Even though it is an unusual idea and E-liquid has an entirely different purpose, you may wonder what happens if you drink vape juice. The first thing to check is the risks and possible consequences of such an act.

For instance, experienced vapors often taste a droplet of vape juice to test its flavor. Its taste is slightly unpleasant, but such a small amount is harmless to intake. On the other hand, drinking highly concentrated nicotine vape juice may cause severe health conditions.

What Is E-liquid?

All kinds of E-cigarettes simulate smoking but without burning tobacco. These battery-powered devices heat E-liquid (vape juice, E-juice) into an aerosol that vapers inhale into their lungs.

Vaping means inhaling non-nicotine vapor or the one from juice containing nicotine or cannabis. Besides these optional substances, each juice includes flavors and a desired propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin ratio.

Most manufacturers also add numerous additives and even dyes into their products, which uncontrolled variety can be a problem. For instance, one of the most significant issues is nicotine content in vapes labeled as non-nicotine.

Nicotine is a popular vape ingredient for ex-smokers. However, some novices who have never smoked become vapers to enjoy nicotine content without experiencing cigarette side effects.

Besides being highly addictive, nicotine can be toxic when ingested in high doses. Numerous researches show that this substance extracted from tobacco plants can quickly kill an adult after taking it at a concentrated level of 500 mg.

With that in mind, it is unlikely to die from nicotine while vaping since E-liquid has a standard nicotine level range from 0 to 20 mg/ml. However, some data suggest that the lethal dose for adults is about 30 to 60 mg.

In other words, swallowing 10 ml of E-liquid from one bottle can be alarming. Since the lethal dose for kids is significantly lower, only 1 mg/kg, you should think twice about where to store your supplies.

Is vape liquid in mouth harmful?

Vaping is safer than smoking, but E-liquid often contains nicotine salts. Therefore, you can expect unpleasant consequences after drinking this juice, although it rarely causes fatal outcomes.

However, it primarily depends on the E-liquid strength. For instance, juice with 3 mg/ml nicotine can’t harm you, but the one with 18 mg/ml quickly causes nausea.

Research results show that ingesting over 0.2 mg of nicotine per kilogram of your body weight leads to overdose. Fortunately, it is unlikely to ingest such a high dosage.

For instance, the upper limit for someone weighing 175 pounds (79 kg) is swallowing the entire 20 mg juice from a 10 ml bottle.

Remember that even E-liquid without nicotine can cause problems, particularly in sensitive people prone to allergies. Therefore, always check the label for possible allergens. There is also an issue with packaging you should consider.

The FDA prevented the irresponsible practice of selling E-juice in brightly colored packaging like those for whipped cream and juice in 2018. That November, this organization warned seventeen leading vape juice manufacturers to quit packaging that reminded of kid-friendly snacks and juices.

One of the most irresponsible cases was E-juice manufacturers, who created vape devices that looked similar to bottles with prescription cough medication. Luckily, the FDA reacted immediately.

Even though these companies changed packaging appearance, parents should be careful when buying vape products. Any bright-colored packaging with sweet animals or cartoon characters may lead children to try the content. That is a sure way to put your kid at risk of nicotine poisoning.

Risks of Nicotine Ingesting

You can expect that a small amount of E-liquid occasionally gets into your mouth while vaping because of accidentally inhaling or tank leakage. Such incidental exposure is safe, but you should avoid repeating that.

Once vape juice gets in your mouth, you can feel a bitter taste, but the level of inconvenience depends on the flavor you use. Be prepared that some choices are more unpleasant than others.

Even though that is typically harmless, you can end up with throat irritation. Depending on the juice type and strength, it can be simple discomfort or soreness followed by coughing.

These symptoms often pass after a short period after ingesting a few drops of juice. However, taking large amounts of E-liquid can sometimes be risky and cause nicotine poisoning. Expected symptoms include dizziness, increased heart rate, and vomiting.

If it happens to ingest too much vape juice, you can expect two types of effects after exposure to nicotine. Let’s take a look.

