HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — A new study led by researchers at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine reveals that flavor additives commonly used in e-cigarettes may increase the likelihood of vaping behavior in adolescents—even in the absence of nicotine.
Published earlier this month in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics , the preclinical study found that certain popular flavorings, including vanilla and cherry, can drive reinforcement-related behaviors similar to those associated with nicotine exposure, particularly in adolescents.
Researchers tested the effects of flavored vapor—including combinations with and without nicotine—on male and female adolescent mice. The study employed the e-Vape® self-administration (EVSA) assay, a novel behavioral model that allows mice to voluntarily inhale flavored aerosols. Mice exposed to vanillin or benzaldehyde demonstrated significantly more active responses compared to controls, despite the absence of nicotine.
Four flavor-nicotine combinations showed increased reinforcement-related behaviors: nicotine with menthol, cherry or vanilla, as well as vanilla flavor alone. Even in the absence of nicotine, vanilla-flavored vapor alone was sufficient to trigger behavior indicative of reward-seeking, while cherry flavor alone was not.
