A research paper has revealed that pod-style electronic cigarette devices are more addictive than nicotine gum.

The research paper title ‘Abuse liability of electronic cigarettes in never-smoking electronic cigarette users’ was published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research.

Since entering the market in 2003, electronic cigarettes have gained significant popularity, particularly among young people. A significant proportion of people who use electronic cigarette devices have never used other tobacco products regularly. According to The Lancet, as of April 2024, around 1m adults in England who had no history of smoking reported vaping regularly. This was particularly prevalent in people aged between 18 and 24.

According to the researchers, this pattern was likely due to the emergence of pod-style devices, either in reusable or disposable form. These devices contain nicotine in high concentrations and salt form, and are more efficient at delivering nicotine to users than earlier vaping devices. Both never smokers and younger adults are more likely to report vaping with higher nicotine concentrations like those found in pod-style devices.

The research

Researchers compared the subjective and behavioural effects of pod-style electronic cigarettes to nicotine gum in a sample of adults under 25, all of whom were regular e-cigarette users but nonsmokers. Participants abstained from nicotine/tobacco overnight and then either used their own vaping device or chewed nicotine gum for 30 minutes. Before and/or after each session, the subjects completed subjective (e.g., craving, product effects) and behavioural (multiple choice procedure) questionnaires about their cravings.

The study found that participants’ own pod-style vaping devices were more reinforcing than active and placebo nicotine gum. Specifically, electronic cigarettes significantly decreased craving and withdrawal, and increased satisfaction, relative to both doses of gum. The researchers believe that users may find pod-style vaping devices more appealing because they contain liquid with nicotine salts. Relative to nicotine in freebase form, nicotine salts reduce the harshness and bitter taste associated with higher nicotine concentrations, an effect that is more pronounced in those who never smoked traditional cigarettes.

Andrea Milstred, the paper’s lead author, said, “Today's electronic cigarettes have great potential to produce addiction in populations that are otherwise naive to nicotine. This often includes youth and young adults.”

For more information visit https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaf096

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