Summary
Introduction:
This text is a qualitative study that explores young adults' perceptions and uses of pod devices, specifically JUUL, compared to other tobacco products. The study aims to understand how young adults perceive and use next generation pod devices and how their use of pod devices differs from that of conventional cigarettes and other non-pod e-cigarettes. The study conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 young adult poly-tobacco users in California.
Key Points:
* The study found that pod devices have unique characteristics that likely encourage their uptake among young people.
* Participants highlighted the aesthetic similarity of pod devices to personal electronics, high levels of nicotine delivery with distinct psychoactive effects, more discreet and shorter duration use sessions, and greater social acceptability than more ostentatious non-pod e-cigarettes.
* The study sample was limited to 24 interviews with mostly male participants who used pod e-cigarette devices from a single geographic area.
* The study found that participants perceived pod devices as less harmful to health than cigarettes and noted pleasurable sensory experiences, including good taste and smell.
* Participants distinguished between 'real' smoke and 'vapour', expressing that the latter was most likely better for their health.
* The study found that pod devices differed from other non-pod e-cigarettes in several notable ways, including unique aesthetic appeal, ability to deliver nicotine at high concentrations, and convenience of using them quickly and discreetly.
* Participants' accounts of pod devices seemed to reflect new technology early adoption, with some finding it difficult to taper or reduce their nicotine intake.
Main Message:
The study suggests that pod devices' unique characteristics likely encourage their uptake among young people. Limitations on advertising in youth channels, flavors and distribution, and education about nicotine addiction may decrease initiation among young people and non-smokers. The study's findings highlight the importance of understanding why pod devices have become popular among young people and the need for regulations to prevent their uptake among non-smokers.
Citation
Keamy-Minor, Emily, Julia McQuoid, and Pamela M Ling. “Young Adult Perceptions of JUUL and Other Pod Electronic Cigarette Devices in California: A Qualitative Study.” BMJ Open 9, no. 4 (April 2019): e026306. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026306.
