A systematic review of refillable e-liquid nicotine content accuracy.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Analytical Chemistry
• Pharmacology

Background:

• E-cigarette use is rising, with refillable liquids often purchased online or in stores.
• Nicotine content in these e-liquids is frequently mislabeled, posing potential risks to users.
• Accurate nicotine concentration is crucial for managing addiction and understanding product safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and analyze the accuracy of nicotine content in refillable e-liquids.
• To quantify the extent of mislabeling for nicotine concentrations in e-liquids.
• To inform healthcare professionals and consumers about potential discrepancies in e-liquid nicotine levels.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of peer-reviewed articles from major scientific databases.
• Inclusion criteria focused on studies involving chemical analysis of nicotine in purchased e-liquids.
• Data extraction included sample size, nicotine labeling, purchase source, and deviation from labeled concentration.

Main Results:

• Twenty studies comprising 574 nicotine-containing e-liquid samples were analyzed.
• A significant proportion (48.3%) of samples had nicotine concentrations deviating by over 10% from labeled amounts.
• Discrepancies were observed in both U.S. and international samples, with U.S. samples showing higher deviation rates.

Conclusions:

• Actual nicotine concentrations in e-liquids frequently differ from labeled values.
• Pharmacists should educate patients on the potential variability and risks associated with e-cigarette contents.
• Increased vigilance and accurate labeling are necessary for e-cigarette products.