Summary
Introduction:
This article is a case study of the barriers to e-cigarette use for smoking cessation in two working-class areas in Northern England. The study was conducted through ethnographic research and interviews with 59 smokers and e-cigarette users. The study found that concern about continued nicotine addiction, both as a loss of control and as a neglect of financial responsibilities, was a major barrier to e-cigarette use.
Key Points:
* The study was conducted in two working-class areas in Northern England over an 18-month period.
* The research included ethnography and interviews with 59 smokers and e-cigarette users.
* The study found that concern about continued nicotine addiction was a major barrier to e-cigarette use.
* Participants were unhappy about addiction as a loss of control, which they experienced as a moral failure, and as a neglect of financial responsibilities, which they referred to as 'thrift as care.'
* Participants reduced the moral burden of addiction by lowering nicotine content, rejecting pleasure, and minimizing expenditure.
* Ensuring that vaping is significantly cheaper than smoking may be key to addressing health inequalities linked to tobacco use.
Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of understanding the cultural and moral dimensions of addiction in addressing barriers to e-cigarette use for smoking cessation. The findings suggest that for working-class smokers, minimizing the financial burden of addiction may be a greater concern than reducing health risks. Therefore, ensuring that vaping is significantly cheaper than smoking may be an effective strategy for addressing health inequalities linked to tobacco use.
Citation
Thirlway F. Nicotine addiction as a moral problem: Barriers to e-cigarette use for smoking cessation in two working-class areas in Northern England. Social science & medicine (1982). 2019;238:112498. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112498
