Notley Caitlin, Varley Anna, Pope Ian, Dawkins Lynne, Ward Emma
Lifespan Health Research Centre, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norwich, UK.
Addiction. 2025 Mar;120(3):458-467. doi: 10.1111/add.16570. Epub 2024 Jun 16.
Youth use of disposable vapes has increased markedly in the United Kingdom in recent years, yet little is known about the motivations, experiences and perceptions of young people themselves. This study aimed to explore young people's experiences and use of disposable vapes.
This was a qualitative study recruiting young people reporting regularly vaping disposables, collecting data via dyad guided, individual and group interviews. Data analysis was theoretically informed by the Social Ecological Model. Inductive and deductive coding approaches were used, with resolution of coded interpretations by consensus.
Twenty-nine young people aged 16-20 years participated in qualitative interviews. At the individual level, participants discussed how characteristics of disposable vapes were important to them-particularly price, accessibility and the attractive designs, colours, names and flavours. Young people frequently engaged in both vaping and tobacco smoking, seeing the behaviours as interchangeable dependent on context, and having inaccurate relative harm perceptions of vaping compared with smoking. Experimentation was widespread and many used vapes as a way of managing stress and anxiety. Vaping was positioned as a social behaviour, common among peers. Parental influence on vaping behaviour was minimal, although vaping initiation could be influenced by family vaping norms. Culturally, vaping was a widespread normalized behaviour. Young people were aware of media reports and potential harms, but were less aware of smoking related harms as a consequence.
Disposable vapes appear to be attractive and accessible to young people in the United Kingdom. Vaping is normalized in this population, despite being seen as potentially damaging to health, and vaping and smoking are engaged in interchangeably. Underage sales of vapes are reportedly widespread. Strict regulation, such as banning products or increasing prices, may prompt UK youth to switch from vaping to smoking.
近年来，英国年轻人使用一次性电子烟的情况显著增加，但对于年轻人自身的动机、体验和认知却知之甚少。本研究旨在探索年轻人使用一次性电子烟的体验。
这是一项定性研究，招募经常使用一次性电子烟的年轻人，通过双人引导访谈、个人访谈和小组访谈收集数据。数据分析在理论上以社会生态模型为依据。采用归纳和演绎编码方法，并通过共识解决编码解释问题。
29名年龄在16至20岁之间的年轻人参与了定性访谈。在个体层面，参与者讨论了一次性电子烟的特点对他们很重要，特别是价格、可及性以及吸引人的设计、颜色、名称和口味。年轻人经常同时使用电子烟和吸烟，视这两种行为在不同情境下可相互替代，并且与吸烟相比，他们对电子烟相对危害的认知不准确。尝试行为很普遍，许多人将使用电子烟作为应对压力和焦虑的一种方式。使用电子烟被视为一种社交行为，在同龄人中很常见。父母对电子烟使用行为的影响很小，不过电子烟的开始使用可能会受到家庭电子烟使用规范的影响。在文化上，使用电子烟是一种普遍的常态行为。年轻人知晓媒体报道和潜在危害，但因此对吸烟相关危害的了解较少。
一次性电子烟在英国似乎对年轻人具有吸引力且容易获得。在这一人群中，使用电子烟已常态化，尽管被视为可能对健康有害，而且电子烟使用和吸烟行为可相互替代。据报道，电子烟向未成年人销售的情况很普遍。严格的监管措施，如禁止产品或提高价格，可能会促使英国年轻人从使用电子烟转向吸烟。
