A new study from the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation finds that, among adolescents who use ENDS, use is heavier on weekends than weekdays, flavored tobacco products are prevalent, and marijuana accompanied more than 1/4 of ENDS use episodes.

To learn more about adolescent use of ENDS, scientists conducted a study with 50 adolescent regular ENDS users in the prior 2 weeks to assess daily behaviors, contexts, and characteristics of ENDS use. They also examined tobacco cigarettes use, and daily concurrent use with tobacco cigarettes and marijuana.

Key findings include:

• Adolescents who use ENDS do so more than half of the days of the week
• ENDS use was more frequent on weekends
• Cigarette use was less likely on weekends
• Marijuana use accompanied more than a quarter of ENDS use occasions
• Participants averaged 7 use occasions per day
• 87% of vaping with nicotine used flavors such as fruit, mint, candy, chocolates, tobacco, and menthol
• 41% of nicotine vaping occasions occurred when the participant was alone, 23% with one friend, 31% with several friends, 5% with a sibling, and 3% with a parent
• On weekends, users were more likely to vape with multiple friends
• Adolescents reported vaping ENDS with nicotine because:
  • it felt good (85%)
  • 73% said they liked the flavor
  • 59% said they used because they were bored
  • 47% like vape tricks
  • 35% said they used because there is no odor
  • 22% because tobacco was prohibited
  • 21% because they were trying to quit cigarettes
  • 19% because a friend wanted to
  • 19% because they were curious
  •  8% because they saw an ad
  •  6% because they wanted the attention

Study co-author, Dr. Stephen Shamblen, notes that:  “Detail about the ways in which adolescents vape and the environments that are favorable to adolescent vaping, provide important guidance for policy, prevention, and intervention. Prevention messaging may be most relevant and effective on weekends when youth exposure to advertising and peer influences are greatest.”

Source:  Shamblen, Stephen R., Melissa H. Abadi, Kirsten T. Thompson, Sharon Lipperman-Kreda, Joel W. Grube, and Bonnie O. Richard. “Daily variation in the patterns and characteristics of adolescent ENDS use.” Psychology of Addictive Behaviors (2022). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35025552/