An easy way for smokers to try e-cigarettes? Or a slippery slope towards heavy-handed regulation as vejping increases among minors?
"The point is actually to get cigarettes off the market," says Fritte Vanecek, who runs the Ecig chain.
Disposable models, disposables, vape bars - simply smaller e-cigarettes with high nicotine content that are thrown away when the e-liquid or battery runs out. Right from the start, they raised concerns and debate. And there will be more. Vejpkollen has met with Fryer Vanecek, the entrepreneur who launched the first disposable models in Sweden two years ago. Today, he and Eciggboaget
Started at a gas station
2020 started Circle K gasoline chain sell e-cigarettes in their stores. It was the first major venture into e-cigarettes, at least from a company outside the established vejp industry. But it certainly wasn't a given a few years ago," says Fritte Vanecek.
"It was an untested product. I convinced the owner of a local gas station in Stockholm to test-sell N-one. I knew the staff and could help them understand the product and explain it to customers. We ran for six months on a trial basis. Then we expanded to a few more gas stations. It turned out that they worked really well to sell, and that was seen centrally too. That was the way it went."
The market is exploding
The rest, as they say, is history. And although N-one was the first in Sweden, today everything from small Swedish companies to large Chinese companies have since entered the disposable cigarette market. The market is flooding over different models, with everyone from well-known juice makers to established ecigarette manufacturers putting their name on the colorful packs. Disposable vapes are now available in almost every convenience store.
Slipped in by mistake
Fryer Vanecek slipped into the e-cigarette business many years ago. He was working in a different industry - far from vapor, nicotine and controversy - when one of the employees came to work with a vejp and blew clouds on the coffee breaks.
"I didn't smoke myself, and I thought e-cigarettes were ridiculous. Then I started to understand what it was all about. The guy had quit smoking. Completely. From being a heavy smoker. It was an awakening," he says.
"Need to reach out to a wider mass"
Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, he saw a business opportunity. He now runs his second vejp company, with distribution and shops across the country. And even though vejpshoppes (shops that focus on e-cigarettes) are somewhat sacred to him, he wants to Fryer Vanecek taking vejping one step further
"The point of vejpning and e-cigarettes is to get cigarettes off the market. Then e-cigarettes can't just be in vejp shops. And if they are not in the same shops that sell tobacco side by side with the cigarette packs, it will not work. Then only a select few will succeed. We need to reach out to a wider mass." says Fryer Vanecek
Quickly saw the opportunities
When he first saw the model that came to be known as N-one, he was a little taken aback, he says.
"Vaping is a bit too complicated for many smokers. Batteries, coils, liquid and mess. There are too many steps for some people. With a disposable model, you just pull off a plastic strip and start using it. Easier than pen models, easier than refillable pod systems." says Frying Vaneck
Wanted to reach out to the masses
And so the idea of launching N-one was born. But not just in vejpshoppes, which were his regular customers. He wanted to reach out further, on a larger scale.
"I couldn't help but think about the possibilities, even though many in the industry didn't see the point. I came from a world where it was all about big clouds and cool mechanical mods. Not too many people found their way out of cigars with those products, but it was enough to make money. This model was so ridiculously simple in comparison and requires a different mindset" says Fritte Vanecek.
Not like traditional e-cigarettes
He has been distributing N-one for almost three years. It has been available for a long time in most dedicated vejp shops. But it was only when Circle K took an interest, in the fall of 2020, that it really took off, he says.
"We have also entered other places. But now there is competition. Now it's about keeping up and making sure we can cover demand. Because this has become big," he says.
Disposable guns spark debate
But with the proliferation of disposables comes criticism, not least from vejpers who were early adopters of e-cigarettes and have seen the benefits of the technology requiring a little thought and knowledge. The disposable model - a wear-and-tear product - stands in stark contrast to traditional e-cigarettes, where durability and replaceable parts have long been standard.
"It is obvious that this is new and a bit controversial even for vejpers. Within the vejp world there are some who do not like the idea. But there are just as many who think it's brilliant to have a simple vejp to put in your pocket at the party. Naturally, there will be some heated discussions on our forums." says Fryer Vanecek.
Concerns about increased use among young people
At the same time, a broader roll-out and wider distribution of e-cigarettes raises concerns about attracting the 'wrong' target audience: youth.
A recent example is controversial Juul In 2017, the company launched simple, pre-filled e-cigarettes, with very high nicotine content (50 mg/ml). The key was a modified form of nicotine - nicotine salt. By lowering the pH of the nicotine, it reduced the throat "tearing" that many people experience with high nicotine strengths. Despite its low potency, JUUL and its successors deliver nicotine that matches the effect of an analog cigarette.
Juul attracted many smokers, but - through its simplicity - also a lot of young people. And underage users quickly became the pawns in a heated debate that led to everything from local and national taste bans to even stricter legislation.
Prohibitions and restrictions
But the trend also spread beyond the US. In recent years, many countries have taken an increasingly tough line on e-cigarettes. India banned the products completely in 2020. Denmark banned in principle all flavorings in 2021 and disposable models are in practice banned in the country. In Sweden, the vote was Parliament recently voted down a similar proposal for a taste ban, a ban that the government pushed with the support of both the public health authority and several lobby organizations. The arguments were the same as in the US - e-cigs attract young people and must be restricted at all costs.
A smoke-free generation?
The popularity of JUUL and the subsequent disposable models have led to a slippery slope for vejpning worldwide, critics say. And although European rules limit the nicotine content of e-cigarettes, the issue of liability hangs over the e-cigarette industry like a thick vapor. At the same time, some commentators see disposable models as the key to the smoke-free society.
"We cannot turn back time"
What is your view on the risk that disposable products and simple pod systems will attract more minors to try vejpning?
"Sure, there is always a risk of that. But young people are always testing things. The question is, is it worse or more harmful than them trying cigarettes? I don't think we can go back in time and skip the simpler pod systems. They have actually won over many smokers with their simplicity - precisely because they work so well today." says Fritte Vanecek.
"The goal is to get rid of cigarettes"
He also believes that there will be continued advocacy against e-cigarettes, regardless of what products are on the market. "The important thing is that e-cigarettes become something that everyone knows about," he says. Fryer Vanecek.
"I want everyone to know what an e-cig is. I want everyone to know that it's not something that kills you or explodes in your hand, which many people actually believe. And it should be easy for smokers to try an alternative that will make them give up cigarettes. The ultimate goal is to get analog cigarettes off the market." says Fryer Vanecek.
What do you think about disposable models? Comment below or get in touch with the editors!
Disposable models are very convenient, simple and discreet. For those who smoke cigarettes and want to switch to vejpa, it is a simple and easy way. Of course, you should be able to buy them wherever cigarettes are sold. If you vape more regularly, it is of course better to buy a reusable pod or small tank. For party smokers, however, there are better alternatives. Of course, traders shouldn't sell to minors, but the same applies to snus, beer and lottery tickets. But for some reason, there is more moral panic around these disposable cigarettes. But then the anti-tobacco and nicotine lobbies are also exceptionally fanatical and unreasonable. I can also recommend Michael J McFadden's texts where he, among other things, analyzes why some anti-smokers just continue and are now anti-vejpare and anti-nicotine in general.
The disposable cigarette is here to stay.
However, it will not just be a new product on the shelves of the vejpshop, but will turn the whole market upside down.
One-offs are a clear sign that the market is maturing and the industry will go through major structural changes to remain relevant.