Tax-free. No restrictions on either dose or quantity. The nicotine analogue methatine has arrived in Sweden and is now sold in several shops as an alternative to nicotine in e-cigarettes and e-liquids. But what exactly is it - and why has a so-called synthetic nicotine analogue made its way into Swedish vejp shops?
For those who browse the assortments at Swedish vejpshoppar, a new category has begun to appear in the menus over the past six months. Products such as "NoNik" and "Metatine" are being launched as alternatives to nicotine in both loose e-liquids, shots and rechargeable disposable models. These are nicotine analogues - a synthetic form of nicotine - which are considered to be both more potent and more effective than nicotine, without the user noticing the difference. It is still both cheaper and available in higher doses than regulated nicotine. A wet dream for those who want to buy nicotine in larger quantities without breaking the bank, but at the same time a very new and untested substance. Or is it?
Started to be launched after ban in the US
The role of methate, or rather nicotine analogues, in the history of vejp started as a solution to the strict US legislation on e-cigarettes. Since 2016, all vejp products are classified as tobacco products because the nicotine comes from the tobacco plant. This means that each product must obtain costly permits from the FDA to be sold, which most small manufacturers, carrying well over 90% of the market, cannot afford.
As a result, almost all flavoured e-liquids became illegal, and only a few products - mainly from tobacco companies - have been authorised. In response to this, the EU launched synthetic nicotinewhich the FDA could not initially regulate. When the authorities later gained control over synthetic nicotine as well, the independent ecigarette industry began to develop nicotine analogues - variants of synthetic nicotine with altered molecular structure.
Can replace nicotine in prohibition countries
Methateine is the first nicotine analogue to reach the market and is virtually unregulated in both the US and Europe, meaning that it can be sold freely without authorisation or the usual restrictions. It is not unlikely that methatine could replace many existing vejp products in the US and other countries where nicotine is heavily regulated through various bans and taxes - at least until the legislation changes again.
"Works the same way"
But what is a nicotine analogue? What makes them different from regular and synthetic nicotine?
"A nicotine analogue works in the same way as nicotine in the body - it binds to nicotine receptors and the body responds by producing dopamine, which produces an effect. We therefore assume that it is also addictive - just like nicotine. But there are currently no reliable studies on nicotine analogues and their long-term effects, as there are for nicotine." Louise Adermark, nicotine researcher at the University of Gothenburg to Vejpkollen.
Infinite variety
Currently, a number of Chinese companies are developing different nicotine analogues independently - according to official reports it concerns a dozen or so - but there could be more. The variety of nicotine analogues is almost endless. The development of analogues can be compared to synthetic cannabis/THC variants - where manufacturers get around legislation by changing something in the structure and launching it as a completely new unregulated drug.
"That's the big problem with nicotine analogues. The aim is to circumvent the existing legislation on nicotine. The research is not keeping up." says Louise Adermark to Vejpkollen.
Affects in the same way
When it comes to the risk of harm, she is a little more cautious. Few studies exist in this area, while some researchers believe that methate is potentially more addictive than nicotine. Manufacturers also claim that methane is more effective than nicotine, i.e. less of the substance is needed to achieve the same effect as nicotine.
"I have not seen any independent studies that suggest that methate binds more strongly to the nicotinic receptor than regular nicotine. But based on what we know today, and as I said, there are not many studies, there is nothing to suggest that using methane is more or less risky than using nicotine. It affects the heart and blood vessels and thus the blood circulation - albeit temporarily - in the same way as nicotine. We know that nicotine can also be harmful to the unborn child during pregnancy, for example. The same is very likely to be true for methate." says Louise Adermark.
Metatin is sold in Sweden
In several parts of the world, different countries are imposing restrictions on how nicotine flavoured e-liquids can be sold. Several European countries currently ban all flavours other than artificial tobacco and menthol, even though the demand for other flavoured e-liquids is very high. This has opened the door to possible alternatives such as nicotine analogues, which are not yet specifically regulated.
Tax-free - for now
But even in Sweden, where the Riksdag recently voted against a flavour ban, methane liquids are on sale in some vejp shops. Here, the main difference between methane and nicotine is price. More than half of the cost of a nicotine juice is made up of taxes. Methane, on the other hand, is tax-free pending a decision by the relevant authorities. Brands such as NoNik and Metatine are therefore products that are currently completely unregulated both in terms of taxes and potential doses.
