Summary
Introduction:
This article examines vaping patterns, nicotine dependence, and reasons for vaping among american Indian dual users of cigarettes and electronic cigarettes. The study surveyed 375 adult american Indian smokers in Oklahoma and focused on the subset of 44 current dual users.
Key Points:
* The study defined dual use as using electronic cigarettes (ECs) on some days or every day in the past 30 days.
* about one-third of dual users vaped ten or more times daily, and two-thirds used a tank product.
* Eleven percent used ECs without nicotine and another 9% were unsure of the nicotine content.
* Forty percent enjoyed vaping more than smoking, and most (76%) would smoke first on days they did both.
* Thirty-one percent vaped within 5 min of waking and another 24% within 30 min.
* The Penn State Dependence Index suggested greater dependence on smoking than vaping (11.02 vs. 6.42, respectively; p< .0001).
* The most common reasons for vaping were to reduce smoking (79%), enjoyment of flavors (78%), and ability to vape where smoking is not allowed (73%).
Main Message:
The study found that nearly 20% of dual users used ECs either without nicotine or without knowing if the product contained nicotine. additionally, the Penn State Dependence Index indicated greater dependence on smoking than vaping. The reasons for vaping were nearly equal between smoking reduction and enjoying flavors. Understanding patterns of dual use can inform future efforts to address nicotine dependence in american Indian communities with high prevalence of smoking.
Citation
Rhoades Da, Comiford aL, Dvorak JD, et al. Vaping patterns, nicotine dependence and reasons for vaping among american Indian dual users of cigarettes and electronic cigarettes. BMC public health. 2019;19(1):1211. doi:10.1186/s12889-019-7523-5
