(Reuters) - The nicotine formula used by controversial e-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc is nearly identical to the flavor and addictive profile of Altria Group Inc’s highly successful Marlboro cigarette brand, new research suggests.
FILE PHOTO: Juul brand vape cartridges are pictured for sale at a shop in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., September 26, 2019.
Directly comparing Juul vaping devices to Marlboro cigarettes, the researchers analyzed the amount and chemical makeup of the nicotine in Juul’s cartridge-like disposable “pods.”.
By adding organic acids to liquid nicotine, San Francisco-based Juul was able to reduce the amount of “freebase nicotine” in the aerosol that users inhale.
They determined that Juul’s potency and flavor profile was almost exactly the same as Marlboro cigarettes, describing Juul as an “e-cigarette analog” of the U.S. market-leading brand.
“Juul is all the things about Marlboro that are addictive,” said Pankow, an expert in the chemistry of nicotine and tobacco smoke.
Therefore the company “sought to create a nicotine-based e-liquid that mimicked the nicotine experience” in cigarettes, according to the statement. »