Sales of high-nicotine concentration products have increased year after year, according to a recent research article by the Truth Initiative®, a US non-profit public health organization. Sales of electronic cigarettes with high nicotine content (5% or higher) have grown significantly over the past five years, increasing from 5% of total sales in 2017 to 81% in 2022, representing nearly a 15-fold increase.
The market share of pod vapes with a nicotine content of over 5% has increased from 8% to 74%. In the last two years, there has been a rapid growth in disposable e-cigarettes. In 2017, there were no disposable products with a nicotine content of over 5%. However, by 2022, over 90% of e-cigarettes sold in the US will have a nicotine content of over 5%.
Regardless of device type and flavor preference, the highest nicotine-containing products make up the majority of e-cigarette sales. For example, 96% of other flavors, 87% of mint flavors, 79% of menthol flavors, and 61% of tobacco flavors of e-cigarettes have a nicotine concentration of 5% or higher.
On the other hand, products with nicotine intensity lower than 1%, including zero nicotine products, make up less than 0.1% of sales revenue.
The higher the nicotine content, the lower the price - the increase in market share and sales of high nicotine electronic cigarettes corresponds with a decrease in price.
By 2022, products with high nicotine content may either maintain their prices or experience a decrease in price, while products with lower nicotine content will become more expensive. Between 2017 and 2022, products with a nicotine strength of 1-2% saw a price increase from $10.40 to $29.20, while those in the 4-5% range experienced a price drop from $20 to $12.80.
As the electronic cigarette industry continues to flourish, with a never-ending variety of flavors and device types, the nicotine concentration of e-liquids has also risen. Juul may be the main driver of this trend.
According to data from the Truth Initiative®, the average nicotine concentration in electronic cigarette products increased from 2.10% to 4.34% between 2013 and 2018, a growth of over 100%.
In 2015, Juul emerged as a major player in the American electronic cigarette market with its 5% nicotine pods. This prompted Juul's competitors to start offering products with nicotine concentrations of up to 7%. The Truth Initiative® refers to this period in history as the "nicotine arms race".
2FIRSTS will continue to monitor this issue. Stay tuned for updates.
Reference: High-nicotine e-cigarettes are currently the most popular in the market, and their sales have seen a 15-fold increase over the course of five years.
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