Electronic Cigarette Refill Liquids: Child-Resistant Packaging, Nicotine Content, and Sales to Minors

Introduction:
This text is a journal article that discusses a study on the accuracy of labeled nicotine content and child-resistant packaging of e-liquids sold in unlicensed vape stores. The study also assessed for the presence of minors within the stores and any sales to minors of e-cigarettes, e-liquid, or other tobacco products. The study was conducted in North Dakota prior to the implementation of a new e-cigarette state law, providing a baseline assessment before the enactment of the new legal requirements.

Key Points:

* The study collected and analyzed 70 e-liquid samples that claimed to contain nicotine and found that:
+ 17% contained more than the labeled quantity
+ 34% contained less than the labeled quantity by 10% or more
+ One sample contained 172% more than the labeled quantity
* Of the 94 e-liquid containers sampled, only 35% were determined to be child-resistant.
* Minors were present in stores, but no sales to minors occurred.
* The mislabeling of nicotine in e-liquids is common and exposes the user to harmful effects.
* The lack of child-resistant packaging for this potentially toxic substance is a serious public health problem.
* E-cigarettes should be included in the legal definition of tobacco products, child-resistant packaging and nicotine labeling laws should be enacted and strictly enforced, and vape stores should be licensed by states.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of proper labeling and child-resistant packaging of e-liquids to protect consumers, particularly children, from the harmful effects of nicotine. The findings support the need for stricter regulations on e-cigarettes, including the inclusion of e-cigarettes in the legal definition of tobacco products, enactment and enforcement of child-resistant packaging and nicotine labeling laws, and licensing of vape stores. The ultimate message is that the public health and safety should be prioritized in the regulation of e-cigarettes.

Buettner-Schmidt, Kelly, Donald R. Miller, and Narayanaganesh Balasubramanian. “Electronic Cigarette Refill Liquids: Child-Resistant Packaging, Nicotine Content, and Sales to Minors.” Journal of Pediatric Nursing 31, no. 4 (July 2016): 373–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2016.03.019.