Select convenience store customers are choosing to opt out of nicotine — which is all the reason retailers need to begin stocking nicotine-free options.

As the Food and Drug Administration looks to evaluate maximum nicotine levels in cigarettes, nicotine-free smokes offer an appealing alternative that flies under the regulatory radar, and it might be appealing to those that are trying to quit their nicotine habit but still enjoy smoking. And herbal snuff and pouches can provide the experience and mouthfeel smokeless customers enjoy with none of the nicotine. Again, those looking to cut back or quit or who are interested in being more health conscious might gravitate toward these products.

Nicotine-free options make particular sense for those who vape and for those who sell to those who vape. Here are some reasons why they make sense — and might prove to be a popular item — for convenience store retailers:

• The simplest and most obvious benefit of carrying zero-nicotine e-juice is variety. It is one more choice that consumers have at their fingertips.
• Many individuals come to vaping as a method for cutting back on or eliminating nicotine, and so for them nicotine-free products spell success; they have arrived at their goal. And yet they can still enjoy the physical acts of bringing hand to mouth and puffing.
• Nicotine-free e-liquid is nearly always made with food-grade ingredients, which means that anxious users need not fear toxicity.
• Another worry that some vapers have expressed is that nicotine vaping could be addictive. Obviously, once nicotine is removed from the equation, that trepidation goes away with it.
• Vaping without nicotine also makes it impossible to suffer the effects of smoking too much — that sensation of feeling queasy, buzzed or lethargic — which beginning vapers say they sometimes experience.
• Those who vape in place of continuous snacking — as a type of weight-loss strategy — can continue to do so without having to ingest any nicotine. Many swear that sweet-flavored e-liquids can actually take the place in their lives of eating sugary treats.
• Another benefit that consumers enjoy is price. The product is usually less expensive than its nicotine-filled counterpart. Many who enjoy vaping will take the opportunity to inexpensively extend their experience by combining both varieties, often approximating a buy-one-get-one promotional offer.
• Many insist that nicotine-free vape juices are smoother and prevent the burning sensation at the throat.