Study: Nearly Two-Thirds of Vapers Considered Quitting or Cutting Back During the Pandemic

On December 6, according to foreign media reports, e-cigarette use among teenagers and young adults declined sharply during the Covid-19 pandemic. A new study shows that nearly two-thirds of e-cigarette users reported that they had either cut back or quit.
 
According to survey results published on JAMA Network Online on December 3, about 32% of e-cigarette users said they chose to quit this year, while another 35% said they had reduced their use.

The results suggest that concerns about lung health were the main factor behind their decision. One-quarter of respondents who reduced or quit said they were motivated by worries that smoking would weaken their lungs.

Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, a developmental psychologist and professor of pediatrics at Stanford University in California, pointed out that studies show smokers face a higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection.

She added that e-cigarette users’ concerns may also have been triggered by the nationwide EVALI outbreak in 2019, which involved thousands of cases of lung injury associated with e-cigarette use.

Halpern-Felsher said: “One of the main reasons they quit is that they are concerned about lung health, and we think that is important because they believe they may be harming their lungs. This really creates an opportunity for discussion and for providing information about lung health.”