Summary
Introduction:
This article reports on a longitudinal study of smoking customers who bought their first e-cigarette in a brick-and-mortar vape shop in Flanders. The study aimed to assess the effect of buying an e-cigarette for the first time on future smoking status.
Key Points:
* The study included 71 participants who were regular smokers at the beginning of the study.
* Participants were asked to fill out questionnaires at three different time points: intake, three months, and six months.
* The study found that after six months, 18% of participants had quit smoking completely, 25% had at least halved their CPD, and 57% had failed to reduce CPD by at least 50%.
* Quitters consumed more e-liquid than reducers and those who continued to smoke.
* Harm perception for e-cigarettes did not change over time or differ between the different reduction rate groups.
* Participants were using 3rd/4th generation e-cigarettes and e-liquid with a nicotine concentration of on average 7 mg/mL.
* The e-cigarette profile of those still vaping at FU1 and FU2 was similar for both moments.
Main Message:
The study found that around one in five smoking customers buying their first e-cigarette in a brick-and-mortar vape shop had quit smoking completely after six months. However, it is important to note that the nicotine concentration used and the amount of e-liquid consumed were relatively low, which could possibly and partially explain the relatively low quit-smoking rates. Salespeople of vape shops could advise novice vapers to use e-liquid with sufficiently high nicotine concentrations, and/or not to be afraid of vaping frequently and as much as needed or desired.
Citation
Adriaens, Karolien, Dinska Van Gucht, and Frank Baeyens. “About One in Five Novice Vapers Buying Their First E-Cigarette in a Vape Shop Are Smoking Abstinent after Six Months.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, no. 9 (August 31, 2018): 1886. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15091886.
