‘A good method of quitting smoking’ or ‘just an alternative to smoking’? Comparative evaluations of e-cigarette and traditional cigarette usage by dual users

Introduction:
This article is a qualitative study examining the factors that influence a group of dual users of e-cigarettes and traditional tobacco cigarettes to use e-cigarettes and their comparative evaluations of e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes. The study also considers the role of smoking-related identity in this decision-making and evaluation.

Key points:

* Participants were recruited through social media, local shops, and a university in an urban location in southeast England.
* Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants, who were aged between 18 and 40 years, fluent in English, able to be interviewed face-to-face, and using both e-cigarettes and traditional tobacco cigarettes at the time of the interview.
* Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to generate a set of meaningful patterns or themes associated with the research questions.
* Participants reported using e-cigarettes for health and financial reasons, as well as due to peer influence and the wider context of permitted usage.
* Participants drew comparisons between traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes, with some reporting that e-cigarettes were more complicated to use and less readily available, while others reported that e-cigarettes offered greater customization possibilities.
* Participants also reported different social evaluations of cigarette and e-cigarette usage, with cigarettes being associated with negative connotations and e-cigarettes being seen as more fashionable.
* Participants' identity as smokers, vapers, or neither was also influenced by their usage of e-cigarettes and traditional tobacco cigarettes.

Main message:
The study provides valuable insights into the factors that influence dual users of e-cigarettes and traditional tobacco cigarettes to use e-cigarettes. The findings suggest that decision-making and motivations concerning e-cigarette use are complex and influenced by personal and social factors. The study also highlights the role of identity in this decision-making, with participants reporting different social evaluations of cigarette and e-cigarette usage that influenced how they saw themselves as smokers, vapers, or neither. The study's findings have important implications for regulatory matters, particularly in terms of understanding the motivations and experiences of dual users of e-cigarettes and traditional tobacco cigarettes.

Vandrevala, Tushna, Adrian Coyle, Victoria Walker, Joshelyn Cabrera Torres, Izobel Ordoña, and Panna Rahman. “‘A Good Method of Quitting Smoking’ or ‘Just an Alternative to Smoking’? Comparative Evaluations of e-Cigarette and Traditional Cigarette Usage by Dual Users.” Health Psychology Open 4, no. 1 (January 2017): 205510291668464. https://doi.org/10.1177/2055102916684648.