Characteristics of nicotine vaping products used by participants in the 2016 ITC Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey

Introduction:
This text describes the results of a study that aimed to characterize nicotine vaping products (NVPs) used by participants in the 2016 ITC Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey in four countries with varying regulatory and enforcement approaches toward the marketing and sale of NVPs. The study examined the types of NVPs used, device characteristics, refill solution characteristics, and factors associated with device preference.

Key Points:

* The study included 5147 adult current and former smokers and current NVP users in Australia, Canada, England, and the United States.
* Device type differed by pattern of use and country, with exclusive daily vapers more likely to use refillable pen-shaped or box-shaped devices than disposable cigalike devices.
* Nearly all respondents reported using flavored NVPs, with fruit being the most common flavor, and most users also reported that their products contained nicotine.
* Refillable devices were the most popular, with refillable box-shaped devices more commonly reported in Australia and the United States, and refillable pen-style devices more commonly reported in England and Canada.
* A multinomial logistic regression examined factors associated with device preference, controlling for country, product use pattern, and demographic factors.
* Exclusive, daily e-cigarette users compared with those who smoke cigarettes were more likely to report using a pen-style device with refillable tank or a box-shaped device with a refillable tank over cigalikes.

Main Message:
The study found that refillable nicotine vaping products were the most common type of NVPs used by daily vapers in Australia, Canada, England, and the United States in 2016. Most daily vapers reported using flavored e-liquids/refills and most reported using products that contain nicotine, even where vaping products with nicotine were banned. The results suggest that the regulatory environment may affect the devices used, nicotine content and usage, and hence the ability of NVPs to substitute for cigarettes. Understanding the nature of the vaping market and how, in what context and by whom devices are used is important for developing standards that address the safety, labelling, and nicotine delivery of NVPs.

O’Connor, Richard J., Brian V. Fix, Ann McNeill, Maciej L. Goniewicz, Maansi Bansal‐Travers, Bryan W. Heckman, K. Michael Cummings, et al. “Characteristics of Nicotine Vaping Products Used by Participants in the 2016 ITC Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey.” Addiction 114, no. S1 (October 2019): 15–23. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14571.