Independent tests show most vapes contain nicotine

Vape manufacturers are deliberately omitting from packaging that they contain nicotine, while some falsely claim to be nicotine-free.

Independent testing by the University of Wollongong of about 1000 vapes confirmed two-thirds contained nicotine. Picture: iStock

Vape manufacturers are deliberately omitting from their packaging that they contain nicotine, while some brands are falsely claiming they are nicotine-free despite containing the highly addictive chemical.

Independent testing by the University of Wollongong of about 1000 vapes confirmed two-thirds contained nicotine. Further analysis of the remaining data is being undertaken.

Celine Kelso, from the university’s School of Chemistry, said most vapes were being falsely marketed as nicotine-free, or were concealing the fact they contained it, in order to be imported.

Dr Celine Kelso, School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience at the University of Wollongong, tests some vapes. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Dr Kelso tested four vapes bought by The Australian from ­tobacconists and convenience stores in Wollongong. All four contained nicotine, her tests showed.

One vape, from the brand Dragonbar, declared “no nicotine’’ on its packaging. The other three – one from brand HQD and two by IGET – did not declare the ­addition of nicotine.

“Most vapes don’t have anything written definitely to try to bypass nicotine laws,” Dr Kelso said. “By not having nicotine ­(labels) on them most people wouldn’t know that they contain nicotine but it’s extremely misleading to have (a label saying) no nicotine whatsoever.”

The Wollongong tobacconist that sold The Australian the Dragonbar vape said its packet falsely claimed to have no nicotine “so we can actually shift them into stores, we have them in the 0 milligram boxes”.

Under laws introduced by the former Coalition government in October 2021, vapes containing nicotine can be bought only by people with a prescription, while all vapes, regardless of whether they contain nicotine, can be sold only to people over 18.

However, the laws are virtually useless, with tens of millions of vapes imported each year, which authorities know contain nicotine.

To test the laws preventing the sale of nicotine vapes without a prescription, The Australian also bought a grape-flavoured HQD Cuvie Plus, a mango IGET bar and a passionfruit, mango and lime IGET Bar and was not asked once for identification or a prescription.

Testing by the University of Wollongong found all contained similar levels of nicotine and the coolant WS-23.

Dr Kelso said omitting the word “nicotine” from the vape packets meant the only way to ­detect the chemical was to test the vape in a laboratory, making it much easier to import the product and sell to consumers.

“Not having the word nicotine at all is already pretty misleading in terms of the consumer will not know what’s in it and border patrol and the police will not be able to confiscate it,” she said.

Dr Kelso said most consumers were oblivious they were inhaling a highly addictive chemical and said despite the size of the four vapes differing they all contained similar levels of nicotine.

This meant people using the smaller devices were consuming a higher concentration of nicotine per vape and were more likely to become addicted.

The Dragonbar had a volume of 4ml and a nicotine concentration of 30.8mg/ml, the grape HQD was 5ml with a concentration of 36.3mg/ml and the two IGETs had a volume of 12ml and concentrations of 35.4mg/ml and 35.2mg/ml.