A team of American researchers recently conducted a study to try to look for a common pattern among vapers, with the aim of finding out what drives people to smoke e-cigarettes.
The researchers studied the behaviors, attitudes and motivations behind e-cigarette use in both smokers and non-smokers in the United States. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that e-cigarettes are now the most popular tobacco product among adolescents.
A recent US study by Thomas Sussan aimed to investigate the behaviors, attitudes and motivations driving e-cigarette use in adults. His results were recently published in the journal BMC Public Health. This team surveyed three different Baltimore-area stores that sell e-cigarettes. The surveys contained 43 questions and included 320 adults.
Based on responses, participants were classified into one of three groups based on traditional cigarette use: never smokers, former smokers, and current smokers. Former smokers formed the vast majority of respondents and reported a longer period of e-cigarette use. Both current and former smokers reported that the main motivation for e-cigarette use was to help quit smoking. Nearly half of these participants also reported that they planned to eventually quit smoking and e-cigarettes. Former smoking participants also indicated that the motivation for use was as a nicotine replacement. Former and current smokers also indicated that their respiratory health was improved and was a result of using e-cigarettes. Those who have never smoked in general reported a lower prevalence of e-cigarette use and the motivation for this group of participants was primarily for fun and enjoyment purposes.
This study provides insight into the core thoughts, reasons, and behaviors of smokers and nonsmokers who use e-cigarettes. It also seems to suggest that while smokers' motivations for using e-cigarettes are primarily to aid smoking cessation and use as nicotine replacement, never smokers are a new demographic of e-cigarette users who have different motivations such as enjoyment.