Trends in product characteristics of disposable e-cigarettes sold by US online stores between 2022 and 2024

Abstract

Introduction: Monitoring changes in disposable e-cigarette attributes is crucial for youth health and market regulations. Online stores are a major purchasing channel for US youth. This study compares trends in product attributes of disposables between 2022 and 2024 using our unique data scraped from online stores.

Methods: We obtained product-level information by scraping websites of online vape stores from our 2022 study that remained in business in 2024, and we examined changes in product attributes including sales prices and standardized prices, product size (mL volume and puff counts), consumer ratings and reviews, nicotine dimensions (concentration, free-base/nicotine salt, tobacco-derived/synthetic), battery capacity, and flavor mentions in description texts.

Results: Unique product listings significantly increased from 1638 in 2022 to 8339 in 2024. Sales price per unit and standardized price (per mL or per puff) declined, while product size in terms of mL volume and puff counts increased dramatically. The proportion of products with nicotine salt or synthetic nicotine claims decreased, and 5% nicotine level remained dominant. Fruits, sweets, and menthol were the most prevalent flavor mentions in both years, though the percentage of products declined from 97% to 79%, 69% to 19%, and 59% to 15%, respectively.

Conclusions: Disposable e-cigarettes available in the online market have become more diverse, more affordable, and larger in size, especially in puff counts. High nicotine concentration (5%) persists, and fruity flavors remain prevalent. These trends raise public health concerns and require effective market regulations.

Implications: From 2022 to 2024, US online retailers of disposable e-cigarettes expanded product offerings, including more unique brands, greater product variety, and more flavor options. Fruits, sweets, and menthol were the most prevalent flavor mentions in both 2022 and 2024, and 5% nicotine concentration remained dominant. The online availability of less expensive disposables with appealing flavors and larger sizes is concerning and suggests rapid market expansion and intensified competition.

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