Table 2.
Reasons for e-cigarette use among adolescent, young adult, and older adult current e-cigarette users, weighted, Population Assessment for Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, United States, 2014-2015a,b
| Reason | Past-Month Adolescent (Aged 12-17) E-Cigarette Users (n = 414), % (95% CI) | Past-Month Young Adult (Aged 18-24) E-Cigarette Users (n = 961), % (95% CI) | Past-Month Older Adult (Aged ≥25) E-Cigarette Users (n = 1711), % (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| They come in flavors I like. | 77.9 (75.3-80.4) | 90.3 (89.0-91.7) | 66.4 (65.4-67.4) |
| They might be less harmful to me than cigarettes. | 75.0 (72.4-77.6) | 81.0 (77.9-84.0) | 79.0 (77.7-80.2) |
| They might be less harmful to persons around me than cigarettes. | 74.2 (70.4-77.9) | 84.2 (81.7-86.6) | 81.9 (80.8-83.0) |
| Using them helps persons to quit smoking. | 63.5 (59.7-67.3) | 75.0 (72.3-77.6) | 71.5 (69.9-73.2) |
| They can be used in places where smoking cigarettes is not allowed. | 58.8 (54.1-63.4) | 75.6 (72.7-78.6) | 79.3 (78.3-80.3) |
| They are more acceptable to non-tobacco users. | 56.5 (53.4-59.6) | 67.7 (65.2-70.3) | 69.0 (67.6-70.5) |
| They do not smell. | 53.7 (49.9-57.6) | 69.2 (67.4-70.9) | 73.2 (71.8-74.7) |
| They are affordable. | 48.1 (45.1-51.1) | 59.4 (57.1-61.8) | 61.1 (60.1-62.2) |
| I like socializing while using them. | 45.9 (42.9-48.8) | 50.2 (47.0-53.3) | 37.1 (36.2-38.0) |
| Persons in the media or other public figures use them. | 36.2 (33.0-39.4) | 17.4 (15.4-19.5) | 15.7 (14.3-17.2) |
| Persons who are important to me use them. | 34.9 (31.4-38.5) | 24.7 (22.3-27.2) | 20.1 (19.2-21.0) |
| Using them feels like smoking a regular cigarette. | 25.0 (21.3-28.6) | 29.7 (26.6-32.8) | 49.4 (48.1-50.7) |
| The advertising appeals to me. | 14.2 (12.0-16.4) | 15.2 (13.7-16.6) | 15.2 (13.8-16.6) |
aData source: Population Assessment for Tobacco and Health Study, Wave 2.22
bWeighting procedures adjusted for oversampling and nonresponse. Sum of weights matched independent population totals (based on US Census data) for standard demographic groups.