Use Patterns, Flavors, Brands, and Ingredients of Nonnicotine e-Cigarettes Among Adolescents, Young Adults, and Adults in the United States

Source:

Gaiha SM, Lin C, Lempert LK, Halpern-Felsher B. Use Patterns, Flavors, Brands, and Ingredients of Nonnicotine e-Cigarettes Among Adolescents, Young Adults, and Adults in the United States. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(5):e2216194. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.16194

Key Points

Question  To what extent are nonnicotine e-cigarettes used, and what flavors, brands, and ingredients are most common?

Findings  This cross-sectional study of 6131 US residents aged 13 to 40 years found that 25.9% had ever used a nonnicotine e-cigarette, 16.7% had used one in the past 30 days, and 12.4% had used one in the past 7 days; 18.8% had ever co-used nonnicotine and nicotine e-cigarettes. The most-used flavors were sweet, dessert, or candy flavors; fruit flavors; and mint or menthol flavors; most common ingredients were tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, melatonin, caffeine, and essential oils.

Meaning  These findings suggest that a significant proportion of US residents are using nonnicotine flavored e-cigarettes marketed with unsupported health claims, which warrants further research, regulation, and prevention.