Differences between Dual Users and Switchers Center around Vaping Behavior and Its Experiences Rather than Beliefs and Attitudes

Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of a study examining the differences between dual users and switchers of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) in terms of behavior, cognitions, and attitudes about e-cig use. The study aims to identify elements that could be included in an intervention for dual users who want to quit smoking completely.

Key Points:

* The study sample consisted of 40 dual users and 175 switchers, with most participants being Caucasian, highly educated, and working full-time.
* Both groups started smoking around the age of 15 and had a high dependence on e-cigs. They were mostly using state-of-the-art open system devices without modifications, liquid with a nicotine level between 4 and 8 mg/mL, and a flavor other than tobacco.
* Dual users and switchers did not differ in their experiences of social stigmatization and social forces working against vaping. However, dual users experienced more practical problems and negative consequences of vaping than switchers.
* Dual users were more inclined to use their regular tobacco cigarettes in stressful situations, after eating, when waking up, around other smokers, and when consuming alcohol. In contrast, e-cigs were more preferred in the car, at family events, after playing sports, at the office, around children, before eating, and around other vapers.
* The main reasons for both dual users and switchers to start vaping were that smoking is unhealthy, that vaping has more advantages compared to other cessation aids, and to quit smoking completely. However, dual users agreed more with the statement that they had started vaping to reduce smoking.
* The main correlates of dual use included the use of less advanced e-cigs, starting with lower nicotine levels at e-cig initiation, using e-cigs more occasionally, starting with e-cigs to avoid smoking bans in public places, and the perception that e-cigs are equally or even more harmful than smoking.

Main Message:
The study suggests that differences between dual users and switchers center around variables proximal to the vaping behavior and its experienced effects rather than hinging on more general vaping-related beliefs and attitudes. The findings could be used to inform interventions aiming at assisting dual users who want to quit smoking completely, including addressing the amount of e-liquid used, reported practical problems, and experienced lower e-cig efficacy. However, it is important to recognize and respect that not all dual users express the desire to quit smoking completely and to acknowledge the limits of e-cigs as a tool for THR.

Adriaens, Karolien, Dinska Van Gucht, and Frank Baeyens. “Differences between Dual Users and Switchers Center around Vaping Behavior and Its Experiences Rather than Beliefs and Attitudes.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, no. 1 (December 23, 2017): 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15010012.