For many decades, smoking has been a big problem across all generations. The biggest problem has been the consistent targeting of children in marketing and advertising. For years, Big Tobacco was said to have the internal theory that if you get a young person hooked, you have a customer for life. With the introduction of vaping, the problem seemed t get worse, as kids as young as 11 are often said to be regularly using the devices, albeit illegally. However, one company is working to reduce the connection to nicotine and help people quit - CAPNOS.
CAPNOS is a company that makes a non-electronic product intended to help people reduce and eliminate their dependency on smoking and vaping. The product relies on the theory that many people continue to smoke or vape, not entirely because of an addition to nicotine or marijuana, but because of an addition to the action itself.
This is a well-known theory that has had numerous studies to support it over the years. The idea is that people develop a habit, in addition to their addiction, which is difficult to break. The habit, in this case, is that of bringing something to their lips and inhaling from the item in order to relax or feel comfortable. This built habit can be an additional obstacle for those looking to quit, as it requires kicking both a habit and an addiction at the same time.
The CAPNOS Zero and CAPNOS E-Z are non-electronic inhalers that are designed to help people by allowing them to maintain the habit while working to kick their addiction to nicotine or marijuana. The difference between them is the difference in how people use them - the ZERO is for people who inhale deeply and the E-Z is for people who usually hold the smoke in their mouths.
Both devices work by releasing pressurized air when brought to the mouth and inhaled from. As it is non-electronic, it requires no charge, making it always available when it is needed. The device also takes a small cartridge that allows the device to release not just pressurized air, but flavored air. Part of what makes the habit strong is that there is a flavor involved. It's similar to why people struggle to switch from soda to water -there's a lack of flavor. By including flavor into the equation, it helps people feel like they are getting the same experience as they got with a cigarette or vape.
Clearly, but most importantly, this device has no smoke and no nicotine or CBD. It is entirely based on addressing the oral fixation habit and not on feeding or supporting the physical addiction to a substance.
The CAPNOS Zero and CAPNOS E-Z are both available for purchase now for $25. Flavor packs (known as cap packs) can also be purchased for $14. To learn more about the company and its products, head over to their website.
Interview by Don Baine, The Gadget Professor.
Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.