The article, “Perceiving E-Cigarettes as Safe and Safer Alternative to Cigarettes Among Young Adults,” has been published in SAj.
In this commentary, the authors state that e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among youth in the United States. While overall normal cigarette smoking rates have declined over the last decade, the rising popularity of e-cigarettes has led to concern regarding the perpetuation of nicotine use, particularly in younger populations. E-cigarettes are not subject to the same restrictions historically placed on the tobacco industry, allowing for a variety of e-cigarette device types, flavors, and practices to proliferate in the United States. E-cigarettes are often marketed as a smoking cessation tool or harm reduction product, yet young adults rarely use e-cigarettes for these purposes. Rather, e-cigarettes appeal to young adults for a number of reasons, including: sleek design, user-friendly functions, less aversive experiences of taste, smell, and throat irritation compared to cigarettes, appealing flavors (eg, candy, fruit, or chocolate), accessibility to purchase while underage, and convenience and ability to discreetly use in places where cigarette smoking is not permitted. The consequences of e-cigarette use are well-established and include development of nicotine addiction, transition to combustible cigarette use, and adverse respiratory health effects. Despite these known risks, young people often are unaware of the negative consequences associated with e-cigarettes. Studies have shown that young people often believe that e-cigarettes are harmless and are a healthier alternative to cigarettes, and that they cannot become addicted to them. Furthermore, young people often believe that the mid- to long-term effects of e-cigarette use are not yet known, despite evidence to the contrary. Skepticism about e-cigarette harms and safety among young adults is particularly concerning, given the known consequences of e-cigarette use, and thus warrants continued consideration as a significant public health concern. Using one-on-one interviews with young adults who self-reported having recently used e-cigarettes on a regular basis, the authors examined young adult perceptions of e-cigarette use safety and harms.
In the AUTHORS’ OWN WORDS, they relate the importance of their work:
“While several young adults in our study denied that e-cigarettes were unsafe, others accepted that e-cigarettes were harmful and that they were the “guinea pigs” or early test subjects in proving these harms. Some acknowledged the existence of e-cigarette myths and marketing schemes targeting youth, yet they still continued to use e-cigarettes despite the adverse consequences to their health. Young adults’ denial or defiance of being the e-cigarette “guinea pigs” combined with increased access and exposure to e-cigarettes through peers and online vendors with little self-awareness of their vaping consumption is a deadly combination that can result in higher nicotine exposure and dependence. Given the addictiveness of e-cigarettes and the harm it can cause to a developing brain during adolescence, it is critical for future studies and public health interventions targeting young adults to debunk myths claiming that e-cigarettes are safer than cigarettes and thus not safe to use.”
“The current study describes accounts from young adults who vape regarding their perceptions of e-cigarette harm and safety. Many of their reasons were grounded in misperceptions rather than empirical studies in the literature, and addressing this misinformation should be a top public health priority to encourage and prevent young people from using e-cigarettes. It is unclear what young adults deem to be definitive and informative research and where they are obtaining their information from, which should be a subject for future research. Future public health interventions could target this discrepancy and better translate and disseminate emerging research to a young adult audience, promote anti-vaping campaigns that are youth-centered, and approach young adults as health-conscious consumers.”