Risks of unregulated exposure to nicotine e-juices in Los Angeles vape shops: An examination of employee and consumer practices

Background:The rapid rise in the popularity of electronic cigarettes has led to the emergence of new retail outlets, vape shops, to meet this demand.  Vape shops provide the opportunity for customers to buy custom blend juices that may contain nicotine.  These custom blends can be made in the same shop by employees.  Employees and customers alike are exposed to liquid nicotine, which has been shown to be toxic even at low levels. Currently, vape shops, and the e-cigarettes they sell, are largely unregulated and most current policies refer to sales or where products can be used.

Methods:Data were collected from a pilot study on vape shops (n=78) in Los Angeles which examined different characteristics of the shops through employee interviews and store observations.  The data were collected from shops in communities that are predominantly, African-American (n=20), Hispanic (n=17), Korean (n=18), or non-Hispanic White (n=23).

Results:Half of the vape shops surveyed allowed customers to sample e-juices with nicotine. The number of shops that allowed the customer to mix e-juices containing nicotine were significantly more likely to be in African-American communities (Fisher’s:p<0.01).  While 64% of the shops provided safety equipment only 34% provided equipment for nicotine handling.  Furthermore, 62% of the shops reported handling nicotine without gloves or other equipment. 

Conclusions: Regulation on the handling of nicotine by both the consumer and vape shop employees is important to prevent unsafe practices. Policies are also needed to reduce the ease of access to nicotine products to prevent further addiction or cessation relapse.