Nicotine use in the United States continues to be a widespread public health concern despite evolution in consumption delivery and preparation. Though conventional forms of nicotine consumption, primarily those related to tobacco, have decreased in popularity, novel forms like portable vaporizer technologies have grown in prevalence. College student use of vaporized nicotine is no exception to the overall rise in popularity of these products. Despite the intentional appeal to aesthetics, taste, and lack of apparent smoke inhalation, the health effects of vaporized nicotine products have not been studied extensively, with most early studies indicating increased risk of lung injury amongst other exposure-driven conditions. While nicotine is a typical component of a vaporizer product preparation, cannabis-derived components are being increasingly incorporated into these technologies in areas where cannabis sales have been legalized. This pilot study aims to assess how health care providers choose to communicate concerns and guidance to college students related to vaping.
The study’s sample is composed of 50 licensed healthcare providers (including physicians, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists) recruited via a survey of the State University of New York’s corresponding healthcare system. The participants responded to Likert-scale-based surveys which characterized the following variables: knowledge/confidence in speaking with students about vaping; prior training or education regarding vaping; professional practices and personal beliefs about the practice of vaping. Due to the pilot nature of the study, data analysis was performed using primarily descriptive statistics.
Results of the surveys indicated that roughly three-quarters of the healthcare providers indicated vaping to be a problematic behavior on their respective college campuses. Over 80% of the providers reported feeling “knowledgeable” and “confident” regarding vaping, but two-thirds of the providers also reported unfamiliarity with what nicotine containing products were most popular among student populations. Providers were significantly more interested in investigating the harms rather than the benefits of vaporizer use (p<0.01), and over 80% asserted that increased knowledge regarding these effects as well as their patients’ use status could lead them to provide higher quality clinical care.
Takeaway: healthcare providers on college campuses report concerns over vaping practices among students. The majority of providers also expressed interest in growing their knowledge base on the subject matter and allowing it to refine their care techniques.