(PS1-20) Nicotine Vape Use and Perceived Harm of Use Among College Women and Men

Abstract Text: The addictive and harmful effects of cigarette smoking are extensive and well documented in extant literature and throughout history (Chen, 2013). In contrast, e-cigarettes were relatively recently introduced in 2007 as a smoking cessation aid available by prescription. By 2014, these devices had become widely available and quickly surpassed combustible cigarettes in popularity among adolescents and young adults (Dinardo & Rome, 2019). Given the increased prevalence of vape use among young adults, this study aimed to explore correlates of vaping including demographic variables and substance use variables (i.e., craving, difficulties quitting, frequency of use). A recent systematic review highlighted the current lack of descriptive statistics of vaping use among vapers (Kundu et al., 2024). This study aims to contribute to this important area of burgeoning research.

Undergraduate college students (N = 1279) completed an anonymous online survey for partial course credit. Measures included demographic information, characteristics of vaping use, and perceived harm of vaping and combustible cigarettes. Participant age ranged from 18 to 52 (MAge =19 years). In this sample, 357 (27.9%) participants reported having used a vaping device in the past 30 days. On the Penn State Electronic Cigarette Dependence Scale (PS-ECDI), 39.7% of all participants had no dependence, 50.9% had a low dependence, 7.6% had moderate dependence, and 1% had high dependence. These results were for all participants, highlighting that some participants who did not report active use in the past 30 days may still have symptoms of dependence from infrequent use. For perceived harm, 45.3% of participants agreed that e-cigarettes can help people quit smoking, 57.3% of participants agreed that e-cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes, and 73.4% of participants agreed that e-cigarettes are less addictive than cigarettes. In this sample, women reported significantly more days vaping than men in the past thirty days, t(1195)= 2.83, p=.005, and significantly higher craving and urges, t(1195)= 1.92, p=.027.

This study provides important preliminary data for establishing rates of vape use and perceived harm among college aged students. Importantly, a finding that over 50% of vaping students met criteria for a mild e-cigarette dependence or greater highlights the need for targeted resources and interventions for this population. This study also found that women may be at particular risk, given that they reported vaping at higher rates than men and had higher reported nicotine cravings and urges to vape. This is consistent with extant findings that women have a significantly harder time quitting smoking than men (Perkins et al., 1999). Thus, women may also have a harder time quitting nicotine vaping which may be complicated by the perception of vaping as less harmful, despite known health risks. Future directions of research may include development of individualized treatment development for helping women with vaping cessation.