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CORESTA Congress, Online, 2022, Smoke Science/Product Technology Groups, ST 24

Examining nicotine exposure from e-cigarettes with menthol- and tobacco-flavours: a meta-analysis

JACOBSON K.; LARROQUE S.; MARTINEZ J.
JT International SA, Geneva, Switzerland

Many smokers choose to use electronic cigarettes as alternatives to combustible cigarettes. E-cigarettes are offered in various flavours, and menthol is among the most commonly used. Until recently, menthol cigarettes have also been available in many countries and preferred by a considerable proportion of the smoking population. Menthol smokers interested in trying alternative products, which do not involve exposure to smoke and deliver similar nicotine levels, might choose menthol-flavoured e-cigarettes as a first option. As previously reported, nicotine delivery from e-cigarettes is influenced by different factors, including device characteristics and user behaviour. The purpose of this study was to examine whether there is a difference in nicotine exposure from e-cigarettes with tobacco-flavour versus menthol-flavour. We conducted a meta-analysis including nicotine pharmacokinetic data from published research as well as internal studies. In addition to the results, we will discuss the limitations of the included data sets. The analysis indicated that there is no difference in nicotine exposure between the tobacco-flavoured and menthol-flavoured e-cigarettes. Based on our results, smokers can obtain equal amounts of nicotine from e-cigarettes regardless of if they choose menthol-flavour or tobacco-flavour.