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                            Funding & Awards
 Through the E-Cigarette Looking Glass: The Impact of Vaping Ethanol on DUI Investigations
Award Information
Awardee
              VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
Award #
              2018-75-CX-0036
Funding Category
              Competitive Discretionary
Location
                    RICHMOND, VA
Congressional District
              4
Status
              Closed
Funding First Awarded
              2018
Total funding (to date)
              $517,961
Original Solicitation
              NIJ FY18 Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2018, $517,961)
Electronic cigarettes have been shown to produce ultra-fine aerosol particles facilitating the absorption of drugs into the bloodstream. E-cigarettes are advertised to be a healthier alternative to cigarette smoking, but current generations are customizable, opening an avenue for abuse potential with Drugs Other Than Nicotine (DOTNs). E-cigarette models continue to evolve, allowing users to vape a wider variety of substances, such as waxes, resins, and solid plant materials and to also conceal the devices more effectively. Recent publications have also demonstrated e-liquids to contain a range of ethanol concentrations, as high as 23% ethanol. The chemical components of e-liquids may interfere with the breath test devices and the typical wait period meant to allow ethanol in the mouth to re-absorb may not be sufficient to eliminate interferences for the breath analysis. Additionally, vaping high concentrations of ethanol may alter the traditional model for absorption and distribution understood for drinking ethanol. This research proposes to evaluate the impact of vaping ethanol on two types of roadside field sobriety tests for assessing alcohol in breath: a preliminary breath test device and an evidentiary breath test device. A collaboration with the Virginia Department of Forensic Science and the VCU Police Department will facilitate the administration of the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests and breath analyses. Blood, urine, and oral fluid will be collected and analyzed in order to evaluate the correlation of ethanol biomarkers and impact of vaping and any influence to impairment from vaping ethanol. Finally, continual evolution of e-cigarette devices and vaping products will be monitored and characterized as they continue to be promoted on internet sites as effective devices for consuming DOTNs. The results of this research will support the collection and interpretation of evidence performed roadside by law enforcement officers and will support forensic toxicologists as they testify.
This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law, and complies with Part 200 Uniform Requirements - 2 CFR  200.210(a)(14).
CA/NCF



  
Grant-Funded Publications
        
                      Five Things About Vaping and Electronic Cigarettes
                  Survey of US Residents and Their Usage of Electronic Cigarettes with Drugs Other Than Nicotine
                  The history, evolution, and practice of cannabis and E-cigarette industries highlight necessary public health and public safety considerations
                  Through the Looking Glass: Abuse of the Evolving Electronic Cigarette and the Impact of Vaping Ethanol in the Evaluation of Impairment
                  A determination of the aerosolization efficiency of drugs of abuse in a eutectic mixture with nicotine in electronic cigarettes
                  Delta(8)-THC, THC-O Acetates and CBD-di-O Acetate: Emerging Synthetic Cannabinoids Found in Commercially Sold Plant Material and Gummy Edibles
                  Cannabinoid-based vaping products and supplement formulations reported by consumers to precipitate adverse effects
                  A Retrospective Analysis of Chemical Constituents in Regulated and Unregulated E-Cigarette Liquids
                  Identification of Gamma-Butyrolactone in JUUL Liquids
                  The analysis of commercially available natural products recommended for use in electronic cigarettes
                  Characterization of E-cigarette coil temperature and toxic metal analysis by infrared temperature sensing and scanning electron microscopy - energy-dispersive X-ray




  
Grant-Funded Events
        
                      Vaping in the Weeds: The Merging of the E-cigarette and Cannabis Industries

  
Date Created: September 27, 2018
    
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