At the end of the day, people have very simple minds. I, too, am a simple man. If I see something attractive, portable, and aesthetic, I will succumb to purchasing it.
Aside from the actual nicotine-addicts and device consumers, there is a very large number of people, especially within Gen-Z, who do not have a habit of purchasing vapes yet feel enticed by them. Why you may ask? Simple because of how they look. Currently, you can find a multitude of vape designs, endless colors, and very creative descriptions for the flavors. Which simple man could say no to a pink-to-green gradient vape reading “Strawberry Kiwi Dream”? Definitely no one I know. More and more non-smokers are tuning into vaping and e-cigarettes in order to soothe their fear of missing out from their crowds. Whether you are at a social gathering, chill apartment setting, or rave; you will inevitably find yourself in a crowd of vape users.
We are creatures of influence and habit, and the unlimited product types make it far too easy to purchase a vape. You could be a Mighty Menthol, or a Miami Mint, or a Mango Melon Ice, or an Aloe Grape. There seems to be the perfect flavor for every person.
The marketing tactics used by vape companies are most definitely targeting the youth with all the vibrant colors and whimsical names. In order to curb your appeal, vapes are now focused on every aspect other than the actual nicotine-satisfying purpose. I find it interesting that consumerism can reflect back to the original product and alter the marketing strategy to the extent of these situations; in which vape devices now quite literally cater to college students. As stated by Truth Initiative in 2018, Vape businesses are capitalizing on their product by creating “kid-friendly” names and packaging which looks like delicious food items.
So with all that being said, if the design industry is hand-in-hand with vape production, optimizing the attractiveness of the product, how can one refrain? Even though it deeply saddens me to see the exponential increase of nicotine addiction around me, the mastermind behind creating alluring vapors should be applauded.
Everything in life is controlled by marketing (whether we see it or not), and designers are doing such a disservice by making these vapes which are clearly not marketed toward the mature, slick adult. It’s crazy the way the industry has been transformed into basically making this modern pacifier for teens, as you are talking about. I know Juul took some heat in regulation in the beginning stages of getting kids addicted, but I don’t get why we haven’t done more. Since nicotine businesses literally depend on our addictions, they will never actually help in attempts to get the population off of these harmful devices, at least not honestly. I personally feel it would be beneficial for society if all…
Its truly sad how our generation has let vaping become so normalized. Their isn't enough research or data behind the studies of vaping but many believe that it will be even more detrimental than cigarettes. On a brighter note, its good to hear that California finally banned the sales of flavored vapes as this is one step closer to addressing the vaping crisis in America.
Any company that sells nicotine products have demonstrated immaculate ways of manipulating the public throughout history. A ridiculous instance of this is the flame retardant scandal in which big tobacco used bribery to use regular furniture as a scapegoat to the ongoing house fire problem in the US when the problem was actually caused by people smoking ciggys inside. This drove an industry of "flame retardant" furniture that ended up containing deadly chemicals that people inhaled when they burned because, of course, they didn't work. I wouldn't put it past vape companies to pull some scumbag stuff like this, they should have been banned years ago. This is coming form someone who was was addicted to vaping not to long…
Although it is sad, it is very true that the people spinning the cogs of the vape business are good at what they do. I remember in elementary school walking past cigarette smokers and talking with my friends about how gross it was, but then a few years later talking about how cool Juuling was. I have always kind of wondered in the back of my mind what the long term health effects of vaping will be, but that is definitely not what comes to mind when looking at aesthetically pleasing vapes with cool flavors.