Naked Scientists Special Editions

What's really in your e-cigarette?

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It's common knowledge that smoking cigarettes is addictive, and this is because of the nicotine they contain. E-cigarettes are devices that heat up a liquid and produce an aerosol or spray which is then inhaled. If there's nicotine in the e-cigarette liquid then this gives a nicotine hit. In Australia, nicotine is classified as a poison, so it's illegal to sell e-cigarette liquids containing it, they have to instead be "nicotine free". But while studying the potential health impacts of e-cigarettes, scientists have found that, surprisingly, out of 10 "nicotine-free" e-cigarette liquids, or e-juices, from Australian suppliers, only 4 didn't actually contain any nicotine. So what does this mean for people using these products? Katie Haylor spoke with the study author, Alex Larcombe from the Telethon Kids institute in Perth.
20 Jan 2019 English United Kingdom Science

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