Vaping Perceptions and Preferences in North Texas
CLIENT
Denton County Public Health​
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PROJECT YEAR
January-May 2020
Scenario
Conducted research for the Denton County Public Health Department, who was concerned about the rise in vaping and e-cigarettes among  young adults in Denton County (age 18-26). There were 53 lung-hospitalization cases in Dallas County between 2019 – 2020, which included the death of a 15 year old. The client was interested in learning the following:
• What behaviors and motivations exist in North Texas surrounding vaping?
• What do vapers find attractive/ pleasurable about vaping, vape juice, or vaporizers?
• Do vapers have concerns about addiction or health consequences?
• What kinds of marketing practices are being used effectively by e-cigarette makers?
• What kinds of public health interventions or regulations would be effective?
Process
To approach this project, the following research questions were developed:
• What behaviors and motivations exist in North Texas surrounding vaping?
• What do vapers find attractive/ pleasurable about vaping, vape juice, or vaporizers?
• Do vapers have concerns about addiction or health consequences?
• What kinds of marketing practices are being used effectively by e-cigarette makers?
• What kinds of public health interventions or regulations would be effective?
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The primary method for this research was one-on-one interviews.
Findings
Preferences for device types relate to a variety of factors including size, portability, discretion, accessibility, durability, smoke, flavors, and pricing.
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Reasons for vaping included stress relief, smooth feel on the throat, and they provide a buzz that users enjoy. The most commonly cited reason for vaping was that they are a discrete alternative to cigarettes.