Biochemically verified smoking cessation and vaping beliefs among vape store customers

Introduction:
This text is a research report on a study examining the biochemically verified smoking status and vaping behaviors and beliefs among customers of vapor stores. The study aims to provide a better understanding of the characteristics and patterns of vapor store customers, as this group is believed to be distinct from those purchasing products from other sources. The study also examines the relationship between smoking cessation and ENDS preferences and select use behaviors.

Key Points:

* The study is a cross-sectional survey of 215 adult vapor store customers at four retail locations in the Midwestern United States.
* Most customers reported starting ENDS as a means of smoking cessation, using newer-generation devices, vaping non-tobacco/non-menthol flavors, and using e-liquid with nicotine strengths of 5-20mg/ml.
* There was a high rate of switching to newer-generation ENDS among those who started with a first-generation product.
* Exhaled CO readings confirmed that 66% of the tested sample had quit smoking. Among those who continued to smoke, mean cigarettes per day decreased from 22.1 to 7.5.
* People who reported vaping longer, using newer-generation devices, and using non-tobacco and non-menthol flavored e-liquid were more likely to have quit smoking.

Main Message:
The study provides valuable insights into the characteristics and behaviors of vapor store customers, a group that is increasingly important in the market for ENDS. The findings suggest that using newer-generation devices and non-tobacco/non-menthol flavored e-liquid are associated with higher rates of smoking cessation among vapor store customers. These results could have implications for future research and regulation of ENDS.

Tackett, Alayna P., William V. Lechner, Ellen Meier, DeMond M. Grant, Leslie M. Driskill, Noor N. Tahirkheli, and Theodore L. Wagener. “Biochemically Verified Smoking Cessation and Vaping Beliefs among Vape Store Customers.” Addiction 110, no. 5 (May 2015): 868–74. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.12878.