A Deliberate Choice? Exploring the Decision to Switch from Cigarettes to E-Cigarettes
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Recruitment
2.2. Procedure
2.3. Qualitative Coding and Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Knowledge
‘You use an e-liquid, there are a lot of flavors, you can choose whether you want with or without nicotine, and there are many different types…’(#3_smoker about e-cigarettes)
3.2. Attitude
‘I think it’s [e-cigarettes] really weird and pathetic. Everybody will be laughing at you.’(#23_non-user)
‘It [e-cigarettes] is really easy to use […] and you can even use it inside, great if you’re in the bus […] Or you can use it for a just bit, instead of smoking an entire cigarette. I think I’d enjoy that…’(#17_smoker)
3.3. Deliberation
‘Switching from cigarettes to e-cigarettes […] it was a deliberate choice. I had an e-cigarette laying around and I tried it a few times. I liked the flavor and the satisfaction it gave me [throat hit from nicotine]. In the end I ordered a really nice one because I decided I was going to quit smoking. So yeah, it was a really deliberate choice…’(#13_e-cigarette user)
‘One of my friends had one [e-cigarette] and I thought: That might be a way to quit smoking.’(#14_smoker)
‘Everybody smoked, so I started too […] there wasn’t a point where I thought: OK, from now on I’m a smoker. All of a sudden, you just are one. Smoking is not a deliberate choice you make, something you really think about.’(#1_smoker)
3.4. Information Need of E-Cigarettes
3.5. Additional Aspects
3.5.1. Risk Perception
‘So I thought: ‘it’s just vape. That can’t be really harmful for you or your lungs. So if I just vape, and I don’t do it every day […] that won’t be so wrong.’(#4_e-cigarette user)
‘My grandfather smoked, like me, and you can see his health is getting worse and worse. He suffers from emphysema, I don’t want that. So I wanted to quit.’(E-cigarette user_#26)
‘I often say that besides a hobby it’s [e-cigarette use] also a lifestyle.’(#21_e-cigarette user)
3.5.2. Social Environment
‘My mother had one [e-cigarette], so I tried it too.’(#17_e-cigarette user)
‘It’s a community […] Very similar to bikers! You know how they all greet each other on the road? The vaping community is the same.’(#21_e-cigarette user)
‘One of my friends told me: ‘Try a cigarette!’ So I did, and I liked it and I continued smoking.’(#15_smoker)
‘I was really afraid to tell my parents that I smoke […] they were so disappointed.’(#11_smoker)
3.5.3. Trust in Information
‘Researchers often don’t know what they are doing (#20_e-cigarette user) […] yes we need to know about the experiences of e-cigarette users.’(#16_e-cigarette user)
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Demographics | E-Cigarette Users | Cigarette Smokers | Non-Users |
---|---|---|---|
Age µ (±) | 31.8 (±12.2) | 19.8 (±3.2) | 15.2 (±1.1) |
Education n(%) | |||
High | 2 (8%) | 7 (41%) | 5 (22%) |
Middle | 15 (58%) | 6 (35%) | 8 (35%) |
Low | 9 (35%) | 4 (24%) | 10 (43%) |
Gender n(%) | |||
Male | 19 (73% | 8 (47%) | 8 (35%) |
Female | 7 (27%) | 9 (53%) | 15 (65%) |
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Romijnders, K.A.G.J.; van Osch, L.; de Vries, H.; Talhout, R. A Deliberate Choice? Exploring the Decision to Switch from Cigarettes to E-Cigarettes. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 624. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16040624
Romijnders KAGJ, van Osch L, de Vries H, Talhout R. A Deliberate Choice? Exploring the Decision to Switch from Cigarettes to E-Cigarettes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019; 16(4):624. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16040624
Chicago/Turabian StyleRomijnders, Kim A.G.J., Liesbeth van Osch, Hein de Vries, and Reinskje Talhout. 2019. "A Deliberate Choice? Exploring the Decision to Switch from Cigarettes to E-Cigarettes" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, no. 4: 624. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16040624
APA StyleRomijnders, K. A. G. J., van Osch, L., de Vries, H., & Talhout, R. (2019). A Deliberate Choice? Exploring the Decision to Switch from Cigarettes to E-Cigarettes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(4), 624. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16040624