A Review of Electronic Cigarette Use Behaviour Studies

Abstract

Summary E-cigarette use has increased markedly in the past five years; however, current data suggest that conventional smokers switching to e-cigarettes may account for much of the recent increase. How individuals use these products has strong implications for nicotine intake and exposure to other potential toxicants. Studies assessing e-cigarette user behaviours, including puff volume and duration, report wide variations across products, settings, and individuals. Understanding the factors that affect puffing topography will be central to standardising protocols for testing aerosol emissions and regulating e-cigarettes. The amount of aerosol generated can be influenced by a number of factors, including product design, vaping topography, and device setting as highlighted in this review. Further work to understand how the combination of these parameters affects the amount of aerosol generated will be central to defining protocols for testing and regulating e-cigarettes.