Table 2.
E-cigarette user-identified clusters and statements describing a specific action/reaction if the only e-liquid flavors available for purchase in the U.S. were tobacco only flavor, menthol only flavor, or unflavored (and no other flavors).
| Cluster | Statement | Average Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negative Reaction to Flavor Limitation | 4.68 | ||
| 34. I would think consumers have a right to choose what they want to buy. | 5.84 | ||
| 69. I would think that limiting the flavors is silly. | 5.36 | ||
| 26. I would feel bad for the people that liked different flavors. | 5.00 | ||
| 1. I would hate it because I enjoy vaping with flavored e-liquid as an outlet. | 4.88 | ||
| 50. I would not like the flavors being banned. | 4.82 | ||
| 48. I would hate it since it did help me/others quit cigarettes. | 4.76 | ||
| 46. I would be annoyed. | 4.62 | ||
| 7. I think that using the same flavor would get boring after a while. | 4.47 | ||
| 23. I would be upset. | 4.44 | ||
| 53. I would panic. | 2.60 | ||
| Willingness to Try New Flavors | 4.43 | ||
| 19. Try the new e-liquids and if they were tolerable, I would keep vaping. | 4.70 | ||
| 20. Vape/try the menthol flavored e-liquid to see if I liked it. | 4.52 | ||
| 31. Vape/try the unflavored e-liquid to see if I liked it. | 4.50 | ||
| 10. Vape/try the tobacco flavored e-liquid to see if I liked it. | 4.48 | ||
| 68. I would be curious about the unflavored e-liquid and be interested in trying it. | 3.94 | ||
| Perception of Youth Prevention Effectiveness | 4.04 | ||
| 3. I would think limiting flavors will not stop kids from vaping. | 4.84 | ||
| 42. I would wonder if having less flavors would reduce vaping among youth. | 4.26 | ||
| 58. I would be happy that kids are not being targeted with flavored e-liquids. | 3.88 | ||
| 54. I would think that it might make vaping less tempting to youth who shouldn’t be using tobacco and/or nicotine products. | 3.86 | ||
| 61. Lose all respect for the U.S. government. | 3.38 | ||
| Alternative Sources for Banned Flavors | 3.95 | ||
| 9. Stock up on the e-liquid I currently use. | 5.44 | ||
| 18. Try to find a place that still has the flavored e-liquid. | 5.28 | ||
| 47. I would buy my current e-liquid flavors online. | 4.80 | ||
| 56. Talk to friends to find another option. | 3.58 | ||
| 5. Encourage others to make their own e-liquid. | 3.56 | ||
| 71. Find a way to order flavored e-liquid from outside the U.S. | 3.56 | ||
| 16. Look into buying flavored e-liquids off the dark web. | 2.82 | ||
| 65. Buy ‘black market’ e-liquid. | 2.56 | ||
| Maintain Vaping Behaviors with New Liquids | 3.93 | ||
| 17. Vape about the same as I do with my current e-liquid flavor(s). | 4.68 | ||
| 33. I would eventually adapt to the limited flavors. | 4.50 | ||
| 8. My e-liquid buying habits would stay the same. | 4.10 | ||
| 30. I would be fine as long as menthol/mint flavored e-liquid is available. | 3.88 | ||
| 27. I would vape only menthol or unflavored e-liquids. | 3.72 | ||
| 40. I would enjoy the menthol flavored e-liquid – menthol is good. | 3.44 | ||
| 22. Alternate between tobacco only and menthol only flavors. | 3.18 | ||
| Tolerance of Flavor Limitation | 3.63 | ||
| 67. It would bother me, but not enough to go out and actively do anything about it. | 3.88 | ||
| 24. I like menthol flavored e-liquid, but it does get boring after a while. | 3.76 | ||
| 51. I would be mad, but I would tolerate the flavor ban. | 3.60 | ||
| 15. I would try these new flavors, but I do not think I would like them. | 3.28 | ||
| Acceptance of Flavor Limitation | 3.61 | ||
| 62. I would be grateful that all e-liquid was not banned. | 4.36 | ||
| 36. I would not do anything about the flavors being limited. | 4.10 | ||
| 64. Even though I mainly use the tobacco flavor, I like having the option to try something new. | 3.84 | ||
| 44. I would remain content since I only use these flavors anyway. | 3.72 | ||
| 41. I would not be bothered if e-liquid flavors were limited. | 3.60 | ||
| 4. I would think menthol and non-menthol are how cigarettes come, so it makes sense for e-liquid too. | 3.56 | ||
| 14. I like many different flavors, but I would not be affected by the flavor ban. | 3.46 | ||
| 70. I would be fine with limiting e-liquid flavors to tobacco, menthol, and unflavored only. | 3.46 | ||
| 38. I would think this is perfect. | 2.42 | ||
| Take Action Against Flavor Limitation | 3.58 | ||
| 29. I would be concerned about illegal or black market e-liquid flavors being put on the market. | 4.94 | ||
| 66. Never vote for anyone who backed this flavor ban. | 3.62 | ||
| 21. I would do whatever I could to fight the flavor ban. | 3.58 | ||
| 60. I would protest the flavor limitation. | 3.54 | ||
| 45. Post about the flavor limitation on social media. | 3.50 | ||
| 52. I would write every representative I can to complain about the flavor ban. | 3.10 | ||
| 49. Call customer service. | 2.78 | ||
| Do-it-yourself Mixing Behaviors | 3.44 | ||
| 37. Add different flavors to the new e-liquids. | 3.94 | ||
| 6. I would make my own or learn how to make my own e-liquid. | 3.58 | ||
| 2. Use/add CBD oil in my e-liquid. | 3.32 | ||
| 32. Add essential oils to the new e-liquid. | 2.92 | ||
| New Flavors as Vaping Cessation Transition | 3.23 | ||
| 13. Change my habit to something else besides vaping. | 3.70 | ||
| 43. Try the new e-liquids and if I didn’t like them, I would try to stop vaping. | 3.20 | ||
| 35. I would use menthol flavored e-liquid and work on quitting vaping. | 3.18 | ||
| 25. I would use the tobacco flavored e-liquid and work on quitting vaping. | 3.10 | ||
| 59. I would use the unflavored e-liquid and work on quitting vaping. | 2.98 | ||
| Reduce Vaping | 3.23 | ||
| 39. I would consider quitting vaping if my particular flavor was affected. | 3.46 | ||
| 11. Slowly taper my vaping down. | 3.42 | ||
| 55. I would vape less. | 3.20 | ||
| 28. I would quit vaping. | 2.84 | ||
| Alternate Tobacco Products | 2.73 | ||
| 12. I would smoke cigarettes. | 3.76 | ||
| 63. Buy a hookah pipe or hookah tower. | 2.34 | ||
| 57. I would use smokeless tobacco (i.e., dip, chew, snus, etc.). | 2.10 | ||
Note. Mean ratings are based on responses to the prompt “If e-liquid flavors were limited so that the only e-liquid flavors available for purchase in the U.S. were tobacco only flavor, menthol only flavor, or unflavored (and no other flavors), what is a specific action you would take or a specific reaction you would have?” using a 7-point scale from 1 (Definitely NOT true for me) to 7 (Definitely true for me). Statement numbers refer to point numbers displayed in Figure 1.