Alcohol consumption in college student populations produces a litany of consequences related to physiological and psychological harm, decreased academic performance, and public safety issues. Drinking often occurs simultaneously with other substance use behaviors, with nicotine-based devices being no exception. While traditional forms of tobacco consumption have lost popularity over time, electronic nicotine delivery systems (“vaping” for the purposes of this paper) have emerged as alternatives perceived to be less deleterious, despite the growing body of scientific evidence which states otherwise. This study provides a background and examination of vaping in college students.
The study’s sample consists of 670 undergraduate students from a medium-sized liberal arts university in the northeastern United States (n=670, 60% female, 90.3% white). Eligibility criteria included active enrollment and reporting a history of vaping. Participants completed surveys which assessed the following measures: demographics, simultaneous/non-simultaneous use of alcohol and vaping products, vaping history, vaping motivations, and vaping outcome expectancies (via the Short Form Vaping Consequences Questionnaire). Participants were grouped according to vaping-alcohol use patterns (simultaneous users, non-simultaneous users, and both simultaneous and non-simultaneous users) Analysis of the data was performed using general descriptive statistics in addition to ANOVA and Chi-Square tests for group differences.
Results of the data found users who vaped both simultaneously and non-simultaneously (with regard to alcohol use) were more likely to use vaping products on a daily basis compared to those who reported only simultaneous use. Simultaneous and non-simultaneous users also reported a significantly larger number of vaping motivations than their counterparts (e.g. vaping is healthier than tobacco, convenient to use, etc.). Participants who reported only simultaneous use endorsed motivations related to appetite suppression and emotional regulation.
Takeaway: the motivations and expectancies of college students who use vaping products vary in different contexts of alcohol consumption. Students who vape both with and without alcohol are suggested to be the heaviest vape users.