Electric cigarette use has been on a rise, especially in the young adult population. This study identifies how flavoring in e-cigarettes affect its use in young and older adults. It also looks at how this flavoring my affect a person’s satisfaction or their perceived addiction to e-cigarettes. The different flavors used include mint, fruit and candy. They gathered data from 1,492 participates over the age of 18 years old. An online survey was used to gather quantitative data. This data can be used by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to determine restrictions on flavoring in e-cigarettes.
To collect data, researchers used a multivariable logistic regression. This type of model is when two or more independent variables are used to find a value of a dependent variable. The researchers used a survey with several open and close ended questions. This included things like sex, race, ethnicity, age, education, etc. They also asked them questions about e-cigarette use. These questions included reasons for starting vaping, flavor preferred, and if they believe they are addicted. Then online data was compiled to analyze the results.
Out of all the participants, 30% of them said that the flavoring in the e-cigarettes was the primary reason that they started using e-cigarettes. 63% of participants said they buy flavored e-liquid as opposed to tobacco flavored. They also found that participants that used flavoring rated their satisfaction and relative addiction higher than those who did not. Another discovery was that 18-24 year-old (young adult) participants were more likely to buy fruit or candy flavors rather than mint or tobacco flavoring. Overall, the researchers discovered that flavor does play a role in likelihood of beginning use of e-cigarettes along with increasing likelihood of participants considering themselves addicted. There was an association as well with fruit or mint flavors being “healthier” or “less harmful.” This information is important to consider when regulatory processes are being placed on e-cigarettes.
Take away: Flavoring in e-liquid for e-cigarettes may play an important role in the attractiveness of vaping, especially in young adults. The research shows that those who vape using flavoring such as fruit or candy are more likely to start vaping, enjoy vaping, and become addicted. This information is important for the FDA to consider when they are deciding restrictions to place on e-cigarettes. This study shows that restriction on flavoring used for e-cigarettes may lead to a decrease in the use.