"Considering that the tax was recently raised to over 4000 SEK per litre for highly concentrated nicotine and a tiny nicotine shot costs almost 100 SEK, it's not surprising that retailers are trying something new. I don't like the idea of methane and other nicotine analogues, but I can understand why this is happening," says Linus Gustafsson, one of the few entrepreneurs authorised to stock and manufacture nicotine-containing e-liquids in Sweden.
Concerns about tougher legislation
He does not sell nicotine analogues himself, but is seeing more and more shops in Sweden starting to do so. According to Linus Gustafsson meth has gone completely under the radar of policy makers who really have no idea how e-liquid and vejpning work. Although companies are doing their best to adapt their product range to various regulations and restrictions, it is inevitable that different nicotine analogues will make their way onto store shelves, he says.
"Yes, they are already available in shops in various forms. Many customers have reacted to the sharp rise in nicotine prices. And why would someone who quit smoking want to pay sky-high prices for a nicotine shot when there are much cheaper alternatives? I personally think this is a very bad development, not only because we don't actually know much about the long-term effects of using meth, but because it is likely to lead to unnecessarily harsh regulation of everything to do with vejpning." says Linus Gustafsson.
Cautiously favourable to synthetic nicotine
Louise Adermark, for its part, argues that the development of synthetic nicotine, but not necessarily nicotine analogues, is not an entirely bad idea.
"I'm actually cautiously in favour of synthetic nicotine. It's a way of getting away from tobacco itself and all the misery that tobacco growing brings. We are talking about both environmental problems and terrible working conditions. At the same time, it is a purer form of nicotine without traces of the plant kingdom. From a health perspective, it is probably better, although it shares the addictive properties and other risks of nicotine use, such as pregnancy," she says.
Can reduce dependence - maybe
At the same time, synthetic nicotine opens up opportunities to reduce dependence linked to the nicotinic receptor, says Louise Adermark. At least theoretically, for now.
"Nicotine stays on the nicotinic receptor for quite a long time. If it is possible to find a molecule that sticks for a shorter period of time, it may help to reduce the risks of addiction. Such a development has many advantages, but there are no good studies on this, yet" says Louise Adermark.
What should someone who uses nicotine today think? Methane is available in shops, but is it a viable and safe alternative, really?
"Unlike nicotine, this has not been tested in any way. However, I would say that the effects are quite similar. But remember, it's completely unregulated today, not least in terms of its concentration. It can be as high doses as you like. So if you're going to use it, you do so at your own risk." Louise Adermark to Vejpkollen.
"A wet dream"
She is joined by Niklas Linder who runs the e-juice company Swedish Mixology, which manufactures nicotine liquid for the Swedish market. He works closely with Swedish vejp companies and often consults on e-liquid, chemistry and regulatory issues. He describes the recent period as very busy in terms of methane and the new products now being launched on the Swedish market.
"It has been a wet dream for a long time to find a way to rationalise and thus reduce the amount of nicotine that a nicotine addict needs to get the desired effect. According to the manufacturers, and they can say whatever they want here today without really having any evidence to back it up, methane is four times more potent than nicotine. This means that you only need to use a quarter of the substance to get what you need. From that perspective, it is theoretically possible to reduce the risks that actually exist with nicotine, such as high blood pressure, stiff vessels and similar side effects." says Niklas Linder to Vejpkollen.
However, he points out that the labelling of products needs to be very clear, but that there is no industry standard or official regulation of, for example, the concentration. At present, a standard nicotine shot is sold at either 14 or 20 mg/nicotine per millilitre. For the methane, there is really no such limit. Yet.
"Labelling is very different between manufacturers. A common way is to not print how big the dose of metatine actually is, but how it corresponds to current standard for measuring nicotine. For example, it may say "20 mg effect" which would mean that the dose of methaine is 5 mg/ml but works equivalent to 20 mg nicotine per millilitre. An effect of 72 mg methaine/ml corresponds to 18.5 mg nicotine/ml. And so on. Others just print the "25 mg" point. It's the wild west." says Niklas Linder.
