A Riverside, CA based vape juice company, Drip More has recalled four lots of their vape juice product due to an incorrect labeling of the nicotine content. Their flavor, “Candy King — Worms” e-liquid was discovered to have contained a higher concentration of vape juice nicotine level than what is stated on the label. FDA link.
What’s the big deal?
This obviously can be a problem for anyone using the product as they are not sure how much nicotine is in their vape juice, and unfortunately for youth who try vaping once or twice, it can mean a quicker addiction. The vape juice nicotine level listed on the label was 3 mg/ml. 3 mg/ml isn’t an incredibly high number as some vape juices can have as much as 18 mg/ml. However, if someone thinks that their vape juice is 3 mg/ml and it’s actually a lot higher, this can cause problems in multiple ways. According to the FDA recall, “symptoms of nicotine over exposure may include nausea, vomiting, rapid heart rate, pale skin, headache, dizziness, confusion, and seizures. Any accidental nicotine exposure in children may be harmful or fatal.”
“Symptoms of nicotine over exposure may include nausea, vomiting, rapid heart rate, pale skin, headache, dizziness, confusion, and seizures. Any accidental nicotine exposure in children may be harmful or fatal.”
~FDA recall
Drip More has not said what concentration is actually in the bottles, but says, “The higher concentration of nicotine has the potential to cause immediate and potentially serious adverse health effects.” The company says they have received no reports of “illness or injury,” but that “some consumers have complained that the product tastes bad, bitter, and/or harsh.”
“The higher concentration of nicotine has the potential to cause immediate and potentially serious adverse health effects.”
~Drip More
Without knowing what nicotine strength is in the recalled bottles, it is hard to know just how much danger this means for vapers. Doubling 3mg/mL liquid to 6, for example, would be unlikely to create a health hazard. But if the liquid was three or four times stronger than indicated, it could be a problem. If someone is doing “sub-ohm vaping” which is where they modify their e-cigarette so that they get more vape juice in each puff which creates a larger cloud, they could end up getting way more nicotine than expected. This could lead to anything from headaches and uncomfortability to as extreme as nicotine poisoning. If you want to know more about sub-ohm vaping, or nicotine poisoning, read our recent blog on this subject HERE.
What’s next?
The main problem is that vape companies are not being held as accountable as they need to be. Because of how new vaping is, the FDA is having a hard time putting regulations on the companies that make vape juice. Whether or not a person of age is going to use any legal drug, including alcohol, is their choice, and they should at least have the right to know exactly what is in their product. FDA regulation is necessary to make sure that the shops are accountable for everything from accurate labels, to non-toxic ingredients, and even making sure they’re not selling to minors.
