Do young vapers consider e-cigarettes as better than tobacco cigarettes?
List of Authors
  • Norlis Ismail , Rafidah Abdul Razak

Keyword
  • E-Cigarettes, Vaping, Young Adults, Better Alternative, Harm Reduction

Abstract
  • E-cigarettes are battery operated devices that were designed to replicate smoking but in a less harmful manner. This is because e-cigarette usage or vaping is often associated with harm reduction as the e-liquids were said to contain lesser harmful chemical compounds compared to the ingredients exist in tobacco cigarettes. Furthermore, e-cigarettes are treated as a smoking cessation tool that could aid smokers who wish to quit smoking more effectively. This study was conducted to explore the beliefs of young adults in Malaysia about e-cigarettes. Ten undergraduate students who were pursuing their studies at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Perak aged from 18 to 25 years old were interviewed, whereby their experiences as vapers were recorded and analysed using Atlas.ti version 8. Findings showed that the beliefs of these young adults about e-cigarettes are closely associated with their experiences as e-cigarette users and smokers. Six themes emerged from the data analysis to explain the beliefs of young adults towards e-cigarettes, which are better alternative, e-liquid content, harm reduction, second-hand vaper, addiction, and satisfaction.

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