Clearly Flavoured: Rising Popularity of 'Clear' Flavoured E-cigarettes and What Online Descriptions

Bertrand A, Diaz MC, Minter T, Goyette R, Schillo BA, Kreslake JM.
Clearly Flavoured: Rising Popularity of 'Clear' Flavoured E-cigarettes and What Online Descriptions Reveal
Tob Control. 2026 Feb 4:tc-2025-059639. doi: 10.1136/tc-2025-059639. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41638897.

Background: Flavours play a key role in e-cigarette initiation and continued use among US youth. In 2021, e-cigarette manufacturers introduced ostensibly unflavoured products using a 'clear' descriptor. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study describes trends in retail sales and terminology used in online marketing or advertising of clear-flavoured e-cigarettes.

Methods: We used NielsenIQ retail scanner data from October 2021 to August 2024 to estimate market share and changes in market share of clear-flavoured e-cigarettes. In addition, using the keywords "vape," "e-cigarette," "clear," and "flavor," six online searches were conducted in January and June 2024 to determine whether flavour or sensory terminology was used to describe clear-flavoured e-cigarettes. Trained coders recorded terminology in the product descriptions.

Results: NielsenIQ data showed the market share of clear-flavoured e-cigarettes increased from US$34K in October 2021 to over US$1M by August 2024, representing 0.03% and 0.59% of the disposable e-cigarette market, respectively. Our analysis of product descriptions found that cooling-related terms like 'menthol' appeared in 25 of the 47 online listings (53.2%). An additional 10 (21.3%) descriptions included non-specific flavour and taste language, such as 'classic taste' and 'smooth flavour', suggesting the presence of flavourings without clearly indicating the specific taste profile.

Conclusion: The presence of flavour terminology in clear-flavoured e-cigarette product descriptions suggests that purportedly unflavoured products, such as clear-flavoured e-cigarettes, are marketed with language that implies flavoured characteristics. E-cigarettes classified as 'clear' flavour may bypass state and local flavour restrictions, advertising flavour experiences that appeal to youth.