Constituents of “teabacco”: A forensic analysis of cigarettes made from diverted nicotine replacement therapy lozenges in smoke‐free prisons

Abstract

Following the implementation of prison smoke-free policies, there have been reports of prisoners creating substitute cigarettes made from nicotine replacement therapy patches or lozenges infused with tea leaves ("teabacco"). No studies have analyzed the chemical constituents of teabacco made from nicotine lozenges, so as to document any potential related health hazards. Teabacco samples were made by a participant who reported creating teabacco while incarcerated in a smoke-free prison in Queensland, Australia, and the process was video-recorded for replication in a laboratory. A simple linear smoking system captured the teabacco smoke for analysis. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used to analyze elemental composition and gas chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS) analyzed the captured smoke using the National Institute of Standards and Technology mass spectral library. Analyses determined that quantities of copper, aluminum, and lead concentrations, and levels of inhaled total particulate matter, were above recommended guidelines for safe ingestion. Analysis of teabacco smoke using GC-MS identified potentially toxic compounds catechol and nicotine. However, our findings show that smoking this form of teabacco is less harmful than smoking teabacco made from nicotine patches, or smoking traditional tobacco cigarettes. Considering the limited potential health harm of smoking teabacco made from lozenges, and that nicotine lozenges represent the only form of smoking cessation support for individuals entering smoke-free prisons, we caution against the removal of nicotine lozenges from Queensland's prisons, at least until further research directly establishes health harms associated with this form of teabacco.

‘Teabacco’: Smoking of nicotine‐infused tea as an unintended consequence of prison smoking bans

“…Although this study did not directly measure the health impacts associated with teabacco smoking, participants in other studies have described a number of associated negative health consequences, such as nose bleeds, vomiting, and headaches. These symptoms may support results of a forensic analysis demonstrating the release of harmful toxins following the smoking of teabacco made from nicotine patches , as well as results from our forensic analysis of teabacco made from nicotine lozenges showing that while smoking teabacco made from nicotine lozenges does result in the release of some mildly harmful toxins, overall these chemical constituents are far less harmful than those released from smoking teabacco made from nicotine patches, or traditional tobacco. As a result, our findings do not support removing nicotine lozenges from correctional facilities, in response to diversion, at least until further research directly establishes the health consequences of smoking teabacco made from nicotine lozenges.…”