The recent explosive growth of the vaping industry and e-cigarettes is a testament to the fact that consumers simply enjoy products that mimic or enhance the experience of traditional tobacco. Most of the attention has focused on vape products, with the cool look and feel of giant vapor plumes and fun, fruity flavors attracting users who have never smoked before.
For a while, vaping was even advertised as being completely safe, which got lots of people hooked from the start. But e-cigarettes and vape products have also caught the attention of tobacco users 21 and over looking for ways to access the nicotine they love while making more health-conscious choices.
Tobaccoless chew is a more recent addition to the market, and it is just as innovative as everything that came before. Products like Black Buffalo’s tobacco alternative are catching hold as consumers get smarter about their vices.
They want to keep options open, and Black Buffalo’s tobaccoless dips are a great way to deliver pharmaceutical-grade nicotine while partaking in an enjoyable ritual—minus harmful chemicals or smoke.
The FDA has been cracking down on companies promoting their products as a healthier choice. However, those who know the consequences of cigarette smoke inhalation are still seeking options that give them the ritual and nicotine they crave, without the tobacco habit they want to kick.
And those who have taken heed to warnings of oral cancers and gum disease know that tobacco is the biggest factor in their exposure to risk.
A Gap in the Market Is Created by Shifting Culture
Currently, consumers are straddling a cultural dichotomy. On one side, we have the traditions and heritage of the past. On the other, we have the findings of science, recent health concerns, and a more modern approach to creating products that satisfy our cravings.
With the tobacco industry being worth more than $800 billion, a large portion of the American economy has been supported by Big Tobacco. Our first exports were tobacco, and entire colonies in the South were founded on the financing that came from farming it.
Most of our parents were alive when we first learned that these products may cause cancer. Not until the 1970s were we told that we should never pick up the habit.
For a while, chewing tobacco was seen as the less-risky tobacco choice because it didn’t involve smoke inhalation. Now, however, we know that the fermenting and roasting process that gives chewing tobacco its rich, pleasurable flavor and texture causes a chemical reaction in tobacco that vastly increases the concentration of carcinogens.
On a universal scale, interest in tobacco is shrinking. There are campaigns in Major League Baseball to ban chewing tobacco, and many stadiums already have done so. Most states ban smoking in public, and people are turning away from the smell and taste of traditional products.
Restrictions on advertising mean fewer people are tempted to try cigarettes, chewing tobacco is becoming less and less attractive, and younger generations are wiser and more conscientious about their health than those that came before.
The Gap Is Filled With Newer Products
The recently renewed interest in nicotine consumption has come about directly as a result of the new products on the market designed to deliver the psychological and physical effects of nicotine while decreasing exposure to carcinogens. They taste better, smell better, and most go down smoother than traditional products.
They seem smarter, healthier, and sexier, and younger people are intrigued by their appeal. The electronic format of vapes and e-cigarettes makes them even more attractive to Millennials and older Gen-Zs as they adapt to new technology; and, the fact that they are reusable makes these products more eco-friendly than cigarettes made with a non-biodegradable filter.
For the traditionalists that still appreciate the look, taste, and feel of an old-fashioned cigarette or a good pinch of dip, there are products on the market that will satisfy them, too. Some E-cigarettes are designed to taste and smell like your standard cigarette, and some are made with black pepper oil which gives the same chest feeling, too.
For those who are looking for an alternative to their favorite dip, Black Buffalo makes a dip with a tobacco alternative that is designed to look, taste, and feel like the original, delivering nicotine without the risks that come with fermenting and roasting tobacco.
More Than Just a Trend
The vape industry is still expanding at astounding rates. With a CAGR of more than 23 percent, it is projected to be worth nearly $30 billion by 2023. Despite the FDA’s efforts to put restrictions on the marketing and availability of tobacco alternative products, consumers want them and they are buying them as fast as companies can make them.
Nicotine is a pleasurable substance that some scientists believe is no more harmful than your morning coffee; so the key is finding ways of delivering it without exposing ourselves to carcinogens and lung-damaging smoke. As innovation continues, and as people recognize the dangers of smoke inhalation, smokeless options will see expanding interest. New and better flavors like the ones developed by Black Buffalo are the precursors to a boom in the industry like never before. Smokeless nicotine is more than a new trend. It is the new market for recreational nicotine consumption, and it is here to stay.
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