Young Adults’ Electronic Cigarette Use and Perceptions of Risk

Abstract

In the United States, 18.6% of college students between 19-and 22-years old report e-cigarette use in the last 30 days. Information regarding e-cigarette use and perceptions in this age group may assist in understanding how to decrease initiation of e-cigarettes in a population that may otherwise not use nicotine. The purpose of this survey was to determine current e-cigarette use and how e-cigarette use history relates to a college student’s perceptions of health risks associated with e-cigarettes. A 33-item questionnaire was sent to students at a Midwestern university in Fall 2018. Overall, 3754 students completed the questionnaire. More than half of the respondents (55.2%) had used e-cigarettes and 23.2% identified as current users of e-cigarettes. Current e-cigarette users were more likely to agree that e-cigarettes are a safe and effective option to quit smoking, while never users were more likely to disagree (safe P < .001, effective P < .001). Current users were less likely to agree that e-cigarettes may harm a person’s overall health than never users ( P < .001). Young adults continue to be frequent users of e-cigarettes. There are significant differences in perceptions of e-cigarettes associated with use history. Additional research is needed to see how perceptions and use of e-cigarettes have changed considering lung injury reports and increased regulations in the U.S.