Motivations for E-Cigarette Use Among Young Adults: An Abstract

Abstract

Use of e-cigarettes (EC) has increased rapidly, particularly among young adults, and the devices themselves have evolved from cigarette replicas, or “cigalikes”, to more distinctive and ostentatious devices including vaping pens and customised vaporisers. Changes in ECs’ design, appearance, and performance highlight the potential for alternative product styles to appeal to very different consumer groups and may explain why uptake has occurred among both smokers and non-smokers. While cigalikes look like smoked cigarettes, “mods” have ostentatious designs and produce overt vapour displays. The diverse array of EC options raises questions about who uses different devices, how they use these, and what they seek and gain from using EC. Using ritual and social identity theories, we explored how EC users constructed usage experiences and imbued these with personal and social significance. We conducted in-depth interviews with 16 young adults who live in New Zealand, where sale of nicotine delivering EC is not currently permitted. All participants had used an EC within the last 30 days. We examined participants’ trial, subsequent uptake, and experiences of using EC. Interviews lasted between 40 and 75 min and data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach.