“I don’t know whose mouth has been on this”: youth nicotine and cannabis vaping practices in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Early COVID-19 safety protocols urged physical and social distancing, resulting in minimal contact with others. As social contexts are central to vaping among youth, we used semi-structured interviews to describe how youth who vape are making sense of their use practices and adaptations. The qualitative analyses revealed changes in vaping frequency and access, social isolation shaping substance- and product-specific use, and motivations and outcomes of dual use of nicotine and cannabis which were closely linked to the pandemic. The findings indicate variation of youth vaping experiences within the early stages of the pandemic that should be attended to in future studies.

A preliminary characterization of cannabis oil use and vaporization among individuals who use for medical purposes: A pilot study.

“…Indeed, previous qualitative work examining medical cannabis vaporization behaviors has cited the discretion of vaporization as a benefit of this mode of administration (Aston et al, 2019). Qualitative work during the first year of the pandemic found young adults were more likely to consume cannabis alone (Dumas et al, 2020) and vape cannabis when experiencing social isolation (Islam et al, 2022) suggesting this pattern may apply more broadly. Taken together, while cannabis vaporization convenience and discretion can be leveraged, this sample reflects at home and independent usage most often.…”