Immediate effects

The first signs of nicotine poisoning appear after 15 to 60 minutes. It will start with sweating, nausea, and light headache. Sometimes, more severe symptoms appear, such as:

• Dry throat
• Chest pain
• Sweating and dizziness
• Pale skin
• Difficulty breathing
• Increased blood pressure
• Tachycardia
• Diarrhea

Such a condition requires immediate medical treatment. Otherwise, you may face long-term effects and even fatal outcomes in rare cases. Besides, you can spot additional late-phase symptoms one to four hours after nicotine intake. They include the following:

• Shallow breathing
• Blurred vision
• Lower blood pressure
• Slower heartbeat and reflexes
• Weakness and lethargy
• Muscle twitching and spasms
• Seizures

Long-term effects

Unfortunately, nicotine poisoning sometimes causes several long-term side effects, primarily on your heart. In this case, the heart rhythm accelerates to the point of potentially causing a heart attack. The additional problem is that damage to the heart and arteries can be for life.

Reasons for Nicotine Ingesting

You can sometimes feel E-liquid in your mouth while vaping. Even though it is almost risk-free when the amount of juice is low, you should check the device to prevent such a thing from repeating. Possible reasons include the following:

Faulty hardware – In the case of a malfunctioning or damaged vape device, E-juice may flood the coil, causing leaking through the mouthpiece.

Overfilled vape – Something like this happens after refilling your device, causing excess E-liquid to leak through the mouthpiece.

Laying a vape device on its side – Always keep the device upright when you don’t use it. Otherwise, you may face leaking vape juice, particularly when you overfill it.

Too quick vape inhalation – Be aware that too strong juice sucking through the mouthpiece can lead to pressure increasing, juice leaking, and possible swallowing.

What to Do After Ingestion?

If you unintentionally intake a small amount of E-juice, the first thing to do is to spit it out immediately, rinse your mouth with tap water, and brush your teeth. These actions help in removing juice traces.

In most cases, that is enough, but you should ask for medical help if you spot any nicotine poisoning symptoms. Finally, find the cause of the juice leaking and fix it or buy a new device.

Ways to Prevent Unintentional Vape Juice Ingesting

Regarding your safety, the most practical way to prevent ingesting a few drops of liquid while vaping is to follow recommendations about the device’s use.

Check rubber tops – The coil has a rubber top that seals the opening, preventing juice from reaching central tubing and ending up in your mouth. Check it before use and replace a damaged one.

Hold the device correctly – Never hold the vape at an angle. When its end is higher than the mouthpiece, leaked E-liquid can reach your mouth through the mouthpiece more effortlessly. Avoiding vaping while lying in bed can save you from many troubles.

Avoid overfilling – Measure the E-liquid amount carefully to prevent overfilling the vape device. If that still happens, clean the excess juice with a paper towel.

Screw coil head – Inadequately screwed coil head allows juice to leak. Therefore, ensuring the coil head is tightly screwed into the clearomizer base before using your device for the first time is critical. It sometimes arrives loosened or becomes like that after the coil change.

Worn-out coil head – When this part is worn, faulty, broken, or expired, it may result in juice leaking. The only solution is to replace the coil head and keep using the device as usual.

Sometimes, a reason for drinking E-liquid is out of your control. However, you should find a way to reduce possible accidents to an acceptable minimum when possible. So, you should take care to:

• Make a pause after refilling a tank and wait for the juice to settle
• Check for possible leaking and fix it before using the device
• Store the vaping device properly, particularly when you don’t use it
• Label E-liquid containers
• Store the juice and a device away from children, particularly toddlers, and pets
• Throw away expired and unused juice safely

Be aware that drinking even the most minor amounts of E-liquid with nicotine can be dangerous to kids and pets. Fortunately, regulations limit nicotine-containing vape juice to 10 ml bottles, while most cartridges have a capacity of 0.5 to 1 mL.

That is one of the ways to reduce the risk of children reaching a bottle and consuming the content. Be aware that symptoms in kids are typically more severe than in adults, particularly regular vapers.

Summary

Swallowing a drop or two of E-liquid won’t harm you, but avoiding such activity is better because it is designed for inhaling, not ingesting. Drinking juice from a vape device may cause severe health issues, including nicotine poisoning. Please, be careful and don’t do that!

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