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Nicotine-free vaping products are not subject to the same regulation and restrictions as their nicotine-containing counterparts, but scientists are not sure that they don’t expose users, especially young ones, to potentially serious health threats.
The debate over a need to regulate e-cigarettes containing substances known as nicotine analogues – which, experts say, mimic the effect of nicotine on the brain – was sparked in the US by the marketing of products such as the popular Free Bar nicotine-free vapes, which contain a substance called 6-methyl nicotine, also known as Metatine, and other ingredients even the popular vape brand recognised as potentially addictive.
Recently, even big tobacco groups, such as British American Tobacco (BAT), launched new nicotine-free vapes in a variety of flavours that are considered appealing to youth, openly stating they are not subject to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s authority.
Should the FDA step in?
The sudden popularity of nicotine-free vapes that contain substances whose effects on human health, when vaporised and inhaled, have not been properly investigated – especially when available in youth-appealing flavours – led to several calls on behalf of competitors such as tobacco group Altria and advocacy organisations such as Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids for the FDA to regulate these products.
Recently, concerns over nicotine-free vape manufacturers “attempting to avoid FDA tobacco regulation” were also raised by scientists at Yale University and Duke University, who wrote a research letter, published earlier this month by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA). The authors of the letter call for further investigation on these products before they are allowed on the market.
Lower than reported
The letter’s authors detected a worrying lack of accuracy in the disclosure of nicotine-free vapes’ ingredients by their manufacturers.
For Free Bar, in particular, the scientists referred to studies showing that the product’s Metatine content is about 88% lower than the 5% reported on the package.
Another brand, marketing its products under the names Nixotine, Nixodine, Nixamide and Nic-Safe, reported a content of nicotinamide – another nicotine analogue – lower than the actual one.
While this may seem like a reassuring finding for those who worry about the addictive effects of the substances, especially for young vapers, such a discrepancy between the ingredient reporting and the actual content is not good news.
These vapes, the authors pointed out, also contain a number of other substances in addition to the main nicotine analogue reported on the label, whose concentration is often not reported.
But still worrying
In the case of Nixotine and the other nicotine-free products sold by the same brand, Metatine is also present in the liquid’s composition, along with nicotinamide, but its percentage is not disclosed.
As for Free Bar vapes, the authors wrote, they also contain an artificial sweetener up to 13,000 times stronger than sugar and a coolant that imitates the refreshing effect of menthol.
It is easy to understand how a manifest lack of accuracy in the ingredient reporting of unregulated vapes containing a combination of such chemicals may raise serious concerns.
While the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products were among the funders of the study conducted by the letter’s authors, researchers said their work is independent from the views of the two institutions.
In any case, should nicotine-free vapes really be safer than nicotine-containing ones and unworthy of falling under FDA administration – as their manufacturers claim – an increased clarity and accuracy on their behalf, along with further research on the effects of the ingredients they use, would probably help reassure both authorities and the public.
– Tiziana Cauli ECigIntelligence staff
Image: adapted from Mediamodifier
