"It Felt Like I Was Smoking Nothing:" Examining E-cigarette Perception and Discontinuation among Young Adults

In this study, we sought to understand why young adults from urban low-income regions discontinue using e-cigarettes.

We recruited 97 tobacco users aged 18-26 years from Baltimore, Maryland to participate in 17 focus groups. Qualitative data were analyzed using framework analysis.

Being less satisfying than combustible tobacco, perceived cumulating costs, and negative physical effects were expressed as top reasons for never using or discontinuing the use of e-cigarettes.

Understanding why young adults discontinue e-cigarette use is critical to inform e-cigarette intervention efforts and public policy. If e-cigarettes are to be promoted as harm reduction devices for combustible tobacco users, it will be important to ensure that they are affordable, satisfying, and formulated to minimize negative physical effects.