Look, that's legitimate, although I think it has become a little exaggerated over time.
Pluid doesn't glow and doesn't make your tongue numb. It doesn't eat
through materials that 'fragile', but rather targets certain chemically unstable plastics that
shouldn't be used to store foodstuffs anyway. It doesn't eat
through paper, for instance, or through plastics that are recommended for use with chemicals and foods, such as HDPE or PP (as far as I know).
BUT:
I.
My problem with ALL commercial
e-liquids,
Pluid included, is that they don't come with a list of ingredients. Well, most... You can obtain such a list for Dekang liquids and from V2 Cigs, probably others but these are the ones I know.
Do you realize that no other consumer product intended for ingestion or inhalation shares this... mystery?
So, you know, even before AEMSA, I always said one
should be worried about inhaling stuff that has no lab tests and no ingredient list behind.
That's why I went DIY.
II.
We know, actually know, that the basic ingredients of e-liquid - nicotine, PG and glycerin - are safe. So, then, the only way you can really tell yourself that you are doing a reasonably safe thing is if you vape unflavored. The next best thing is to add a little menthol - it is one of the few flavorants out there that has extensively been used for inhalation and is generally safe-ish.
The more flavorful an e-liquid, the more unknowns are added to the equation. LOTS of pre-mixed contain multiple flavorants which are complex molecules and many other additives - sweeteners, stabilizers, colorants, ethanol, PEG, and so forth. While one can hope (again, no ingredient lists) the vendors actually only use food grade / GRAS substances, we have NO CLUE what such substances do when inhaled rather than ingested. We do know that some sweeteners do break down when heated and release carcinogens and pro-inflammtory molecules and so forth. We don't know the amounts that make it into the inhaled vapor. But we do know that some such exposures often do not have a linear exposure-risk profile.
We also know that to be dangerous, a substance doesn't have to manifest specific physical properties. No, all poisons do not turn silver black. The opposite is also true - not all things that may corrode certain materials are dangerous just because of that fact.
III.
Polycarbonate and certain LDPEs and other plastics should not be used for vaping.
We know that they leech into liquids based on the pH. A lot of juices, in fact probably MOST commercial juices have a relatively low pH. We also know that PG is a very good solvent and should be kept away from anything it can dissolve at low pH. So Pluid aside, no one should still be selling polycarbonate tanks!
Some vendor who specifically targeted Pluid for their attacks, was also boasting that their tank material is bullet proof. However, that material is not even close to acid / corrosion proof. That just goes to show what kind of cognitively impaired people make and sell vaping gear...
Again, there are a lot of unknowns, but one should always apply a rule of thumb - if a certain material is recommended for storage of laboratory reactants, then it is possibly safe for vaping. Otherwise, not. Period.
What I really am trying to say is Pluid has been singled out for reasons that do not make entirely a lot of sense, but the same reasons could make sense in urging a little more caution with all / most e-liquids and with many storage and vaping implements. And my opinion, which is probably very unpopular, is that until and unless e-liquids are subject to at least the same standards as foodstuffs and beverages this discussion is going nowhere.
I think inquiry and caution should NEVER be stifled. On the other hand, it is a bit unfair to ask Murdock to release his
birth certificate ingredients while no other vendor has to.
