Is It Safe to Vape? Analyzing Online Forums Discussing E-Cigarette Use during Pregnancy.

INTRODUCTION

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use, or vaping, is increasing against a backdrop of declining smoking rates. E-cigarettes contain fewer toxicants than cigarettes, but their appearance and mode of use has the potential to satisfy the habitual aspects of smoking. To date, we know little about lay perceptions of the safety of using e-cigarettes in pregnancy.

METHODS

We conducted a thematic discourse analysis of 13 online discussion forum threads that discussed e-cigarette use during pregnancy. We focused on the major discursive strategies that forum posters used to debate the safety of e-cigarette use during pregnancy.

RESULTS

We identified three distinct ways in which forum posters debated the safety of using e-cigarettes during pregnancy: 1) quitting (nicotine) cold turkey is unsafe, 2) vaping is the lesser of two evils, and 3) vaping is not worth the risk.

CONCLUSIONS

Discussions about the safety of e-cigarettes drew on the premise that 1) immediate cessation of nicotine was potentially harmful and unsafe, 2) e-cigarettes were a harm reduction tool, or 3) vaping could be dangerous and should be avoided. Although these arguments are not necessarily specific to pregnancy (beside mentions of fetal-specific risks), this analysis points to the need to educate and support women about harm reduction options.

IMPLICATIONS

Health professionals should be aware that some women may be currently using or considering using e-cigarettes in an effort to quit or reduce smoking. It is important that health professionals are equipped to educate women with accurate, up-to-date, and balanced information about the risks and benefits of e-cigarette use during pregnancy.