E-cigarette Perception and Usage Among Consumers of Platinum Vapes

Objectives: Currently, public health researchers within the field of tobacco control are faced with the abrupt popularity of electronic cigarettes (EC). Although the effectiveness of ECs are uncertain, research has shown electronic cigarettes to increase in popularity among the young adults. Hence, this study will further explore the user’s perception of ECs safety, the frequency of utilization of EC, and the impact of ECs on nicotine usage.
Methods: A 40 question paper survey exploring the knowledge, behavior and attitude of EC users was made available for three weeks at Platinum Vapes in San Jose, CA, after approval by UCLA Institutional Review Board (IRB). 82 surveys were collected and analyzed.
Results: A descriptive analysis and numerical comparison was calculated among the responses. 67% of the sample population perceived ECs to be less harmful than conventional cigarettes and 82% would recommend ECs as a smoking cessation product. Furthermore, of the 30 people who attempted to quit smoking within the past 12 months, 28 stated that ECs were the only product they used. Regarding the frequency of usage, 49% and 38% stated that they used ECs at home daily and hourly, respectively. ECs users reduced their liquid nicotine concentration from the time they started using ECs to time of data collection (t = -6.61, p < 0.0001).
Conclusions: Though there is lack of research concerning the benefits/risks of ECs, the immediate benefits of ECs such as nicotine reduction and temporary smoking cessation encourages the increase popularity and frequency of ECs usage. Hence, it becomes crucial to health care providers to understand the short-term and long-term health effects of electronic cigarettes, so they can better advise their patients on the health consequences of ECs usage.