Premium
Are long‐term vapers interested in vaping cessation support?
Author(s) -
Etter JeanFrançois
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1111/add.14595
Subject(s) - smoking cessation , nicotine , quit smoking , electronic cigarette , medicine , psychiatry , pathology
ABSTRACT Aims We investigated whether long‐term vapers were interested in vaping cessation support. Design, Setting and Participants Online survey in 2017 of long‐term vapers ( n = 347), mainly in France, Switzerland and Belgium, enrolled through e‐cigarette and smoking cessation websites. Measurements Opinions on potential vaping cessation services. Findings Participants had been vaping for 4 years on average (standard deviation 1 year), most were daily vapers (96%, n = 333), former smokers (88%, n = 303), vaped nicotine‐containing liquids (88%, n = 305), reported being dependent on e‐cigarettes (89%, n = 308) and had no intention to stop vaping (66%, n = 229). Few (10%, n = 34) had already tried to stop vaping. Among those ( n = 118, 34% of 347) who intended to stop vaping, 27% ( n = 32) thought that a health professional could help them stop vaping, 33% ( n = 39) would visit a vaping cessation service if available in their neighbourhood, 23% ( n = 27) would use nicotine medications to stop vaping, and if a vaping cessation website or smartphone app. were available, 46% ( n = 54) would use them. In open‐ended comments ( n = 94), participants reported that they did not see why they should stop vaping ( n = 37), in particular because vaping helped them quit smoking ( n = 17) and was less toxic than smoking ( n = 9), that smoking cessation aids had not worked for them and neither would similar aids help them stop vaping ( n = 6), and that they would stop vaping by gradually decreasing the nicotine content in their e‐liquids ( n = 12). Conclusions Most long‐term vapers in this 2017 European online survey had no intention of stopping vaping, but one‐quarter to one‐half of those who intended to stop were interested in using vaping cessation support.