A Comparison of E-Cigarette Use Patterns and Smoking Cessation Behavior among Vapers by Primary Place of Purchase

Introduction:
This article examines the relationship between e-cigarette users' primary place of purchase and their e-cigarette use patterns, smoking quit attempts, and smoking cessation. The study aims to distinguish between vape shops and smoke shops that carry vaping products and to obtain a more complete picture of the distribution of e-cigarette sales across different channels. The study is based on two surveys of e-cigarette users conducted in 2014 and 2016.

Key Points:

* E-cigarette users' primary place of purchase is related to their e-cigarette use patterns, smoking quit attempts, and smoking cessation.
* Vape shop customers had the highest percentage of ever smokers (94.7%) and were more likely to be daily e-cigarette users (59.1%) compared to retail (19.7%), smoke shop (23.2%), and internet (42.9%) customers.
* Vape shop customers were more likely to use open system e-cigarettes (92.8%) compared to retail (3.2%), smoke shop (41.1%), and internet (51.3%) customers.
* The percentage of customers purchasing from vape shops increased from 20.4% in 2014 to 37.6% in 2016, surpassing general retail (27.7%) as the most likely channel in 2016.
* Former smokers were more likely to purchase e-cigarettes from vape shops (40.2%) compared to retail (17.7%), smoke shop (19.3%), and internet (35.1%) customers.
* Among those who reported being a smoker 12 months before the survey, vape shop and internet customers quit smoking at higher rates (22.2% and 22.5%, respectively) relative to retail (10.7%) and smoke shop (9.4%) customers.
* Retail customers were more likely to have used an FDA-approved quit aid (46.9%) compared to smoke shop (23.5%), and vape shop (21.8%) customers.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of considering e-cigarette users' primary place of purchase when examining their e-cigarette use patterns, smoking quit attempts, and smoking cessation. The study found that vape shop customers, in particular, had different e-cigarette use patterns and smoking cessation outcomes compared to retail, smoke shop, and internet customers. The study also found that the percentage of customers purchasing from vape shops increased significantly from 2014 to 2016, indicating a shift in the market towards vape shops as a primary place of purchase for e-cigarettes. Overall, the study suggests that a broader set of channels should be considered in future studies of e-cigarette use.

Hsu, Greta, Anthony C. Gamst, Yue-Lin Zhuang, Tanya Wolfson, and Shu-Hong Zhu. “A Comparison of E-Cigarette Use Patterns and Smoking Cessation Behavior among Vapers by Primary Place of Purchase.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, no. 5 (February 28, 2019): 724. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16050724.