Despite Illnesses, Majority of Young Users Feel Safe Vaping

Tricia Harte, the Outreach Manager for Harmony HealthCare IT shared information about a study they did that explores the habits and sentiments of active vaping product consumers, between the ages of 18 and 35.
The research revealed 79% feel ‘safe’ vaping despite the threat of e-cigarette-related illness and death. Other highlights include:
  • 77% believe vaping is healthier than cigarettes, 60% think it’s healthier than drinking
  • Average spend per month on cannabis vaping products, $97; average spend on nicotine vaping products, $55
  • 59% are concerned about recent vaping illnesses and deaths, but 1 in 3 say they’d continue to vape even if someone they knew became ill

Vaping has become an increasingly popular trend, but a recent outbreak of lung injuries related to vaping, or e-cigarettes, has led medical professionals and policymakers to sound the alarm for concern.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1,800 cases of lung injuries due to e-cigarette, or vaping, use have been reported in 49 states as of October 29, 2019. Millennials and teens have been affected the most by these vaping-related illnesses. In fact, according to the CDC, the vast majority of these cases (nearly 80%) have been under the age of 35.

As a health data management firm, they were interested in discovering more about the habits, reasons, and feelings toward vaping among millennials and young users. They recently surveyed 1,800 Americans between the ages of 18-38 who actively use vaping products to find out more about vaping and its popularity.

While some states are being proactive by putting policy measures in place with the hopes of curbing vaping use and accessibility among young adults, the CDC notes there is still uncertainty around the root causes of vaping illnesses and overall health risks of vaping.

Vaping: Nicotine vs. Cannabis

Although exact health risks may not be known, what is known is that young adults are vaping both nicotine and cannabis products. According to respondents, 41% use nicotine vaping products, 30% use cannabis vaping products and 27% said they use both. Vaping also seems to be a relatively new trend among users. Of the survey respondents, more than half (59%) of nicotine vaping users said they have been vaping for two years or less, while 53% of cannabis vaping users also said they’d been vaping for two years or less.

The majority of users might be new to vaping, but there also seem to be several that are heavy users. Among nicotine vapers, 31% said they finish an entire vaping pod or cartridge within two days or less. To put that into perspective, one pod or cartridge is equivalent to two or three packs of cigarettes. But perhaps where nicotine and cannabis vapers differ the most is how much they spend on each product. According to respondents, nicotine vapers spend an average of $55 per month on vaping products such as pods, cartridges and vaping pens while cannabis vapers spend nearly double that amount at $97 per month.

It’s also interesting to note the conceptions related to vaping and health. Nearly 80% of all vaping users said they felt safe while using vaping products, however, when asked if vaping itself was healthy, only 29% said yes.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

To see the charts and read the entire survey report, click here.

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