Are long-term vapers interested in vaping cessation support?

Abstract

We investigated whether long-term vapers were interested in vaping cessation support. Online survey in 2017 of long-term vapers (n=347), mainly in France, Switzerland and Belgium, enrolled through e-cigarette and smoking cessation websites. Opinions on potential vaping cessation services. Participants had been vaping for 4years on average (standard deviation 1year), most were daily vapers (96%, n=333), former smokers (88%, n=303), vaped nicotine-containing liquids (88%, n=305), reported being dependent on e-cigarettes (89%, n=308) and had no intention to stop vaping (66%, n=229). Few (10%, n=34) had already tried to stop vaping. Among those (n=118, 34% of 347) who intended to stop vaping, 27% (n=32) thought that a health professional could help them stop vaping, 33% (n=39) would visit a vaping cessation service if available in their neighbourhood, 23% (n=27) would use nicotine medications to stop vaping, and if a vaping cessation website or smartphone app. were available, 46% (n=54) would use them. In open-ended comments (n=94), participants reported that they did not see why they should stop vaping (n=37), in particular because vaping helped them quit smoking (n=17) and was less toxic than smoking (n=9), that smoking cessation aids had not worked for them and neither would similar aids help them stop vaping (n=6), and that they would stop vaping by gradually decreasing the nicotine content in their e-liquids (n=12). Most long-term vapers in this 2017 European online survey had no intention of stopping vaping, but one-quarter to one-half of those who intended to stop were interested in using vaping cessation support.