Pod mod

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A pod mod with cartridges Juul vaping device with pods (cropped).jpg
A pod mod with cartridges

Pod mods are a type of electronic cigarette used to vape nicotine through a mouthpiece connected to the body of the device by magnets. These devices are a newer generation of e-cigarettes that are often marketed to a younger crowd that do not wish to attract attention gained through regular e-cigarettes or traditional tobacco-burning cigarettes. Pod mods contain a disposable cartridge and coils.

Contents

Pod mods were designed to provide higher nicotine delivery with a smaller amount of power than conventional e-cigarettes. [1] Refillable pods can be filled with conventional freebase nicotine liquid or nicotine salts into the empty pod cartridges with varying levels of nicotine often at 2.5% and a maximum of 6.0%. [2] Although, in some countries such as the United Kingdom, the maximum legal limit of nicotine containing liquids is a concentration of 2% or 20mg/ml. [3]

The first to introduce pod mods was Pax Labs in June 2015, and since then many companies began introducing similar products.

Influences

Health

As these devices are created with the intent of replicating smoke produced from traditional cigarettes, they produce greater levels of nicotine than e-cigarettes, however the health risks are currently undetermined as they are new productions. Research reveals potential health risks in aerosolizing nicotine salts and metal toxins that are produced. [4] As there are a variety of different organic compounds put into different flavours, the health risks of these are also unknown and not well-studied. [5]

A study revealed that 80% of users ages 15-24 continually use the product after an initial trial as they do not have the adverse effects of traditional cigarettes. These sensations include a burning throat, the distasteful flavour of smoke and the smell left on the body afterward. [5] However, pod mods and e-cigarettes take away some of the difficulties surrounding traditional cigarettes including no smoke, relatively cheaper than tobacco smoke and discrete, leaving a younger demographic more susceptible to addiction. [6]

Science

Co-founders at Solace recreated nicotine salts through a combination of various acids, eventually settling on benzoic acids although many types of acids may be used to created nicotine salts. According to The Verge the first company to utilize nicotine salts in e-liquids was BAT claiming to have used them since 2012 in various products. Traditional e-cigarettes use free-based nicotine liquids, whereas pod mods use nicotine salts which give them a larger dose of nicotine per inhalation. [7] Head of scientific affairs at Imperial Brands Grant O’Connell suggests nicotine salts are stronger due to their ability to circulate the body faster from faster absorption in the lungs. [8]

Each milliliter of a pod that uses nicotine of 5% is equivalent to nicotine found in 20 traditional cigarettes. Nicotine salts are created with free base nicotine and benzoic acid to produce an ionized(+) solution that is less volatile- smaller clouds- and less harsh, often described as smooth in anecdotal research. Free-base nicotine found in e-cigarette juice and tobacco cigarettes often stick to the respiratory tract whereas nicotine salts are unlikely to, giving them the higher percentage of nicotine delivery. [5]

Design

Pod mods come in varying shapes and sizes and some are styled after USB flash drives. [9] [10]

Industry regulation

Concerns

Juul is the leader in the US pod market with 49.6% of the market share. Researchers recently conducted a study that revealed that 63% of participants who have used a Juul (popular pod brand) were not aware that nicotine was present in the product. Literature suggests that the use of pods may be the stepping stone to smoking. [5] There are currently minimal regulations and restrictions on the use of pod mods legally. Due to the unknown nature of first-hand and second-hand inhalation of pod mod usages, some governments and schools are taking preventive action. High nicotine delivery of pod mods leave people potentially more susceptible to nicotine dependency and addiction than smoking cigarettes.  Many organizations including Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices aim to educate students and teachers about the health-related risks of using pod mods and such products. [5]

Restriction

In 2018, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has been urged by public interests and politicians to restrict the sales of pod mods in the United States. In April 2018 the Food and Drug Administration began a nation-wide intervention on the resale of pod mods through websites other than its official site. In addition to this, undercover operations have been conducted to prevent the sales of pods to minors through physical vendors. Some companies have been required to provide information on how their products of pods will not be marketed towards young people and how they will deter these users from their products. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaporizer (inhalation device)</span> Device to vaporize substances for inhalation

A vaporizer or vaporiser, colloquially known as a vape, is a device used to vaporize substances for inhalation. Plant substances can be used, commonly cannabis, tobacco, or other herbs or blends of essential oil. However, they are most commonly filled with a combination propylene glycol, glycerin, and drugs such as nicotine or tetrahydrocannabinol as a liquid solution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicotine replacement therapy</span> Treatment for tobacco use disorder

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is a medically approved way to treat people with tobacco use disorder by taking nicotine through means other than tobacco. It is used to help with quitting smoking or stopping chewing tobacco. It increases the chance of quitting tobacco smoking by about 55%. Often it is used along with other behavioral techniques. NRT has also been used to treat ulcerative colitis. Types of NRT include the adhesive patch, chewing gum, lozenges, nose spray, and inhaler. The use of multiple types of NRT at a time may increase effectiveness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic cigarette</span> Device that vaporizes a liquid nicotine solution for inhalation

