Table 3.
Reasons for Electronic Cigarette (ECIG) Use Among Adult Current and Former Cigarette Smokers by ECIG Use Status at Wave 1 (2013–2014) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study
| Current ECIG users | Current experimental ECIG users | Past-year former ECIG users | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (%, n) | (%, n) | (%, n) | ||
| (n = 354) | (n = 1494) | (n = 1196) | p value | |
| Reasons for using ECIGs | ||||
| They are affordable | 40.4 (143)a | 44.8 (670)a | 66.6 (797)b | <.001 |
| People in the media or other public figures use them | 10.7 (10.7)a | 20.5 (307)b | 17.2 (206)c | <.001 |
| It can be used in places where smoking cigarettes is not allowed | 62.1 (220)a | 78.2 (1168)b | 86.5 (1034)c | <.001 |
| They might be less harmful to me than cigarettes | 65.8 (233)a | 76.2 (1138)b | 89.4 (1069)c | <.001 |
| They might be less harmful to people around me than cigarettes | 65.0 (230)a | 80.9 (1209)b | 89.5 (1071)c | <.001 |
| It comes in flavors I like | 46.9 (166)a | 62.3 (931)b | 73.8 (883)c | <.001 |
| Using them helps people quit smoking | 53.1 (188)a | 64.1 (957)b | 80.4 (961)c | <.001 |
| They don’t smell | 55.4 (196)a | 71.3 (1065)b | 81.9 (979)c | <.001 |
| It feels like smoking a regular cigarette | 34.7 (123)a | 40.5 (605)b | 59.4 (710)c | <.001 |
| They are more acceptable to nontobacco users | 50.0 (177)a | 67.7 (1012)b | 75.4 (902)c | <.001 |
| People who are important to me use them | 13.6 (48)a | 19.5 (291)b | 23.7 (284)c | <.001 |
| I like socializing while using one | 27.7 (98)a | 33.2 (496)b | 47.1 (563)c | <.001 |
| The advertising appeals to me | 14.1 (50)a | 20.7 (310)b | 21.5 (257)c | .008 |
p values for group comparison chi-square tests. Percentages represent rates of endorsing a reason for ECIG use within ECIG use status category. Different superscript letters within a single row represent significant differences in reason for ECIG use between ECIG use status categories. Current ECIG users reported currently using ECIGs “fairly regularly” and every day or some days. Current experimental ECIG users reported ECIGs every day or some days, but not “fairly regularly.” Past-year former ECIG users reported using ECIGs “fairly regularly” within the past year, but did not report currently using ECIGs. Bold text indicates significant differences between wave 1 current and former smokers.