A response to flawed studies and false claims about ELFBAR-products

“E-cigarette aerosol generally contains fewer harmful chemicals than the deadly mixture of 7,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US

"Many studies show that vaping is far less harmful than smoking. This is because e-cigarettes do not contain carcinogenic tobacco, and most of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes are not present in e-cigarettes." Cancer Research UK

“Vaping nicotine is not risk-free, but less harmful than smoking” - The National Health Service (NHS), UK

“Children and non-smokers should never vape. The healthiest option is neither to smoke nor to vape.” NHS, UK

“The appeal of the flavors is not the main reason why young people who have never smoked before start vaping, but rather the names or ‘descriptions’ of the flavors.” Royal College of Physicians, UK

London, June 27, 2025 - ELFBAR takes a cautious stance on a number of recent studies from various institutions claiming that disposable e-cigarettes are more toxic than conventional cigarettes and distort the role of sweetener in adult smoking cessation.

The study on heavy metals, which is based on testing devices "from three of the most popular brands" in the USA - whereby ELFBAR as one of them - was quoted and circulated without further examination.

Another study claims that neotame – up to 13,000 times sweeter than table sugar – is frequently used in flavored e-cigarettes, which could increase their appeal to young people and first-time users.

We would like to draw attention to some of the misleading claims in these studies to address these issues in order to provide clarity - particularly regarding the misrepresentation of our products, their availability in the USA, how vapes/e-cigarettes should be appropriately positioned in smoking cessation, and how the risks of sweeteners in e-liquids, especially neotame, could be minimized.

ELFBAR-Products are not sold or shipped to the USA

Contrary to the results of the study and some media reports, ELFBAR-Products not available in the USA. ELFBAR In May 2023, the company ceased all product shipments to the USA, and since the end of 2022, the brand has been involved in a trademark dispute in the USA, which prevents it from selling products under the brand. ELFBAR to market and sell there.

This huge market gap has led to a rise in counterfeits, imitations, and illegal variants that misuse our brand name. We therefore have every reason to believe that the devices tested in this heavy metal study are not genuine and were not manufactured by us, thus rendering the claim that the results are based on [the product/service] unfounded. ELFBARThe claim that this is due to the products is unfounded.

It should also be noted that counterfeit vapes and imitations are often assembled far below safety standards and use materials and ingredients that do not comply with recognized regulations.

Misrepresentation undermines informed debate

It must be acknowledged that vaping is one of several lower-risk alternatives to smoking, It is not risk-free.However, it is also important to point out that smoking remains the leading cause of preventable deaths and diseases worldwide, and that e-cigarettes/vaping products are regarded as the most effective smoking cessation aids, outperforming traditional methods such as nicotine replacement therapy and behavioral interventions, as shown in study (a.).

Read our analysis here to see how... passive vapor affects the environment.

This makes it all the more important that the public discourse on vaping and other alternatives to smoking is based on scientific findings supported by solid testing using appropriate methods, industry-standard protocols and specialized equipment for this product category.

Overheating of devices and e-liquids is a common problem when laboratories that do not regularly conduct vaping tests use improper procedures, leading to inaccurate results.

Concerns about toxic metals justify proper investigation, which is why precision and controls in the laboratories that conduct tests on e-liquids are of crucial importance.

Studies that rely on potentially flawed methods and provide distorted and misleading data misrepresent the category of e-cigarettes and vaporization, distort public understanding, and undermine informed consumer decision-making.

This latest misrepresentation of the e-cigarette category and our brand underlines the need for greater scientific rigor and a broader academic understanding to support an informed, constructive dialogue.

Flavors are not the culprit.

Flavors play a significant role in adult smokers' transition away from combustible tobacco—a fact that should be clearly communicated. As report (b) shows, it is not the flavors themselves, but their names or “descriptors” that lead young people to start smoking.

To minimize the potential health risks of flavored e-liquids, ELFBAR Thorough investigations have been conducted on sweeteners, an essential additive in flavored e-liquids. The peer-reviewed results show that neotame is a relatively safe alternative to sucralose—another widely used sweetener in e-liquids—with neotame-formulated e-liquids exhibiting lower levels of heavy metals, reduced aerosol metal emissions, and significantly lower cytotoxicity.

ELFBAR has reduced the use of sucralose and other sweeteners for which no detailed safety profiles are yet available to a minimum.

Our commitment to safety and quality

Real ELFBAR-products are subjected to rigorous testing by accredited and renowned third-party laboratories around the world, as well as by our own state-of-the-art facilities, all of which have considerable expertise in this field, including aerosol, toxicology, cytotoxicity and chemical analyses.

Product safety has for ELFBAR top priority, and we strive to be present wherever ELFBAR is legally available, adheres to the highest quality standards and complies with legal regulations.

Sources:

(a.): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376871624014455?via%3Dihub

(b.): https://www.rcp.ac.uk/media/t5akldci/e-cigarettes-and-harm-reduction_executive-summary_0_0.pdf