E-cigarettes are popular among adolescents. Given that flavors enhance e-cigarette appeal, this study examined the influence of flavors on nicotine in e-cigarettes. Youth e-cigarette users (average 26.2 days [SD = 3.6] in past 28 days) were randomized to use e-cigarettes containing 6 or 12 mg/mL of freebase nicotine and completed 4 test sessions. During the first 3 test sessions, participants completed 3 fixed puffing bouts (1 puffing bout = 10 puffs, 3 s each, 30-s interval), using menthol, green-apple, and unflavored e-liquids (50 propylene glycol [PG]/50 vegetable glycerin [VG]) with their assigned nicotine concentration in a random order using a ∼5.5-W V2 e-cigarette device. After each puffing bout, participants assessed subjective effects of nicotine and flavor. In the 4th test session, participants used any of the e-liquids they had tried in the earlier sessions, ad libitum for 60 min and the amount of e-liquid used for each flavor and the number of puffs was assessed. Participants (n = 49; 6 mg/mL [n = 24]; 12 mg/mL [n = 25]) were 63.3% male, 65.3% non-Hispanic White with an average age of 18.7 (SD = 0.9). Mixed models analysis revealed that green apple and 6 mg/mL of nicotine independently increased liking of e-cigarette taste. In addition, green apple produced higher ratings of fruitiness, sourness, sweetness, and menthol produced higher ratings of coolness. We did not observe any interactions between nicotine and flavor. Youth liked the taste of e-liquids containing green-apple flavor or low nicotine concentration which highlights the appeal of fruit flavors in e-cigarettes to adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03168191.