373 Youth Nicotine Addiction: Strategic Defiance of Regulatory Oversight by the Disposable Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Industry

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: To assess the impact of federal regulations and policies relating to disposable Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) on youth consumption of these products by identifying factors enabling its growing consumption among youth users and its relation to adolescent addiction to nicotine. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Disposable ENDS are all-in-one devices with pre-filled nicotine liquid and a built-in battery. Recent data shows increased sales as users, including youth, are switching from pod-based to disposable ENDS. Thus, an understanding of the regulatory landscape for these products will provide insight on how to mitigate youth nicotine addiction. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) was analyzed for patterns of adolescent use. FDA statements and actions involving disposable ENDS companies were reviewed to evaluate the current FDA stance. Analyses of both data sets identified factors enabling the growth in sale of disposable ENDS. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The NYTS reported 53.7% of youth ENDS users report using disposable ENDS and Puff Bar is the leading ENDS device among youth consumers. In March 2021, Puff Bar announced a return to market with “tobacco-free nicotine” after ceasing sales following an FDA warning letter in July 2020. But synthetic nicotine retains the same chemical properties as tobacco-derived nicotine and the same risks for addiction and abuse. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains synthetic nicotine products will be regulated on a case-to-case basis, suggesting “closed system devices” containing synthetic nicotine may not be regulated as tobacco products. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The growing popularity of disposable ENDS among youth is problematic. Awareness of strategic regulatory defiance (i.e., Puff Bar), will bring light to industry sales tactics. To develop comprehensive data on disposable ENDS use by young adults, an anonymous survey of college students will be conducted.