Nearly 20 000 e-liquids and 250 unique flavour descriptions: an overview of the Dutch market based on information from manufacturers.

Introduction:
This text provides an overview of e-liquid flavors available on the Dutch market in 2017, based on information reported by manufacturers to the European Common Entry Gate (EU-CEG) system. The study aimed to support policymakers in regulating the marketing and promotion of e-liquids with flavor descriptions that may increase product interest and appeal.

Key points:

* Researchers classified 19,266 e-liquids into the 16 main categories of the e-liquid flavor wheel based on information from four variables in the EU-CEG system.
* The categories with the highest number of e-liquids were fruit (34%), tobacco (16%), and dessert (10%).
* For all e-liquids, excluding unflavored ones, 245 subcategories were defined within the main categories.
* Various miscellaneous flavors such as sandwich, buttermilk, and lavender were identified.
* The variety of marketed flavor descriptions reflects flavor preference of e-cigarette users.
* The systematic classification of e-liquids by flavor description provides a tool for organizing the huge variety in market supply and can support regulators in developing flavor regulations.

Main message:
The study highlights the importance of monitoring the e-liquid market and the need for regulation of flavor descriptions to prevent the marketing of products with extraordinary names that may be particularly appealing to youth. The systematic classification of e-liquids by flavor description provides a useful tool for policymakers in developing rules for e-liquid flavor regulation.

Havermans A, Krüsemann EJZ, Pennings J, de Graaf K, Boesveldt S, Talhout R. Nearly 20 000 e-liquids and 250 unique flavour descriptions: an overview of the Dutch market based on information from manufacturers. Tobacco control. 2021;30(1):57-62. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2019-055303