‘Tobacco-Flavored’ E-Cigarette Liquids Now More Sweet, Fruity

MONDAY, Nov. 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The use of sweet and fruity flavor chemicals in tobacco-flavored electronic cigarette liquids (e-liquids) has increased, according to a study published online Nov. 3 in Tobacco Control.

Esther E. Omaiye, Ph.D., from the University of California in Riverside, and colleagues examined the evolving composition of tobacco-flavored e-liquids during the last 10 years.

The researchers found that tobacco-flavored products purchased in 2010 and 2011 generally had very few flavor chemicals, and their concentrations were generally very low. However, for tobacco-flavored refill fluids purchased in 2019 and Puff Bar Tobacco e-cigarettes, the total number and concentration of flavor chemicals were higher. Products with total flavor chemicals >10 mg/mL contained one to five dominant flavor chemicals (>1 mg/mL), with fruity and caramellic identified as the most frequently used flavor chemicals in tobacco-flavored e-liquids.

"There has been a recent stealth use of high concentrations of sweet and fruity confectionery-related flavor chemicals in 'tobacco-flavored' e-liquids. This change in tobacco e-liquid ingredients coincides with restrictions on the sale of sweet and fruity-flavored products," the authors write. "There is a need for continued surveillance of e-liquids, particularly tobacco flavored, which may be manipulated to circumvent policies on flavor use."

Abstract/Full Text