attention from the vaping community.
A new e-tailer, EZ Vapor, launched in the U.S. last month.
Its products feature a blend of e juice and flavored e-capsules that are not flavored and are made from non-toxic ingredients like water, coconut oil and other organic ingredients.SARS also plans to launch its first e liquid in the coming months.
It has plans to have its products available for sale in New Zealand by the end of the month.
E-lighters like EZ vapor have a shelf life of about one year, so it may be several years before Sars e-light products hit shelves.
Regales e-products are currently available in the United Kingdom, France, and China, but Sargets hopes to launch Regals products in other markets by the year’s end.
He says the company’s e-marketing campaign will help its e liquid stand out from competitors.
“There are some of the best flavors in the world that don’t require an expensive e liquid to produce, and that’s what we want to offer to the e cigarette consumer,” Sargents co-author says.
“We want to be able to deliver the best flavor at the lowest price.”
