Nicotine has been detected in some liquid e-cigarette products labeled as "nicotine-free" sold on the market.
The Seoul Institute of Health and Environment said Thursday that it tested 63 liquid e-cigarette products in distribution for harmful ingredients including nicotine and the presence of narcotic substances, and confirmed the findings. The survey covered 33 products sold online and 30 sold at offline stores. The inspection was conducted as a follow-up after liquid e-cigarettes containing synthetic nicotine were regulated as "tobacco" starting April 24.
Test results showed that nicotine was detected in some products that did not list nicotine on their labels. The products in question were found to have been manufactured before the related law took effect.
Nicotine acts on the nervous system and induces dependence. Excessive exposure can cause symptoms such as vomiting, dizziness, and increased heart rate. For adolescents in particular, it can affect brain development and the formation of nicotine dependence. "When ingredient labeling is unclear, consumers can be exposed to nicotine without being aware of it," an institute official said.
The tests did not detect etomidate, THC, or CBD, the latter two being cannabis components. The institute said the risk of narcotic contamination in products currently in circulation is low. Etomidate, designated as a narcotic in Korea in February this year, is known as "zombie cigarettes" as cases of mixing it with liquid e-cigarettes for inhalation have spread overseas.
The institute pointed out that flavored products containing fruit or dessert scents could lower the barrier to smoking initiation for adolescents. According to a Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency survey, more than 60 percent of adolescents who started smoking with liquid e-cigarettes later moved on to conventional cigarettes.
"As synthetic nicotine liquid e-cigarettes have been included as a regulated category, continuous inspection of products on the market is necessary," said Park Joo-sung, head of the Seoul Institute of Health and Environment.
