Summary
Introduction:
This text is a summary of a research study examining the sensory experiences and cues associated with e-cigarette use among individuals who were unable to quit smoking combustible tobacco cigarettes (CTCs) using traditional FDa approved medications but were successful in doing so with e-cigarettes. The study also explores former smokers’ perceptions about the influence of sensory experience with e-cigarette use on CTC cessation outcomes.
Key Points:
* The study used a nonrandom purposive sample of 156 participants who completed an online cross-sectional survey.
* Participants reported feeling the vapor in their throats, windpipes, noses, lungs, and on their tongues; reductions in nicotine craving; and enjoyment of their e-cigarette, including tasting, smelling, and seeing the vapor and touching the device.
* Women had greater craving reduction than men, those who began smoking at 13 years of age or younger had more satisfaction and had greater sensory enjoyment than those who began smoking at 16-17 years of age, and participants 18-34 years old rated e-cigarettes as being more pleasant compared to 45 + years olds.
* Eighty-four per cent of participants reported the sensation of the vapor as important in quitting CTCs, and 91% believed the sensations accompanying e-cigarette use contributed to their smoking cessation success.
Main Message:
The main message of the study is that for those who failed to quit previously using approved cessation medications to stop smoking cigarettes, sensory experiences associated with e-cigarette use may help smokers quit smoking. This suggests that addressing the sensory impact of smoking, which is not currently addressed by FDa approved cessation medications, may be an important factor in achieving smoking cessation.
Citation
DiPiazza J, Caponnetto P, askin G, et al. Sensory experiences and cues among E-cigarette users. harm reduction journal. 2020;17(1):75. doi:10.1186/s12954-020-00420-0
