Do They Differ? Flavored versus Unflavored Waterpipe Tobacco Flavor Ingredients

Objectives: In this study, we characterized the sweet flavor ingredients in 2 internationally popular waterpipe tobaccos, flavored and unflavored. Methods: Tobacco extracts were quantified for humectants, sugars, menthol, nicotine, and sugar alcohols. Qualitative screening of flavor volatiles was performed, and 12 flavor volatiles were quantified. Results: Humectant content was 20 times greater in the flavored brand versus the unflavored, largely due to greater concentration of the glycerol. Sugar content was approximately 1.7 times higher in the flavored tobacco. Vanillin levels were > 200 times greater in the flavored brand. Nicotine content of the unflavored tobacco was 1.5 times greater on a mg/g tobacco basis, which can be explained by the much larger humectant mass content of the flavored tobacco. Conclusions: Flavored waterpipe tobacco may contain significantly greater amounts of humectants and flavor components (the compounds that make up the overall flavor), which may be harmful to users, compared to unflavored. Limiting flavors in waterpipe tobacco could aid in maximizing public health benefits.