Flavor, safety and family attitude toward vaping are among the greatest factors influencing teenage perception of e-cigarettes, new research finds.

Published in the September-October issue of the Journal of Pediatric Nursing, the study is one of a few to examine the perception adolescents have of e-cigarettes and where these youth receive information about the products.

E-cigarette use has exploded in recent years, rising from less than 2% of high school and middle school students in 2011 to more than 27% in 2018, becoming the most commonly used tobacco product among teens, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

In the wake of recent vaping-related illnesses and deaths, teenage perceptions of the products are crucial to guiding the development of interventions, says Eunhee Park, PhD, lead investigator and assistant professor in the UB School of Nursing.

«E-cigarette use is an emerging health issue,» said Park. «Given this rapid increase in e-cigarette use among adolescents who are at a developmentally sensitive stage in their lives, a great deal of concern has been expressed about the implications for their health now and in the future.»

Perception powers decision-making for teens

The UB researchers interviewed adolescent users and non-users of e-cigarettes in the Western New York area to learn about their attitudes toward vaping. Unique to this population is that while many adults turn to vaping to help them quit smoking conventional cigarettes, the majority of teens have never smoked cigarettes, says Park.

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