Summary
Introduction:
This text presents a longitudinal study examining patterns of e-liquid flavor use and variety-seeking among New Zealand adult smokers attempting to transition to electronic cigarettes. The study's key points provide insights into the role of flavor variety in smoking cessation and highlight opportunities for tailored policies in e-cigarette retail environments.
Key Points:
* The study enrolled 32 adult smokers who were not currently using e-cigarettes and were willing to use them to stop smoking. Participants attended up to five in-depth interviews over a 12-20 week period.
* Participants were provided with a starter e-cigarette kit and supplied their own e-liquids. E-liquid use data were extracted from verbatim interview transcripts and categorized into flavor categories.
* Most participants selected tobacco flavored e-liquid at intake, but many described variety-seeking behaviors, which typically occurred during the first 12 weeks of enrollment.
* Participants' variety-seeking behaviors were common and often involved trying multiple flavors within the first 12 weeks of e-cigarette use.
* The policy allowing diverse e-liquid flavors at specialist stores only could support users' variety-seeking and potentially create opportunities to couple e-liquid purchasing occasions with cessation advice during the first months of a transition attempt.
Main Message:
This study emphasizes the importance of considering flavor variety in e-cigarette retail environments to support smoking cessation. Policies allowing diverse flavors at specialist stores only could create opportunities to promote cessation among e-cigarette users and minimize the appeal of e-cigarettes to young people and non-smokers.
Citation
Blank ML, Hoek J. Choice and Variety-Seeking of E-liquids and Flavor Categories by New Zealand Smokers Using an Electronic Cigarette: A Longitudinal Study. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. 2021;23(5):798-806. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntaa248
