VapeTime

The addictive qualities of nicotine are by now just as well documented as the potential harms to a person's health. Most smokers and vapers can easily acknowledge that their use of such products is harmful and that they probably should quit. Many struggle in this effort and may try to quit or reduce their nicotine habit multiple times and eventually just give up altogether because of the addictive qualities and social aspects of smoking and vaping. For some it is a method of coping with stress.

I looked at five competing apps with the goal of quitting either cigarettes or vaping. No apps were found that covered both. Many of them tracked usage in the context of nicotine intake and money spent over time. One was just a simple chatbot that would remind users of the health risks of cigarette smoking. No competitors incorporated a timer to challenge users to defer nicotine gratification.

After the competitive analysis was completed, I began research with a survey of smokers and vapers who had either successfully quit the habit or attempted to quit at least once prior if not more. Results revealed that most participants:

• were not discouraged by health warnings on the packaging or elsewhere,

• desired a way to connect with friends for support during their journey, and

• many users who successfully quit still occasionally smoke or vape (meaning that a level of forgiveness would be key — "you only fail when you stop trying").

All smokers and vapers who had successfully quit long term had one thing in common: a strong and affirmative decision to quit smoking that they stuck to. Research showed that users who tried to quit but weren't fully committed, perhaps unsurprisingly, were not successful in quitting long term.

An unexpected discovery was that a majority of participants had strong concerns about data privacy, as nicotine use relates directly to personal medical data which many participants didn't want to have their habit disclosed in any measure.