E-cigarette: vapers consume as much nicotine as smokers

The e-cigarette avoids tobacco, but not nicotine. In the saliva of vapers, a product of this alkaloid is found at levels similar to those of regular cigarette smokers. This is the result of a study carried out in France, Switzerland and the United States. Its authors publish their findings in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

The objective of this work was to determine whether the level of cotinine in the blood of electronic cigarette consumers remained stable or changed over time. This substance is a product of the assimilation of nicotine by the body. To answer this question, Jean-François Etter – from the University of Geneva (Switzerland) – recruited 98 vapers. Almost all used this utensil daily.

A compensation

These volunteers agreed to deliver a sample of their saliva twice: at the start of the study and at the end of the study, eight months later. They also completed a questionnaire on their use of e-cigarettes.

Initially, vapers consumed an average of e-liquids containing 11 mg of nicotine per milliliter. This volume decreased to 6 mg at the end of the follow-up. But at the same time, the inhaled volume increased, from 80 ml per month to 100 ml. The phenomenon is particularly marked among owners of devices of 2^e and 3^e generation.

“This suggests that participants compensate for the lower nicotine intake in their e-liquid by consuming more liquid,” explains Jean-François Etter in his publication. As a result, they inhale more vapor and are probably more exposed to inhalants other than nicotine. “

New models

This mode of consumption has a striking consequence: the cotinine level increases after 8 months, and goes from 252 nanograms per ml of saliva to 307 ng. A level comparable to those found in traditional cigarette smokers.

Jean-François Etter puts forward several explanations. New models are at the heart of his analysis. They allow you to adjust the temperature, voltage and wattage of the electronic cigarette which produces “more power, a denser cloud, more intense flavors and a better ‘hit’ (sensation felt in the throat on inhalation, editor’s note) ”. This last modification could partly explain the decrease in the level of nicotine in liquids.

But it is not excluded that vapers, in their perspective to stop smoking, try to take a step forward in their weaning. In both cases, this reduction is accompanied by more frequent vaping, which ensures the continuity of the cotinine level.