Vape-to-Earn Devices Pay Users in Crypto, and Scientists Warn of a New
Researchers warn that vape-to-earn devices rewarding users with crypto and gamification create a novel public health addiction trap.Summary
Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina Hollings Cancer Center warn that "vape-to-earn" smart devices—which reward users with points, cryptocurrency, and free cartridges for vaping—represent a novel public health threat. In a perspective published in the New England Journal of Medicine, they examine products like Puffpaw (nicotine) and Gudtrip (cannabis) that pair smartphone apps tracking puffs with financial incentives, fundamentally inverting evidence-based addiction treatment principles. The devices do not reward abstinence but incentivize continued use through a self-sustaining loop where points are exchanged for crypto or refill cartridges, fueling further consumption. The researchers raise particular alarm about the appeal to adolescents, financially vulnerable individuals, and those with substance use disorders. Regulation lags significantly: neither product has received FDA authorization, cannabis products lack federal oversight, and detailed behavioral data collected by these devices raises privacy concerns. The authors emphasize their concern targets the incentive architecture, not vaping technology itself, which can reduce harm compared to combustible cigarettes, and urge timely regulatory action before these products become commonplace.
(Source：Bioengineer.org)