An electronic cigarette (e-cigarette), or vape, is a device that simulates tobacco smoking. It consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container such as a cartridge or tank. Instead of smoke, the user inhales vapor. As such, using an e-cigarette is often called "vaping". The atomizer is a heating element that vaporizes a liquid solution called e-liquid, which quickly cools into an aerosol of tiny droplets, vapor and air. The vapor mainly comprises propylene glycol and/or glycerin, usually with nicotine and flavoring. Its exact composition varies, and depends on several things including user behavior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicotine dependence</span> Chronic disease

Nicotine dependence is a state of substance dependence on nicotine. It is a chronic, relapsing disease characterized by a compulsive craving to use the drug despite social consequences, loss of control over drug intake, and the emergence of withdrawal symptoms. Tolerance is another component of drug dependence. Nicotine dependence develops over time as an individual continues to use nicotine. While cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product, all forms of tobacco use—including smokeless tobacco and e-cigarette use—can cause dependence. Nicotine dependence is a serious public health problem because it leads to continued tobacco use and the associated negative health effects. Tobacco use is one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide, causing more than 8 million deaths per year and killing half of its users who do not quit. Current smokers are estimated to die an average of 10 years earlier than non-smokers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flavored tobacco</span> Tobacco product with added flavorings

Flavored tobacco products — tobacco products with added flavorings — include types of cigarettes, cigarillos and cigars, hookahs and hookah tobacco, various types of smokeless tobacco, and more recently electronic cigarettes. Flavored tobacco products are especially popular with youth and have therefore become targets of regulation in several countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regulation of electronic cigarettes</span>

Regulation of electronic cigarettes varies across countries and states, ranging from no regulation to banning them entirely. As of 2015, around two thirds of major nations have regulated e-cigarettes in some way. A 2023 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that 34 countries had banned the sale of e-cigarettes.

Pax Labs is an American electronic vaporizer company founded in 2007 that markets the Pax vaporizers. The company developed the Juul e-cigarette. Juul Labs was spun out as a separate company in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blu (electronic cigarette)</span> Electronic cigarette brand

Blu is an electronic cigarette brand, produced by Fontem Ventures and owned by Imperial Brands. The brand Blu sells various types of rechargeable and disposable e-cigarettes with a wide selection of flavored and unflavored liquids. Its products are available in many countries and each market offers different types of products suited to public demand and opportunities. The global headquarters of Blu is located in Amsterdam. Local offices are active around the world to service all markets which sell the brand.

The health effects of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) include a range of potential risks such as exposure to toxic chemicals, the possibility of increased likelihood of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and concerns about their possible role in cancer development. Upon their introduction, there were marketing claims that they were a safer alternative to traditional tobacco products.

The scientific community in the United States and Europe are primarily concerned with the possible effect of electronic cigarette use on public health. There is concern among public health experts that e-cigarettes could renormalize smoking, weaken measures to control tobacco, and serve as a gateway for smoking among youth. The public health community is divided over whether to support e-cigarettes, because their safety and efficacy for quitting smoking is unclear. Many in the public health community acknowledge the potential for their quitting smoking and decreasing harm benefits, but there remains a concern over their long-term safety and potential for a new era of users to get addicted to nicotine and then tobacco. There is concern among tobacco control academics and advocates that prevalent universal vaping "will bring its own distinct but as yet unknown health risks in the same way tobacco smoking did, as a result of chronic exposure", among other things.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cloud-chasing</span> Blowing vapor with an electronic cigarette

Cloud-chasing is the activity of blowing large clouds of vapor using an electronic cigarette. Using the devices for "cloud-chasing" began in the West Coast of the US. The exact origins of the activity are unclear, but most competitive e-cigarette users say that it started around 2012. Competitive vaping is increasing in popularity internationally, spreading from the US and Canada to Indonesia. Cloud-chasing is a recreational activity and a hobby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Construction of electronic cigarettes</span> Engineering and chemistry of e-cigarettes

An electronic cigarette is a handheld battery-powered vaporizer that simulates smoking, but without tobacco combustion. E-cigarette components include a mouthpiece, a cartridge, a heating element/atomizer, a microprocessor, a battery, and some of them have an LED light on the end. An atomizer consists of a small heating element, or coil, that vaporizes e-liquid and a wicking material that draws liquid onto the coil. When the user inhales a flow sensor activates the heating element that atomizes the liquid solution; most devices are manually activated by a push-button. The e-liquid reaches a temperature of roughly 100–250 °C (212–482 °F) within a chamber to create an aerosolized vapor. The user inhales an aerosol, which is commonly but inaccurately called vapor, rather than cigarette smoke. Vaping is different from smoking, but there are some similarities, including the hand-to-mouth action of smoking and an aerosol that looks like cigarette smoke. The aerosol provides a flavor and feel similar to tobacco smoking. There is a learning curve to use e-cigarettes properly. E-cigarettes are cigarette-shaped, and there are many other variations. E-cigarettes that resemble pens or USB memory sticks are also sold that may be used unobtrusively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Composition of electronic cigarette aerosol</span>

