E-cigarette access and age verification among adolescents, young adults, and adults

IF 3.7 2区医学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL

Addictive behaviors Pub Date : 2024-11-07 DOI:10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.108193

Shivani Mathur Gaiha , Lauren Kass Lempert , Crystal Lin , Bonnie Halpern-Felsher

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Adolescents and young adults continue to access e-cigarettes despite regulatory efforts to prevent sales to those under 21. Prior research on sources of acquiring e-cigarettes excludes key online sources. This study aims to update evidence on where and how different age groups (adolescents, young adults, and adults) access e-cigarettes.

Methods

A cross-sectional, online survey of 13–40 year-olds who used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days was conducted from November-December 2021. Study outcomes: where past 30-day users obtained and bought e-cigarettes (retail stores; online, including e-cigarette company and multi-brand websites; social media; home delivery applications; and someone they know); and whether and how age was verified.

Results

In our sample, 55.0% reported obtaining e-cigarettes from retail stores, 44.9% online, and 24.0% from someone they know (n = 2,256), although most 13–17-year-olds obtained their e-cigarettes from someone they know. Double the proportion of 21–40-year-olds (7.0%) and higher than 18–20-year-olds (9.8%), 13.4% of 13–17-year-olds obtained e-cigarettes through social media. Social media, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok were common platforms to buy e-cigarettes among those under 21; common sources on social media included friends their age, store/company accounts, and influencers. Approximately 20.0% of those under 21 bought e-cigarettes from internet vendors (including multi-brand websites) and 10.4–15.5% used home delivery applications. Across participants, 14.2% reported that their age was not verified, and 17.8% reported that their age was rarely verified.

Conclusions

A sizeable proportion of adolescents and young adults under 21 years and adults above 21 acquired e-cigarettes from retail and online sources. Less than a quarter of those underage reported having their age verified all the time, warranting enforcement of existing age verification regulation and development of strategies to prevent underage access online.

查看原文本刊更多论文

青少年、年轻人和成年人吸电子烟的情况和年龄验证。

背景：尽管监管部门努力防止向 21 岁以下人群销售电子烟，但青少年和年轻成年人仍在继续获取电子烟。之前关于电子烟获取渠道的研究不包括主要的网上渠道。本研究旨在更新关于不同年龄组（青少年、年轻成年人和成年人）在哪里以及如何获取电子烟的证据：研究结果：过去 30 天的使用者从哪里获得和购买电子烟（零售店；在线，包括电子烟公司和多品牌网站；社交媒体；送货上门应用；熟人）；以及是否和如何验证年龄：在我们的样本中，55.0% 的人报告从零售店获得电子烟，44.9% 的人报告从网上获得电子烟，24.0% 的人报告从熟人处获得电子烟（n = 2,256），尽管大多数 13-17 岁的人是从熟人处获得电子烟的。13.4% 的 13-17 岁青少年通过社交媒体获得电子烟，这一比例是 21-40 岁青少年（7.0%）的两倍，也高于 18-20 岁青少年（9.8%）。社交媒体、Snapchat、Instagram 和 TikTok 是 21 岁以下青少年购买电子烟的常见平台；社交媒体上的常见来源包括同龄朋友、商店/公司账户和有影响力的人。约 20.0% 的 21 岁以下青少年从互联网供应商（包括多品牌网站）购买电子烟，10.4-15.5% 的青少年使用送货上门服务。在所有参与者中，14.2%的人称他们的年龄未得到核实，17.8%的人称他们的年龄很少得到核实：相当一部分 21 岁以下的青少年和 21 岁以上的成年人从零售和网络渠道购买电子烟。不到四分之一的未成年人表示他们的年龄一直得到核实，因此有必要执行现有的年龄核实法规，并制定策略防止未成年人上网。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Addictive behaviors 医学-药物滥用

CiteScore

8.40

自引率

4.50%

发文量

283

审稿时长

46 days

期刊介绍： Addictive Behaviors is an international peer-reviewed journal publishing high quality human research on addictive behaviors and disorders since 1975. The journal accepts submissions of full-length papers and short communications on substance-related addictions such as the abuse of alcohol, drugs and nicotine, and behavioral addictions involving gambling and technology. We primarily publish behavioral and psychosocial research but our articles span the fields of psychology, sociology, psychiatry, epidemiology, social policy, medicine, pharmacology and neuroscience. While theoretical orientations are diverse, the emphasis of the journal is primarily empirical. That is, sound experimental design combined with valid, reliable assessment and evaluation procedures are a requisite for acceptance. However, innovative and empirically oriented case studies that might encourage new lines of inquiry are accepted as well. Studies that clearly contribute to current knowledge of etiology, prevention, social policy or treatment are given priority. Scholarly commentaries on topical issues, systematic reviews, and mini reviews are encouraged. We especially welcome multimedia papers that incorporate video or audio components to better display methodology or findings. Studies can also be submitted to Addictive Behaviors? companion title, the open access journal Addictive Behaviors Reports, which has a particular interest in ''non-traditional'', innovative and empirically-oriented research such as negative/null data papers, replication studies, case reports on novel treatments, and cross-cultural research.