Vapes: The New Face of Addiction Economy

Addiction Economy thought for Today - Vapes are the quintessential addiction economy product. They were first invented by Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik to help smokers quit, but it wasn't long until business found a way to create a new market niche for the world's most addictive legal substance, Nicotine.

Chinese entrepreneur Zhang Shengwei, decided on another strategy - he would make them more like funky little tech products and market them not as boring smoking cessation aids, but as a new fun recreational way of getting a nicotine hit with bright colours, catchy names, sweet flavours and promotions focused on the young. (Hooking children is a classic tactic).

Here below my colleague Joe Woof shares on Allen Carr EasyWay podcast how he saw the market explode at University and soon became hooked. This lead directly to our creation of the Addiction Economy project. He decided to make his subsequent Science Communication Master's thesis about how the market was created - called The Vaping Dilemma, also here

https://lnkd.in/ewPJnQug

Thanks John C. Dicey, FRSA for your kind support of our work. We are unashamed champions of the brilliant approach of Allen Carr's EasyWay, invented NOT by the British comedian with a similar name, but an unassuming guy from Raynes Park in South London! The approach he developed has helped millions stop smoking through the 50+ million books and one-day seminars which are now free on the NHS.

We particularly like their approach to unaddiction because they are one of the few (only?) organisations also taking on vapes, alcohol, unhealthy food, gambling and phone addiction as well has illegal drugs. It understands the psychological and commercial drivers which lead to our being unable to moderate our use of these products and produces remarkable results. Worth a look at them, the NHS or other approaches for those with new resolutions at this time of year. Here's their website:

https://lnkd.in/ewPJnQug

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/hilary-sutcliffe-01235220_addictioneconomy-activity-7280873653385224196-nwQc?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAABvwHi8BrzHpVpsjlCK5eMOzes1OZlCPKgE