RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 JUUL ‘new technology’ pods exhibit greater electrical power and nicotine output than previous devices
JF Tobacco Control
JO Tob Control
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 630
OP 634
DO 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-056427
VO 31
IS 5
A1 Ebrahim Karam
A1 Soha Talih
A1 Rola Salman
A1 Rachel El-Hage
A1 Nareg Karaoghlanian
A1 Ahmad El-Hellani
A1 Najat Saliba
A1 Alan Shihadeh
YR 2022
UL http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/31/5/630.abstract
AB In 2019, JUUL Labs began marketing in the European Union ‘new technology’ pods that incorporated a new wick that it claimed provided ‘more satisfaction’. In this study, we compared design and materials of construction, electrical characteristics, liquid composition and nicotine and carbonyl emissions of new technology JUUL pods to their predecessors. Consistent with manufacturer’s claims, we found that the new pods incorporated a different wicking material. However, we also found that the new pod design resulted in 50% greater nicotine emissions per puff than its predecessor, despite exhibiting unchanged liquid composition, device geometry and heating coil resistance. We found that when connected to the new technology pods, the JUUL power unit delivered a more consistent voltage to the heating coil. This behaviour suggests that the new coil-wick system resulted in better surface contact between the liquid and the temperature-regulated heating coil. Total carbonyl emissions did not differ across pod generations. That nicotine yields can be greatly altered with a simple substitution of wick material underscores the fragility of regulatory approaches that centre on product design rather than product performance specifications.All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information.