Perceived Sensory Characteristics of Blended and Ambiguous "Concept" Flavors Among Adolescent and Young Adult E-cigarette Users.

This article examines the use and sensory perceptions of "flavor blends" and "concept flavors" among adolescent and young adult e-cigarette users aged 15–24 in the United States. Flavor blends are e-cigarette flavors with descriptive names indicating combined tastes or sensations (e.g., Banana Ice), while concept flavors have ambiguous or non-characterizing names (e.g., Tropic, Winter). Survey data from 2,281 current users collected in late 2020 show that most respondents used at least one flavor blend (74.8%) or concept flavor (57.9%) in the past 30 days, with popular flavors characterized by fruity, sweet, and cooling sensory attributes. The study finds that many concept flavors possess sensory profiles similar to flavor blends with descriptive names, suggesting that ambiguous naming does not reduce youth appeal. The findings highlight the persistence of flavored e-cigarettes with high youth appeal despite regulatory restrictions and support expanding flavor regulations to include all device types and flavor categories to better address youth e-cigarette use.