E-Cigarettes Contain Unregulated Synthetic Nicotine Products, Label Discrepancies: Researchers
Unknown levels of nicotine-mimicking chemicals in e-cigarettes raises health concerns.
By: Cara Michelle | The Epoch Times
Some e-cigarette companies are substituting nicotine with more potent, nicotine-mimicking chemicals that evade U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation, recent research shows.
Researchers at Duke and Yale University found that the amount of nicotine-mimicking chemicals, or nicotine analogs, in e-cigarette products may differ from what is on the label. Some product labels do not specify that they contain certain nicotine analogs, while some products contain fewer nicotine analogs than what is shown on the label.
This mismatch leaves consumers unaware of what they’re inhaling, raising their health risks, according to a research letter published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
These nicotine analogs differ chemically from natural nicotine. Animal studies suggest that some nicotine analogs can be more addictive and biologically harmful than standard nicotine.
Federal laws prohibit the sale of nicotine-containing vaping products to those under 21. However, new nicotine analogs are not currently regulated by the FDA, and their health effects on humans remain unstudied.
“The discrepancy [between the label and the actual product] indicates that users are not receiving what they expect from these products,” co-author Sairam V. Jabba, a senior research scientist at the Duke University School of Medicine, told The Epoch Times. This inconsistency could mislead consumers, potentially jeopardizing their health.
For consumers, “the levels being consumed are unknown,” he explained, adding that these products might also be marketed as less harmful or more innovative while circumventing FDA oversight.
Misleading Labels
The researchers evaluated a variety of e-cigarette liquids and devices purchased from an online vape store. Among these, six were e-cigarette liquids advertised as containing nicotinamide.
Nicotinamide is a water-soluble form of vitamin B3 that marketers allege targets the same brain receptors as nicotine. However, it does not behave the same as nicotine and does not actually cause a nicotinic effect.
Among the six e-cigarettes advertised to contain nicotinamide, some contained another nicotine analog despite its exclusion from the label, researchers found.
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The nicotine analog is 6-methylnicotine (6MN).
Rodent studies have shown that 6MN is significantly more successful in targeting the brain’s nicotine receptors than nicotine, requiring only a small amount to produce similar effects. Additionally, 6MN is more toxic, with a lower dose needed to reach lethal levels.
The researchers also analysed nine e-cigarette flavours sold under the brand name Spree Bar, an e-cigarette or vape marketed as containing 5% 6MN.
Jabba and colleagues found that the actual amount of the chemical was about 88% less than labelled.
While this may be a good thing, Jabba explained that the significant difference between the marketing claims of 5% and the actual amount might indicate that manufacturers are intentionally trying to reduce potential health risks associated with the more potent nicotine analogs.
Manufacturers may also be unwilling to diminish their marketing claims, which could make the product less enticing to consumers, Jabba said.
Many e-cigarette products are labelled as containing 5% to appeal to consumers, he said. Prior research has also indicated that flavoured e-cigarettes containing nicotine analogs are preferred by youths and those who vape for the first time.
In response to The Epoch Times’ questions about 6MN and its use in e-cigarette products, the FDA said, “The FDA is aware of companies reportedly manufacturing products that may contain compounds that mimic the effects of nicotine, but that are structurally or chemically different.”
“Although more research is needed, some emerging data show these nicotine analogs may be more potent than nicotine—which is already highly addictive, can alter adolescent brain development and have long-term effects on youth’s attention, learning and memory.”
The study also showed that Spree Bar contains an artificial coolant that mimics menthol and neotame, an artificial sweetener up to 13,000 times sweeter than table sugar. Neotame’s heat stability makes it so that, when heated in e-cigarette devices, its performance increases. What’s more, its extreme sweetness can significantly enhance the flavour experience, which, in turn, could increase the appeal and frequency of use.
Neotame was not included on the label.
The Rise of Alternative Chemicals
The discrepancies between the labelled and actual content of unregulated products have added to researchers’ growing concerns about the potential health risks of such nicotine mimics.
Jabba said that he thinks the manufacturers are attempting to bypass FDA tobacco regulation through the use of unregulated nicotine mimics.
He said that the FDA’s Centre for Tobacco Products (CTP) is aware of these new chemicals and is evaluating their potential safety concerns and how they should be regulated.
The American Lung Association, along with the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, and other public health organizations, drew attention to the rising use of 6MN in vapes and other smoking alternatives in a letter to the FDA dated May 29. As detailed in their correspondence, the organizations urged the agency to assess these compounds and impose regulatory authority over them, expressing concern that “FDA action is needed.”
Sven Eric Jordt, co-senior author of the research letter and professor at Duke University, said in a press release, “We do not know what these chemicals do when they are heated and inhaled. These are questions that should be answered before we allow products on the market.”
The FDA said it is considering this issue from “an agency-wide perspective, and it will continue to use all available resources within its authority to protect the public, particularly America’s youth, from addictive products that may harm their health.”
The Epoch Times requested information on Spree Bar’s product labelling from the makers but did not receive a response.
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