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How Much Nicotine is in Your Electronic Cigarette Flavored Liquid?
Mignonne C Guy1, Pallav Pokhrel1, Thaddeus A Herzog1
1Mignonne Guy, Assistant Professor, Department of African American Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA. Pallav Pokhrel, Associate Professor, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI. Thaddeus A. Herzog, Associate Professor, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI. Kevin D. Cassel, Assistant Professor, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI. Kari-lyn K. Sakuma, Assistant Professor, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Department of Health Promotion and Behavior, Oregon State University, Waldo Corvallis, OR. Dennis R. Trinidad, Associate Professor, Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA. Sherilyn Palafox, Research Assistant, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI. Matthew S. Halquist, Laboratory Director and Research Assistant Professor, Bioanalytical Lab, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA. Thomas Eissenberg, Professor, Department of Psychology, Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA. Susan Bodnar-Deren, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 827 West Franklin Street, Richmond, VA. Pebbles Fagan, Professor and Director Center for the Study of Tobacco, Department Health Behavior and Health Education, Fay Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR.
Electronic cigarette liquid labels often misrepresent nicotine content, with many products showing higher actual nicotine levels than stated. Inaccurate nicotine marketing on e-cigarette labels requires further investigation for public safety.
Area of Science:
- Tobacco Control
- Consumer Product Safety
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are a growing market with diverse product offerings.
- Accurate labeling of e-cigarette contents, particularly nicotine, is crucial for consumer safety and regulatory oversight.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the accuracy of nicotine concentration labeling on flavored e-cigarette liquids.
- To analyze how nicotine content and related warnings are marketed on e-cigarette product labels.
Main Methods:
- Purchased top-selling flavored e-cigarette liquids from vape shops in two major US cities.
- Analyzed nicotine concentrations using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry.
- Examined descriptive information and warning statements on product bottles (N=40).
Main Results:
- Significant discordance between labeled and measured nicotine concentrations was observed in all nicotine-based samples.
- 27% of samples had higher measured nicotine levels than labeled.
- Inaccurate nicotine warnings and misleading descriptors (e.g., 'low,' 'high') were prevalent on product labels.
Conclusions:
- E-cigarette manufacturers frequently provide inaccurate nicotine information on product labels.
- The study highlights the need for robust quality control standards for e-cigarette liquids.
- Further research is necessary to address public health risks associated with inaccurate nicotine labeling.
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