Adolescents' perceptions, experiences, and reactions to "fake" vaping devices.

ABSTRACT: Use of electronic cigarette (vaping) devices, whether to inhale nicotine, cannabis, or other substances, may pose health risks to adolescents. Those risks could be heightened when a vaping device is "fake," a term we use to include inauthentic, knockoff, counterfeit, and/or adulterated devices, an issue exemplified by the Electronic Cigarette, or Vaping, Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) outbreak of 2019-2020.

Methods

Investigators completed in-depth, semi-structured interviews in 2020-2021 with 47 California adolescents (ages 13-17) who used nicotine products. Investigators used thematic analysis to examine participants' perceptions and reactions to fake vaping products, including devices to inhale nicotine or cannabis.

Results

Participants were familiar with fake v

SUBMITTER: Chaffee BW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11812520 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature