Factors Associated With Electronic Cigarette Users’ Device Preferences and Transition From First Generation to Advanced Generation Devices

Abstract

Introduction: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are becoming increasingly popular but little is known about how e-cig users' transition between the different device types and what device characteristics and preferences may influence the transition. Methods: Four thousand four hundred twenty-one experienced e-cig users completed an online survey about their e-cig use, devices, and preferences. Participants included in analysis were ever cigarette smokers who used an e-cig at least 30 days in their lifetime and who reported the type of their first and current e-cig device and the nicotine concentration of their liquid. Analyses focused on transitions between "first generation" devices (same size as a cigarette with no button) and "advanced generation" devices (larger than a cigarette with a manual button) and differences between current users of each device type. Results: Most e-cig users (n = 2603, 58.9%) began use with a first generation device, and of these users, 63.7% subsequently transitioned to current use of an advanced generation device. Among users who began use with an advanced generation device (n = 1818, 41.1%), only 5.7% transitioned to a first generation device. Seventy-seven percent of current advanced generation e-cig users switched to their current device in order to obtain a "more satisfying hit. " Battery capabilities and liquid flavor choices also influenced device choice. Conclusion: E-cig users commonly begin use with a device shaped like a cigarette and transition to a larger device with a more powerful battery, a button for manual activation and a wider choice of liquid flavors.

Smokers' Early E-cigarette Experiences, Reasons for Use, and Use Intentions

“…Finally, almost twice as many smokers indicated that they would prefer to try an e-cigarette that looked “similar” to a real cigarette than one that looked “different”. This represents a challenge for the e-cigarette industry in that those more similar-looking “cigalike” styles are also limited in their ability to deliver the nicotine “punch”, vapor clouding and satisfaction of higher level larger “vaporizer”, “tanks” and “mods” (“VTM”) models that look “different” and appear to be preferred by established users 10,31,32 However, as the popularity of VTM styles continues to grow and these products become more familiar to the public, smokers may feel less ambivalent about trying and using these more advanced devices.…”

Cue-reactivity in experienced electronic cigarette users: Novel stimulus videos and a pilot fMRI study

“…The survey asked respondents about their smoking history, e-cigarette use, and device preferences. Additional details about the survey are reported in Foulds et al (2015) and Yingst et al (2015). Survey data were collected and managed using REDCap electronic data capture tools hosted at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and College of Medicine (Harris et al, 2009).…”

“…These experiments used first generation (less efficient) devices and participants who were not experienced with them. Recent studies demonstrated that experienced users with more advanced devices are capable of delivering physiologically active doses of nicotine to the blood, more comparable with absorption from traditional cigarettes (Farsalinos et al, 2014; Vansickel and Eissenberg, 2013), and that e-cigarette users can remain addicted to nicotine--though this does vary substantially based on device and usage characteristics (Etter and Eissenberg, 2015; Foulds et al, 2015; Yingst et al, 2015). Although some types of e-cigarettes appear capable of delivering nicotine with the same speed and dose as a combustible cigarette (Spindle and Breland, 2014), many e-cigarettes provide much less nicotine per ―puff‖ than combustible cigarettes (Dawkins and Corcoran, 2014; Farsalinos et al, 2014; Nides et al, 2014; Schroeder and Hoffman, 2014; Yan and D’Ruiz, 2015).…”

Should electronic cigarette use be covered by clean indoor air laws?

“…22 Craving was measured by asking “Do you ever have strong cravings to use an electronic cigarette?” (yes/no) Advanced generation devices were defined as devices larger than a traditional cigarette or with a button to press prior to inhalation. 23 Previous smoking was measured by asking “Have you ever been a traditional cigarette smoker?” (No, Never; Yes, in the past; Yes, current occasional user; Yes, current daily user). Participants reported the time since quitting smoking in days, months, or years, based on the participant’s preference, and all answers were converted into months.…”