How Green Apple & Vanilla Vapes Could Amplify Addiction

Researchers have uncovered evidence that flavor additives in e-cigarettes may encourage vaping among adolescents, even when nicotine is not present (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Impact of chemical flavorants on reinforcement-related behavior in an adolescent mouse model of vaping self-administration

Go to source). The findings, published in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, come from a preclinical study showing that popular flavors like vanilla and cherry can trigger reinforcement-related behaviors comparable to those seen with nicotine exposure. This effect was especially pronounced in adolescents, suggesting that flavorings alone may play a significant role in promoting vaping habits.

Vanillin and Benzaldehyde: Driving Active Responses in Adolescent Vape Models

Researchers tested the effects of flavored vapor—including combinations with and without nicotine—on male and female adolescent mice. The study employed the e-Vape® self-administration (EVSA) assay, a novel behavioral model that allows mice to voluntarily inhale flavored aerosols. Mice exposed to vanillin or benzaldehyde demonstrated significantly more active responses compared to controls, despite the absence of nicotine.

Four flavor-nicotine combinations showed increased reinforcement-related behaviors: nicotine with menthol, cherry or vanilla, as well as vanilla flavor alone. Even in the absence of nicotine, vanilla-flavored vapor alone was sufficient to trigger behavior indicative of reward-seeking, while cherry flavor alone was not.

“These findings are significant because they demonstrate that some electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) flavors can modulate the brain’s dopamine system—specifically in the nucleus accumbens, a key reward center—even without nicotine present,” said lead investigator Brandon J. Henderson, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical sciences at the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. “This raises important questions about the potential for addiction-like behaviors in adolescents who use flavored vape products marketed as nicotine-free.”

The research further explored how these flavor chemicals interact at the molecular level, showing that green apple and vanilla compounds can affect nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) function—proteins known to play a central role in nicotine addiction.

Reference:

1. Impact of chemical flavorants on reinforcement-related behavior in an adolescent mouse model of vaping self-administration - (https://jpet.aspetjournals.org/article/S0022-3565(25)39864-2/fulltext)

Source-Eurekalert