Prevalence of Young Adult Vaping, Substance Vaped, and Purchase Location Across Five Categories of Vaping Devices.

Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of a study examining the prevalence of young adult vaping, the substances vaped, and purchasing behaviors across five categories of vaping devices. The study aims to contribute to the understanding of how different device types and their nuances contribute to the prevalence rates of vaping among young people, ultimately informing policy needs and facilitating changes to improve public health.

Key Points:

* The study surveyed a cohort of young adults in the Los Angeles area, restricting the sample to those under 21, to whom the sale of tobacco products was not legal.
* Participants were asked about their use, substances vaped, and purchasing behaviors for each of four device type categories and for JUUL specifically.
* The prevalence of past 30-day use was highest for pod-style vapes (any pod = 17.0%; JUUL = 15.1%).
* Among respondents who reported ever owning any device, 59.9% reported purchasing the device themselves, despite not being of legal purchasing age.
* Across all device types, products were most often purchased in vape shops or online.
* Stronger tobacco control policies and better enforcement efforts are needed to successfully prevent underage purchase of tobacco products.

Main Message:
The study emphasizes the importance of understanding how different device types contribute to the prevalence rates of vaping among young people. The findings highlight a high proportion of underage young adults who reported owning their own vaping device and having purchased it themselves from a vape shop or online. This highlights the need for stronger tobacco control policies and better enforcement efforts to prevent underage purchase of tobacco products, particularly among never smokers.

Cwalina SN, Braymiller JL, et al. Prevalence of Young Adult Vaping, Substance Vaped, and Purchase Location Across Five Categories of Vaping Devices. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. 2021;23(5):829-835. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntaa232