Warning Statements and Safety Practices Among Manufacturers and Distributors of Electronic Cigarette Liquids in the United States
Open Access
- 1 August 2018
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Nicotine & Tobacco Research
- Vol. 20 (8), 970-976
- https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntx101
Abstract
Introduction: Prior to the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) regulation of electronic cigarettes and warning statements related to nicotine addiction, there was no critical examination of manufacturer/distributor voluntary practices that could potentially inform FDA actions aimed to protect consumers. This study examined the content of warning statements and safety characteristics of electronic cigarette liquid bottles using a national sample. Methods: Research staff randomly selected four electronic cigarette liquid manufacturers/distributors from four US geographic regions. Staff documented the characteristics of product packaging and content of warning statements on 147 electronic cigarette liquids (0-30 mg/ml of nicotine) purchased online from 16 manufacturers/distributors in April of 2016. Results: Data showed that 97.9% of the electronic cigarette liquid bottles included a warning statement, most of which focused on nicotine exposure rather than health. Only 22.4% of bottles used a warning statement that indicated the product "contained nicotine" Of bottles that advertised a nicotine-based concentration of 12 mg/ml, 26% had a warning statements stated that the product "contains nicotine." None of the statements that indicated that the product "contained nicotine" stated that nicotine was "addictive" All bottles had a safety cap and 12% were in plastic shrink-wrap. Fifty-six percent of the websites had a minimum age requirement barrier that prevented under-aged persons from entering. Conclusions: Most manufacturers/distributors printed a warning statement on electronic cigarette liquid bottles, but avoided warning consumers about the presence and the addictiveness of nicotine. Studies are needed to examine manufacturer/distributor modifications to product packaging and how packaging affects consumer behaviors.Keywords
Funding Information
- University of Hawaii Cancer Center
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (P50DA036105)
- National Institutes of Health (P50DA036105)
- Center for Tobacco Products
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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