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Pod mods are portable devices that people use to smoke or vape nicotine through the production of heated nicotine-salt vapor through a mouth piece connected to the body of the device with magnets. These devices are a newer generation of e-cigarettes that are often marketed to entice a younger crowd that do not wish to attract attention gained through regular e-cigarettes or traditional tobacco-burning cigarettes. Pod mods contain a disposable cartridge and are different from e-cigarettes and vapes as the coils are not removed or changed.

Pod mods were designed to provide higher nicotine delivery with a smaller amount of power from conventional e-cigarettes. Refillable pods can be filled with nicotine salts into empty cartridges with at varying levels of nicotine often at 2.5% and a maximum of 6.0%.

The first to introduce pod mods was Pax Labs in June 2015, and since then many other companies began introducing similar products.

Influences

Health

As these devices are created with the intent of replicating smoke produced from traditional cigarettes, they produce greater levels of nicotine than e-cigarettes, however the health risks are currently undetermined as they are new productions. Pods generally attract users that are trying to quit smoking or searching for a discrete method of receiving nicotine. Research reveals potential health risks in aerosolizing nicotine salts and metal toxins that are produced. As there are a variety of different organic compounds put into different flavours, the health risks of these are also unknown and not well-studied. A study revealed that 80% of users ages 15-24 continually use the product after an initial trial as they do not have the adverse effects of traditional cigarettes; these sensations include a burning throat, distasteful flavour of smoke and the smell left on the body afterwards. The younger demographic is particularly prone to addiction as nicotine is a highly addictive chemical most commonly found in cigarettes and previously could only be obtained through smoking. However, pod mods and e-cigarettes take away the difficulties surrounding traditional cigarettes including no smoke, relatively cheaper than tobacco smoke and discrete, leaving a younger demographic more susceptible to addiction.

Science

Co-founders at Solace recreated nicotine salts through a combination of various acids, eventually settling on benzoic acids although many types of acids may be used to created nicotine salts. According to The Verge the first company to utilize nicotine salts in e-liquids was BAT claiming to have used them since 2012 in various products. Traditional e-cigarettes use free-based nicotine liquids, whereas pod mods use nicotine salts which give them a larger dose of nicotine per inhalation. Head of scientific affairs at Imperial Brands Grant O’Connell suggests nicotine salts are stronger due to their ability to circulate the body faster from faster absorption in the lungs. Each milliliter of a pod that uses nicotine of 5% is equivalent to nicotine found in 20 traditional cigarettes. Nicotine salts are created with free base nicotine and benzoic acid to produce an ionized(+) solution that is less volatile- smaller clouds- and less harsh, often described as smooth in anecdotal research. Free-base nicotine found in e-cigarette juice and tobacco cigarettes often stick to the respiratory tract whereas nicotine salts are unlikely to, giving them the higher percentage of nicotine delivery.

Design

Pod mods come in varying shapes and sizes and some look like USB devices. Some companies allow the personalization or customization of their pods by producing “skins” or various stickers to put on their pods, appealing to a wide audience. Growing popularity may be attributed to the inconspicuous nature of its size and the vapour clouds produced. Many reports have been made regarding their use on school grounds, restaurants and various other locations where access to cigarette smoking and e-cigarette smoking may be banned.

Industry regulation

Concerns

Juul is the leader in the US pod market with 49.6% of the market share. Researchers recently conducted a study that revealed that 63% of participants who have used a Juul (popular pod brand) were not aware that nicotine was present in the product. Literature suggests that the use of pods may be the stepping stone to smoking. There are currently minimal regulations and restrictions on the use of pod mods legally. Due to the unknown nature of first-hand and second-hand inhalation of pod mod usages, some governments and schools are taking preventive action. High nicotine delivery of pod mods leave people potentially more susceptible to nicotine dependency and addiction than smoking cigarettes.  Many organizations including Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices aim to educate students and teachers about the health-related risks of using pod mods and such products.

Restriction

In 2018, the FDA (food and Drug Administration) has been urged by public interests and politicians to restrict the sales of pod mods in the United States. In April 2018 the Food and Drug Administration began a nation-wide intervention on the resale of pod mods through websites other than its official site. In addition to this, undercover operations have been conducted to prevent the sales of pods to minors through physical vendors. Some companies have been required to provide information on how their products of pods will not be marketed towards young people and how they will deter these users from their products.

References

1. Belluz Julia, (1 May 2018). “Juul, the vape device teens are getting hooked on, explained”. Vox. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
2. Weedston, Lindsey (2019-04-09). "FDA To Investigate Whether Vaping Causes Seizures". The Fix. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
3. ^ Spindle, Tory R.; Eissenberg, Thomas (19 October 2018). "Pod Mod Electronic Cigarettes- An Emerging Threat to Public Health". JAMA Network Open. Substance Use and Addiction. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3518.
4. Stratton, Kathleen; Kwan, Leslie Y.; Eaton, David L. (eds.). Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes (2018). The National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/24952. ISBN 978-0-309-46834-3.
5. ^ Ray R, (September 2018). “Pod Mods Are A Big Problem”. Rupert Case Management. Retrieved on 12 May 2019.
6. ^ McKelvey, Karma; Baiochhi, Mike; Halpern-Felsher, Bonnie (19 October 2018). "Adolescents' and Young Adults' Use and Perceptions of Pod-Based Electronic Cigarettes". JAMA Network Open. Substance Use and Addiction. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3535.
7. Ellen G.; Artur G.; Steve S, (26 November 2019). “The Emergence Of Pod Mods At Vape Shops. Evaluation & the Health Professions”. Sage Journals. 42(1), 118–124. doi: 10.1177/0163278718812976
8. Stumacher, Richard, (21 September 2018). “Pod mods and vaping are creating a new generation of youths addicted to nicotine”. STAT. Retrieved on 12 May 2019.
9. Becker, Rachael, (21 November 2018). “Nicotine Salts Are Dominating The Market”. The Verge Retrieved on 12 May 2019.
10. Cunningham, Amy (2018-12-19). "E-cigarettes caught fire among teens". Science News. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
11. "Vaping Related Lung Illness: A Summary of the Public Health Risks and Recommendations for the Public". California Department of Public Health. 2019-09-26. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
12. ^ Barrington, T.; Jessica, L.; Levanthanl.; Adam, M, (20 September 2018). “Adolescents’ Use of ‘Pod Mod’ E-Cigarettes- Urgen Concerns”. New England Journal of Medicine. 370: 1099-1102. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp1805758

• Electronic cigarettes
• Nicotine products with harm-reduction claims