The chemical composition of the electronic cigarette aerosol varies across and within manufacturers. Limited data exists regarding their chemistry. However, researchers at Johns Hopkins University analyzed the vape clouds of popular brands such as Juul and Vuse, and found "nearly 2,000 chemicals, the vast majority of which are unidentified."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vape shop</span> Shop selling vaping products

A vape shop is a retail outlet specializing in the selling of vaping products, though shops selling derived psychoactive cannabis products have increased in the United States since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. There are also online vape shops. A vape shop offers a range of vaping products. The majority of vape shops do not sell vaping products that are from "Big Tobacco" companies. In 2013, online search engine searches on vape shops surpassed searches on e-cigarettes. Around a third of all sales of vaping products in one US state took place in vape shops. Big Tobacco believes the independent vape market is a threat to their interests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juul</span> American electronic cigarette manufacturer

Juul Labs, Inc. is an American electronic cigarette company that spun off from Pax Labs in 2017. The Juul electronic cigarette atomizes nicotine salts derived from tobacco supplied by one-time use cartridges.

A heated tobacco product (HTP) is a tobacco product that heats the tobacco at a lower temperature than conventional cigarettes. These products contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive chemical. The heat generates an aerosol or smoke to be inhaled from the tobacco, which contains nicotine and other chemicals. HTPs may also contain additives not found in tobacco, including flavoring chemicals. HTPs generally heat tobacco to temperatures under 600 °C (1100 °F), a lower temperature than conventional cigarettes.

Exposure to nicotine, from conventional or electronic cigarettes during adolescence can impair the developing human brain. E-cigarette use is recognized as a substantial threat to adolescent behavioral health. The use of tobacco products, no matter what type, is almost always started and established during adolescence when the developing brain is most vulnerable to nicotine addiction. Young people's brains build synapses faster than adult brains. Because addiction is a form of learning, adolescents can get addicted more easily than adults. The nicotine in e-cigarettes can also prime the adolescent brain for addiction to other drugs such as cocaine. Exposure to nicotine and its great risk of developing an addiction, are areas of significant concern.

Electronic cigarettes are marketed to smoking and non-smoking men, women, and children as being safer than cigarettes. In the 2010s, large tobacco businesses accelerated their marketing spending on vape products, similar to the strategies traditional cigarette companies used in the 1950s and 1960s.

Nicotine salts are salts formed from nicotine and an acid. They are found naturally in tobacco leaves. Various acids can be used, leading to different conjugate bases paired with the ammonium form of nicotine.

References

  1. ↑ Shao, Xuesi; M. (13 April 2020). "Pod-mod vs. conventional e-cigarettes: nicotine chemistry, pH, and health effects". Journal of Applied Physiology. 128 (4): 1056–1058. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00717.2019 . PMC   7191502 . PMID   31854246.
  2. 1 2 Spindle, Tory R.; Eissenberg, Thomas (19 October 2018). "Pod Mod Electronic Cigarettes- An Emerging Threat to Public Health". JAMA Network Open . Substance Use and Addiction. 1 (6): e183518. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3518 . PMC   7058175 . PMID   30646245.
  3. ↑ "E-cigarettes: regulations for consumer products". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  4. ↑ National Academies Of Sciences, Engineering; Health Medicine, Division; Board on Population Health Public Health Practice; Committee on the Review of the Health Effects of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; Eaton, D. L.; Kwan, L. Y.; Stratton, K. (2018). Stratton, Kathleen; Kwan, Leslie Y.; Eaton, David L. (eds.). Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes (2018). The National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/24952. ISBN   978-0-309-46834-3. PMID   29894118.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Barrington-Trimis, Jessica L.; Leventhal, Adam M. (2018). "Adolescents' Use of "Pod Mod" E-Cigarettes — Urgent Concerns". New England Journal of Medicine. 379 (12): 1099–1102. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp1805758 . PMC   7489756 . PMID   30134127.
  6. ↑ Galstyan, Ellen; Galimov, Artur; Sussman, Steve (26 November 2018). "Commentary: The Emergence of Pod Mods at Vape Shops". Evaluation & the Health Professions. 42 (1): 118–124. doi:10.1177/0163278718812976. PMC   6637958 . PMID   30477337.
  7. ↑ Stumacher, Richard, (21 September 2018). “Pod mods and vaping are creating a new generation of youths addicted to nicotine”. STAT. Retrieved on 12 May 2019.
  8. ↑ Becker, Rachael, (21 November 2018). “Nicotine Salts Are Dominating The Market”. The Verge Retrieved on 12 May 2019.
  9. ↑ Cunningham, Amy (2018-12-19). "E-cigarettes caught fire among teens". Science News. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  10. ↑ "Vaping Related Lung Illness: A Summary of the Public Health Risks and Recommendations for the Public". California Department of Public Health. 2019-09-26. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
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