Turbulence or bubble? Various counters in Huaqiangbei are reselling e-cigarettes | jadwal persib vs pss sleman hari ini, data keluaran sgp togelers 2023

(Original title: Electronic cigarette, vent or foam?)

Replaced with colorful casings and cartridges with changing flavors, e-cigarettes, which have been on the market for many years, have suddenly become so popular this year that they have become a highly sought-after venture capital field. In addition to the Fulu e-cigarette promoted by Luo Yonghao at the press conference, nearly 10 emerging e-cigarette brands appeared from the end of 2018 to the beginning of 2019. In the Huaqiangbei Electronics Market in Shenzhen, billboards selling e-cigarettes have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain. However, in the face of the increasingly strict tobacco control network, there are still great uncertainties in whether entrepreneurs can swallow "this puff of cigarettes".

E-cigarettes suddenly become internet celebrities

Blueberry, pineapple, peach, mung bean popsicle, lemon tea... Speaking of these, many people will think of chewing gum or ice cream, but few people can imagine that these are all new flavors launched by e-cigarettes.

It’s as compact as a USB flash drive or a pen, and you don’t need to ignite it. You can take it out of your pocket and turn on the switch to use it. In the past year, e-cigarettes, which appear as electronic products, have become a new internet celebrity in the field of venture capital.

In January this year, Luo Yonghao took advantage of the trend to promote an e-cigarette product called Fulu, launched by Zhu Xiaomu, the second person in Smartisan Technology, at the press conference of the new version of Bullet SMS "Chatbao". Immediately afterwards, "YOOZ Yuezi" launched by Cai Yuedong, founder of Uncle Tongdao, and He Chang, founder of Huang Taiji, and "Lingxi LINX", a founding team composed of five self-media people, also joined in.

During the Spring Festival of the Year of the Pig, Ms. Chen, a self-media person who has been immersed in the technology and venture capital circles for many years, was surprised to find that she, who usually does not smoke, actually received three different e-cigarette products as New Year gifts.

In Huaqiangbei, Shenzhen, counters that once sold VR glasses, OEM mobile phones and smart home products have begun to resell e-cigarettes.

The sudden explosion of e-cigarettes is fueled by capital. In 2018, more than a dozen e-cigarette companies in China received capital support, with total financing amounting to hundreds of millions of yuan. Wel Whale, YOOZ, MOTI, TRYMIX, GOIN, ​​APOC... the emerging e-cigarette brands are dizzying, creating the hottest entrepreneurial field at the end of the year and the beginning of the year.

The homogeneity behind the trend

“The iPhone of e-cigarettes”, “Satisfying cravings with stunning looks”, “Redefining smoking”… In the advertising slogans of various companies, e-cigarettes worth several hundred yuan each seem to have become an electronic toy for electronic enthusiasts to enjoy. However, behind the fancy and lively marketing language, the actual technology of e-cigarettes is not much different.

“Spend a few months to half a year to contact suppliers, stock up, and design, and you don’t need to do anything else. There is almost no hard investment. It is essentially a very ‘light’ (investment) business.” Fu Qiang, an early investor, revealed to the media that doing an e-cigarette project would be very important to the media.There is almost no threshold for requirements for original abilities such as technology.

Many industry insiders revealed that because the domestic e-cigarette supply chain has been well-developed by foreign markets with relatively mature e-cigarette development, many newly established brands are produced through OEM. After evaluating several popular e-cigarettes, some technology enthusiasts found that the several brands are almost the same in terms of switch control, e-liquid technology, etc., but they have different arrangements and combinations of cartridges, shell colors, flavors, etc.

"The product structure of e-cigarettes is not complicated. It mainly consists of three parts: rechargeable battery (cigarette rod), atomizer and e-liquid." Zhang Jinyuan, founder of the new e-cigarette brand Lingxi, said frankly that the manufacturing threshold of e-cigarettes is not high, and there is indeed a homogenization problem in the industry. "Lingxi LINX currently focuses on the brand link and belongs to the lower reaches of the industry chain. We hope that the first product designed will have brand recognition."

E-cigarettes also have multiple risks

"Lung-clearing fruit flavor", "Healthy lung-clearing steam cigarette"... If you pay a little attention, you will find that many e-cigarette companies have linked their products to health. In their mouths, smokers who suffer health risks from smoking can pursue trendy culture and have a "healthy lifestyle" through e-cigarettes.

Can e-cigarettes play the role of "replacing cigarettes" and "assisting smoking cessation" as some companies claim? The jury is still out. Worryingly, some non-smokers are becoming smokers out of curiosity about e-cigarettes. Mr. Bai, who works in a gaming company, told reporters that there are several new generations of "e-smokers" among his colleagues and partners - and they didn't touch cigarettes at all in the past.

Gu Zhongyi, director of the Beijing Nutritionists Association, reminded that although e-cigarettes do not contain harmful substances such as tar and carbon monoxide produced by ordinary tobacco combustion, they still contain toxic and addictive nicotine, which is still harmful to ordinary people, especially children and teenagers.

The reporter found in an e-cigarette Tmall store that although the bottom of the product details page said "Purchase is not allowed for those under 18 years old" in fonts with a black background, you would miss this information if you are not careful. Moreover, when the reporter tried to place an order, the store had no requirements for identity information, age, etc., and consumers could place orders at will.

Gu Zhongyi also reminded that due to the current lack of market supervision and the lack of relevant national standards, the raw materials, flavorings and processes used in e-cigarette products are relatively random, and manufacturers are likely to add some harmful substances to the human body in order to increase the novelty experience. "Even some common additives are safe for normal consumption, but inhalation into the lungs may bring potential risks. For example, propylene glycol is a very common food additive, but it can easily irritate the respiratory tract after burning, and some e-cigarette smoke may also contain heavy metals."

For entrepreneurs, the greater test comes from market uncertainty. Under the general trend of tobacco control, many places have included e-cigarettes in the scope of control. In February this year, after Hangzhou, Nanning and other cities banned the use of e-cigarettes in public places, Shenzhen included e-cigarettes in the draft of its smoking control regulations.uo;Blacklist".

Aware of multiple risks such as ethics and law, some listed technology companies are eager to draw a clear line with e-cigarettes. In mid-February this year, Xiaomi's official Weibo responded to the news that "Xiaomi's ecological chain company will enter the field of e-cigarettes," saying that "Xiaomi will not make e-cigarettes. This is purely a rumor."

[Source: Beijing Daily Author: Sun Qiru]