When 'Zero' Means Nothing

It's long been known that some 'zero-nicotine' vapes, actually contain substantial amounts of this highly-addictive material. It's now been demonstrated that 6 out of 7 tested 'zero-nicotine' vapes, sold on Amazon, have illegal levels of the alkaloid. Obviously, sellers of these vapes must believe addition of an addictive sustance, benefits their profits. People purchasing such vapes, however, are being tricked into becoming addicted/maintaining an existing addiction (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/sep/23/nicotine-free-vapes-sold-on-amazon-found-to-contain-nicotine). Vapes are marketed as 'healthier' than smoking cigarettes, as they lack the tar, linked to lung cancer. The long-term consequences of being exposed to nicotine are, however, currently unassessed. A floated UK government proposal to progressively ban cigarette smoking by young folk ((https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/sep/22/rishi-sunak-considers-banning-cigarettes-for-next-generation ) could be of little medical benefit, if it simply helps push them into the arms of vaping product manufacturers. This is especially true, when sections of the producers of vapes, appear to be prepared to addict by stealth.