Dangers of Counterfeit vape cartridges

Counterfeit vape cartridges have flooded the market and are fooling people into using dangerous and potentially lethal products.

While genuine cartridges are manufactured to an appropriate HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) safety program, fake vape cartridges are manufactured without controls to assure the product's quality.

Counterfeit vape cartridges can freely use poisonous, toxic, and unrefined substances like pesticides and metals. These generate toxins that can damage the lungs, make a person sick, and lead to death.

Simply put, using fake cartridges can kill you! If you're lucky, you will stop using the cartridge just in time before you get very sick.

Another danger to fake cartridges is when they are sold with fake or low-quality devices with a low-quality, unregulated battery. Battery fires and explosions are far more likely to happen with counterfeit devices.

What happens when you vape fake cartridges? 

Fake vape cartridges use low-quality ingredients cut with damaging ingredients like pesticides, herbicides, and heavy metals. Inhaling these damages the lungs, and it can also poison you if it enters your bloodstream.

Like these cases in America, damage to the lungs sometimes happens slowly, culminating in a trip to the hospital. In one case, a man was connected to a breathing tube and placed in a medically induced coma for one week.

In other cases, vaping fake cartridges produces immediate symptoms, like coughing, headache, tremors, nausea and vomiting. Vomiting is a serious side-effect of fake cartridges, and you should seek medical attention immediately.

Real versus fake vape cartridges – how to tell the difference

Fake cartridges either don't have this information or use the same information across all the cartridges. You can also query the batch number and lot number with manufacturers to ensure that the cartridges are real.

The best way to ensure you get genuine cartridges is to buy from a reputable vendor like Crystallized Nectar or direct from the manufacturer. If you try your luck elsewhere, you are at risk of picking up dangerous products.

The worst fake vape cartridges are easy to spot because the quality of the packaging or materials is nowhere near the official product. Other times, fake cartridges are convincing, especially with popular vaping brands.

Here are some best practices for vape cartridges:  

• Avoid the black market.

• Avoid resellers with no legitimate business.

• If you come across cartridges that look real, but you aren't convinced, walk away from them.

• If you come across cartridges that are priced too good to be true, they probably are too good to be true.

• If the cartridge doesn't taste right, throw it out.

• Avoid any cartridges containing Polyethylene glycol, Propylene glycol, or Vegetable glycerine, which are not approved for inhalation.

• Cartoons, superheroes, and emojis on cartridges nearly always mean they are fake. Most vape brands have clean, legible packaging.

• If in doubt about any vape cartridges you buy, take them into a local reputable vape shop and ask for their opinion.

Remember – only use vape cartridges you are sure about.