Table 1.
Changes in the Prevalence of E-cigarette Themes and Topics from Year to Year, 2015–2018
| No. (%) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variables | Overall (N = 1609) | 2015 (n = 329) | 2016 (n = 457) | 2017 (n = 246) | 2018 (n = 577) | Percentage point change from 2015–2018 | Percentage change in volume |
| Types of articles | |||||||
| News | 87.8 | 264 (80.2) | 414 (91.0) | 219 (89.0) | 515 (89.3) | 9.1 | 95.1 |
| Opinion | 11.7 | 61(18.5) | 43 (9.0) | 25 (10.0) | 60 (10.4) | −8.1 | −1.6 |
| Other | 0.5 | 4 (1.2) | 0 (0) | 2 (1.0) | 2 (<1.0) | −1.2 | −50.0 |
| Main topic/theme | |||||||
| E-cig policy/regulation | 43.5 | 146 (44.4) | 206 (45.1) | 111 (45.1) | 237 (41.1) | −3.3 | 62.3 |
| Health effects | 22.3 | 69 (21.0) | 122 (26.7) | 51 (20.7) | 117 (20.3) | −0.7 | 69.6 |
| Prevalence/trends | 17.9 | 69 (21.0) | 63 (13.8) | 40 (16.3) | 116 (20.1) | −0.9 | 68.1 |
| Industry activities | 9.8 | 25 (7.6) | 30 (6.6) | 22 (8.9) | 81 (14.0) | 6.4 | 224.0 |
| Cessation | 4.0 | 17 (5.2) | 21 (4.6) | 13 (5.3) | 14 (2.4) | −2.8 | 17.7 |
| Other | 2.4 | 3 (1.0) | 15 (3.3) | 9 (3.7) | 12 (2.2) | 1.2 | 300.0 |
| Topics/themes mentioned | |||||||
| Youth use | 43.2 | 149 (45.3) | 135 (29.5) | 74 (30.1) | 337 (58.4) | 13.1 | 126.2 |
| FDA regulation | 32.8 | 124 (37.7) | 174 (38.1) | 47 (19.1) | 183 (31.7) | −6 | 47.6 |
| Age-of-sale restrictions | 31.0 | 121 (36.8) | 148 (32.4) | 33 (13.4) | 196 (34.0) | −2.8 | 62.0 |
| Smoke-free air laws/bans on e-cig use | 20.3 | 95 (28.9) | 97 (21.2) | 72 (29.3) | 62 (10.7) | −18.2 | −34.7 |
| JUUL | 18.8 | 0 (0) | 1 (<1.0) | 8 (3.3) | 293 (50.8) | 50.8 | - |
| Marketing/advertising restrictions | 14.9 | 41 (12.5) | 66 (14.4) | 11 (4.5) | 122 (21.1) | 8.6 | 197.6 |
| Big Tobacco’s involvement in e-cig industry | 13.7 | 37 (11.2) | 71 (15.5) | 27 (11.0) | 85 (14.7) | 3.5 | 129.7 |
| E-cig flavor bans | 12.6 | 20 (6.1) | 26 (5.7) | 15 (1.5) | 142 (24.6) | 18.5 | 610.0 |
| Adult/general use | 10.4 | 38 (11.6) | 49 (10.7) | 28 (11.4) | 52 (9.0) | −2.6 | 36.8 |
| E-cig taxation | 8.4 | 43 (13.1) | 45 (9.8) | 21 (8.5) | 26 (4.5) | −8.6 | −39.5 |
| E-cig warning labels | 6.4 | 27 (8.2) | 60 (13.1) | 7 (2.8) | 9 (1.6) | −6.6 | −66.7 |
| Health-related benefits | |||||||
| Less risky/harmful than cigarettes | 28.5 | 114 (34.7) | 115 (25.2) | 75 (30.5) | 137 (23.7) | −11 | 20.2 |
| Effective smoking cessation tool | 23.8 | 82 (24.9) | 106 (23.2) | 52 (21.1) | 143 (24.8) | −0.1 | 74.4 |
| No secondhand smoke | 1.2 | 7 (2.1) | 5 (1.1) | - | 7 (1.2) | −0.9 | 0.0 |
| Health-related risks | |||||||
| Nicotine is addictive/harmful | 27.9 | 86 (26.1) | 104 (22.8) | 49 (19.9) | 210 (36.4) | 10.3 | 144.2 |
| Gateway to tobacco | 25.2 | 111 (33.7) | 119 (26.0) | 46 (18.7) | 129 (22.4) | −11.3 | 16.2 |
| Flavors appeal to youth | 22.0 | 73 (22.2) | 77 (16.8) | 30 (12.2) | 174 (30.2) | 8 | 138.4 |
| Harmful toxins, chemicals, effects | 19.1 | 87 (26.4) | 82 (17.9) | 47 (19.1) | 92 (15.9) | −10.5 | 5.8 |
| Health effects unknown | 13.8 | 61 (18.5) | 69 (15.1) | 26 (10.6) | 66 (11.4) | −7.1 | 8.2 |
| Explosions | 12.6 | 25 (7.6) | 101 (22.1) | 35 (14.2) | 42 (7.3) | −0.3 | 68.0 |
| Does not work for cessation | 5.5 | 17 (5.2) | 26 (5.7) | 12 (4.9) | 34 (5.9) | 0.7 | 100.0 |
| Renormalizing smoking | 3.4 | 28 (8.5) | 14 (3.1) | 10 (4.1) | 3 (0.5) | −8 | −89.3 |
| Prevents quitting/promotes dual use | 3.3 | 10 (3.0) | 21 (4.6) | 10 (4.1) | 12 (2.1) | −0.9 | 20.0 |
| Quality concerns/unknown ingredients | 3.2 | 8 (2.4) | 33 (7.2) | 5 (2.0) | 5 (0.9) | −1.5 | −37.5 |