Nicotine analogues emerging in e-cigarettes to evade regulations

Concerns around the potential harms of e-cigarettes are nothing new, but recent research has drawn attention to a loophole being exploited by US tobacco and vape companies to bring new products to market without regulatory oversight.

Structural analogues of nicotine, which may or may not have similar biological effects, are not subject to the same regulation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). And while rules in Europe and elsewhere are generally broader, similar products are emerging as producers push the limits of the law.