Reasons for regular vaping and for its discontinuation among smokers and recent ex‐smokers: findings from the 2016 ITC Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey

Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of the reasons why people use and discontinue the use of nicotine vaping products (NVPs). The study is based on data from the 2016 ITC Four Country Smoking and Vaping Wave 1 (4CV1) surveys conducted in the United States, England, Canada, and Australia. The study examines reasons for current regular use and for discontinuing regular use of NVPs among current smokers and recent ex-smokers. The researchers also explore whether reasons for regular vaping and discontinuing use differ by vaping frequency, user's age, device type, smoking frequency (among smokers only), and quit duration (ex-smokers only).

Key points:

* The study found that the top reasons for current regular vaping among current smokers are help with cutting down smoking, less harmful to others, and help with quitting smoking. Among ex-smokers, the top reasons for current vaping are enjoyment, less harmful to others, affordability, and help to stay quit.
* Ex-smokers were more likely than current smokers to cite vaping being less harmful to others and enjoyment as reasons for vaping regularly.
* Daily vapers were more likely to cite help with quitting smoking, cutting down smoking, enjoyment, affordability, and social acceptability as reasons for vaping regularly compared to weekly vapers.
* Older ex-smokers were less likely to vape regularly for enjoyment and less harmful to others compared to younger ex-smokers.
* Open tank system users were more likely to cite help with quitting smoking, cutting down smoking, enjoyment, and affordability as reasons for vaping regularly compared to pre-filled cartridge system users.
* The top reasons for stopping regular vaping among smokers are lack of satisfaction with vaping, unhelpfulness for dealing with cravings, and unhelpfulness for quitting smoking. Among ex-smokers, the top reasons for stopping are no longer needing it to maintain smoking abstinence, lack of satisfaction, and safety concerns.
* Ex-smokers who had stopped vaping were more likely to stop because of addiction concerns compared to smokers who had stopped vaping.
* Daily smokers were less likely to discontinue regular vaping because of fear of addiction and being uncomfortable vaping in public compared to weekly smokers.

Main message:
The study highlights the importance of considering user characteristics when designing interventions to encourage or discourage NVP use. While most smokers and ex-smokers reported vaping regularly to quit smoking or stay quit, the reasons for use and discontinuation vary by smoking status, type of NVP device used, age of the respondent, and country of residence. The study suggests that NVPs may be a viable quitting aid or long-term substitute for smokers if they can be comparable to smoking in terms of managing cravings, affordability, social acceptability, and safety. However, concern about addiction and social unacceptability may deter some smokers from continuing to vape, and smoke-free laws may increase the social constraints on vaping, which may serve as a motivation for some to quit vaping and possible relapse to smoking for others.

Yong, Hua‐Hie, Ron Borland, K. Michael Cummings, Shannon Gravely, James F. Thrasher, Ann McNeill, Sara Hitchman, Elizabeth Greenhalgh, Mary E. Thompson, and Geoffrey T. Fong. “Reasons for Regular Vaping and for Its Discontinuation among Smokers and Recent Ex‐smokers: Findings from the 2016 ITC Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey.” Addiction 114, no. S1 (October 2019): 35–48. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14593.