CAPNOS, a company dedicated to helping people quit vaping, has begun to release products. Their aim is to focus on the behavioral addiction of vaping, opposed to the physical. 

Jake Roach, a senior at Michigan State studying finance, is the co-founder of the company CAPNOS zero. 

“The founder, Brenden Wang, started the company our sophomore year. This was a time where a lot of the Vitamin-E acetate stuff was coming out with contaminated ingredients in vaping products. There were a lot of people dying – people had lung injuries, people’s lungs were collapsing. And it’s still happening right now,” Roach says.

The CAPNOS product contains zero nicotine. Inside, there is a base and a cap. Roach says when the base and the cap are put together and the user attempts to smoke a valve will pop open.. It stimulates the feeling of hitting a vape, but there’s no smoke or nicotine being released  and there is no battery. The product is recyclable and is built to last 3-4 weeks. The product is $19.99 and two replacement caps sell for $9.99.

Roach says the products will be stocked in East Lansing’s 7-Eleven, Jonna’s convenience store on Michigan Avenue and online. 

“Before starting the company we did a lot of research,” said Roach “We actually surveyed over one thousand vaping users and discovered 85% of people aged 18-35 are trying to quit vaping. That’s a pretty large statistic.” 

Two thirds of people trying to quit vaping are addicted because of the behavioral addiction and oral fixations.

“There’s not a lot being done about it, disposable vapes are still able to be sold all around the country in convenient stores and liquor stores. Nothing was really being done to target the behavioral addiction side. We felt there was a big need in the market to help people” Roach said.

Currently, a lot of products on the market are for physiological addictions for the nicotine itself such as nicotine gum and patches.

“But there’s nothing that addresses that behavioral addiction that a lot of people have to the oral fixation or hand and mouth gestures of vaping. Our product is the CAPNOS serum,” Roach said, “There is cotton in the tips infused with essential oils….that’s how you get the vaping experience without all the negative consequences that come with vaping or smoking.” 

CAPNOS sold out the first 400 units of product online along with selling at Jonna’s. The company has been collecting feedback from users. They plan to begin selling on Amazon and in 7-Eleven in December. Roach says the company has a blog with helpful resources to quit vaping.

Roach said that the long term goal would be to help a quarter of the people who vape. “It’s a bold goal but over the two to five years we would love to get our product in one and every four vape users’ hands who are trying to quit. And if not help them quit, reduce the usage.” 

CAPNOS encourages people to give this product a try. Some people may be more addicted to the nicotine itself opposed to the oral fixation side of it.

 “It’s a problem that is affecting people all around us, our community and across the United States. This is something that will truly help those types of people” said Roach.