TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A new study reveals low awareness among some Taiwanese electronic cigarette users they are vaping nicotine.

The online study, which received 1,608 valid samples from people aged 15 to 49, found that 5.5% are active vapers. The survey found 44.6% of them do not realize many vaping cartridges contain nicotine, according to the Health Promotion Administration (HPA).

According to an inspection conducted by the Food and Drug Administration, up to 90% of vaping products on the market were found to contain nicotine. For the nicotine-free ones, many still have methanol, ethanol, or other toxic substances, HPA said.

Meanwhile, HPA noted that there have been incidents from Taiwan and abroad where e-liquids are discovered to be laced with drugs, including amphetamine and cannabis. The agency is urging people to exert caution due to addiction risks and health hazards associated with vaping.

In other findings, the survey indicates that 21.8% of smokers are also e-cigarette users, and nearly 20% of vapers are unaware exposure to secondhand vape aerosol could be harmful to health. In addition, around 66.4% of respondents support a ban on e-cigs.

Medical experts are calling on the public to heed the vapor-induced illnesses in heart and lungs. Those who take to both traditional and neo tobacco products have a sevenfold chance of contracting COVID-19 compared to nonsmokers, CNA quoted Wu Yen-wen (吳彥雯), director of Far Eastern Memorial Hospital’s Cardiovascular Medical Center, as saying.

Read more: Taipei set to ban sale of vaping and heated tobacco products