TY - JOUR T1 - Online Vape Shop Customers Who Use E-Cigarettes Report Abstinence from Smoking and Improved Quality of Life, But a Substantial Minority Still Have Vaping-Related Health Concerns. AU - Gucht,Dinska Van, AU - Adriaens,Karolien, AU - Baeyens,Frank, Y1 - 2017/07/17/ PY - 2017/05/08/received PY - 2017/06/28/revised PY - 2017/07/12/accepted PY - 2017/7/18/entrez PY - 2017/7/18/pubmed PY - 2017/12/20/medline KW - electronic cigarette KW - online vape shop customers KW - perception KW - smoking cessation KW - vaping JF - International journal of environmental research and public health JO - Int J Environ Res Public Health VL - 14 IS - 7 N2 - (1) Background: Characteristics and usage patterns of vapers (e-cigarette users) have mainly been studied in web-based convenience samples or in visitors of brick-and-mortar vape shops. We extended this by targeting customers of one particular online vape shop in the Netherlands; (2) Methods: Customers were questioned on their smoking history, current smoking and vaping status, reasons for vaping, perceived harmfulness, and potential health changes due to vaping; (3) Results: Almost everyone (99%, 95% CI 0.96, 1.00) smoked before they started vaping. A great majority agreed that unlike with other smoking-cessation aids, they could quit smoking (81%, 95% CI 0.79, 0.90) due to vaping. Almost all customers were regular vapers (93.6%, 95% CI 0.89, 0.96) who used state-of-the-art open system devices without modifications and e-liquid with 10 mg/mL nicotine on average. Vapers reported using e-cigs to quit smoking, because e-cigs are healthier, and for financial reasons. The majority (52.6%, 95% CI 0.46, 0.60) perceived vaping as not that harmful to not harmful at all, but one fifth (21.8%, 95% CI 0.16, 0.28) believed vaping to be harmful. More than half (57.8%, 95% CI 0.50, 0.65) reported gaining more pleasure from vaping than from smoking. A substantial majority (84.2%, 95% CI 0.78, 0.89) agreed that their health had improved since they started vaping; (4) Conclusions: Findings are similar to those obtained in other vape shop studies, but also to the results of convenience samples of less-well-defined populations. SN - 1660-4601 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/28714914/Online_Vape_Shop_Customers_Who_Use_E_Cigarettes_Report_Abstinence_from_Smoking_and_Improved_Quality_of_Life_But_a_Substantial_Minority_Still_Have_Vaping_Related_Health_Concerns_ L2 - https://www.mdpi.com/resolver?pii=ijerph14070798 DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -