Negative Health Threats Don’t Stop Vapers

Despite the threat of illness, the majority of young vape users still feel safe vaping, according to a new study.

To learn more about the habits and sentiments surrounding vaping, Harmony Healthcare IT, a healthcare data management company based in South Bend, Indiana, surveyed 1,800 users between the ages of 18 and 35. The study revealed young users are extremely attached to vaping, and half said they would find a way to obtain products even if they were banned. Of the users, 41% vape nicotine, 30% vape cannabis, and 27% vape both.

“The majority also believe that vaping is healthier than smoking cigarettes, cannabis, and drinking alcohol,” according to Collin Czarnecki, researcher for the Harmony Healthcare IT study. “However, when their level of awareness about vaping related deaths and illnesses was tested, 79% grossly underestimated the number of people who have fallen ill; 79% of respondents believe that fewer than 500 people have gotten sick from vaping-related illnesses, whereas 1,888 cases of e-cigarette/vaping-related illnesses were reported to the CDC at the time that the study was conducted.”

As of the end of 2019, more than 2,500 people had been hospitalized due to vaping-related illnesses, according to the CDC.

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“These results indicate that a significant portion of active vapers are not only attached to the nicotine and cannabis vaping products they ingest, but also believe that what they’re vaping is healthier than smoking or drinking,” Czarnecki says.

For healthcare executives, these findings shed light on attitudes of young consumers who are rapidly consuming vaping products (23% finish a cannabis cartridge in less than two days, 31% finish a nicotine cartridge in the same time frame), many of whom, are either not aware or are unphased by the threat of vaping-related illness.

While the study revealed most vapers feel save using vaping products, many indicated they’re looking to cut back on their habit. Nearly half (48%) said they plan to quit vaping altogether as part of a New Year’s resolution, and 56% have considered quitting due to news of recent illnesses and deaths related to vaping.

“The study also found that most vapers feel vaping brands should be held responsible, financially or otherwise, for illnesses related to vaping, and that brands are not doing enough to prevent illnesses in the future,” Czarnecki says.