Online Vape Shop Customers Who Use E-Cigarettes Report Abstinence from Smoking and Improved Quality of Life, But a Substantial Minority Still Have Vaping-Related Health Concerns

Abstract

(1) Background: Characteristics and usage patterns of vapers (e-cigarette users) have mainly been studied in web-based convenience samples or in visitors of brick-and-mortar vape shops. We extended this by targeting customers of one particular online vape shop in the Netherlands; (2) Methods: Customers were questioned on their smoking history, current smoking and vaping status, reasons for vaping, perceived harmfulness, and potential health changes due to vaping; (3) Results: Almost everyone (99%, 95% CI 0.96, 1.00) smoked before they started vaping. A great majority agreed that unlike with other smoking-cessation aids, they could quit smoking (81%, 95% CI 0.79, 0.90) due to vaping. Almost all customers were regular vapers (93.6%, 95% CI 0.89, 0.96) who used state-of-the-art open system devices without modifications and e-liquid with 10 mg/mL nicotine on average. Vapers reported using e-cigs to quit smoking, because e-cigs are healthier, and for financial reasons. The majority (52.6%, 95% CI 0.46, 0.60) perceived vaping as not that harmful to not harmful at all, but one fifth (21.8%, 95% CI 0.16, 0.28) believed vaping to be harmful. More than half (57.8%, 95% CI 0.50, 0.65) reported gaining more pleasure from vaping than from smoking. A substantial majority (84.2%, 95% CI 0.78, 0.89) agreed that their health had improved since they started vaping; (4) Conclusions: Findings are similar to those obtained in other vape shop studies, but also to the results of convenience samples of less-well-defined populations.

About One in Five Novice Vapers Buying Their First E-Cigarette in a Vape Shop Are Smoking Abstinent after Six Months

“…In line with this, participants bought 3rd/4th generation e-cigarettes but noteworthy, e-liquid with a nicotine concentration of on average no more than 7 mg/mL. This nicotine concentration is in the same range as observed in two other studies in Flemish/Dutch vapers, where online vape shop customers (eight in 10 complete switchers) used on average 9.7 mg/mL of nicotine and 4–8 mg/mL of nicotine was the most frequent choice in both dual users and switchers of another more recent convenience sample [ 38 , 39 ]. However, when taking into account not only the nicotine concentration but also the volume of e-liquid consumed per week, it must be noted that the overall volume of about 13 mL/week in the current study is substantially lower than the 19.5 mL/week in the Van Gucht and colleagues sample and definitely lower than the 38.1 mL/week in the Adriaens and colleagues sample (23.7 mL/week in dual users, 41.4 mL/week in switchers) [ 38 , 39 ].…”

Electronic cigarettes: an aid in smoking cessation, or a new health hazard?

“…Surveys of e-cigarette users suggest that e-cigarettes are used as smoking-cessation aids, while a large proportion of e-cigarette users manage to quit smoking or substantially reduce smoking consumption. 144 – 147 However, these studies use convenience samples, suffer from selection bias and cannot represent the general population. A study of vapeshop customers objectively assessed the smoking status of participants by measuring exhaled carbon monoxide and identified that 66% of participants had quit smoking.…”

Chemical Characterization of Electronic Cigarette (e-cigs) Refill Liquids Prior to EU Tobacco Product Directive Adoption: Evaluation of BTEX Contamination by HS-SPME-GC-MS and Identification of Flavoring Additives by GC-MS-O

“…As reported in the results section, across all 97 e-liquids tested, benzene concentration levels ranged from 2.7 µg/L (in samples 3-B and 6-D, both produced in Italy) to 30,200.0 µg/L (sample 3-A produced in China). This means that, if we consider the daily average consumption of e-liquids by a regular vaper approximately equal to 3 ml per day [48], the total amount of benzene potentially inhaled by the vaper within one day would have ranged from 0.0081 µg to 90.6 µg. For the most contaminated Chinese brand (brand A) the total amount of daily inhaled benzene with 3 ml e-liquid consumption would have varied in the range 21.6-90.6 µg.…”

“…The remaining 38 e-liquids were declared nicotine-free. Most of the investigated e-liquids were flavored and may be included in the following typical flavor categories: tobacco (48), mint (17), sweets/candy (11), spicy (7), fruits (3), coffee (3), and alcohol (3). Before analysis, all e-liquids were properly stored at room temperature and kept away from direct sunlight, as recommended on the product label.…”