Understanding college students’ experiences using e-cigarettes and marijuana through qualitative interviews

Abstract

Objective

To investigate the contexts in which college students use e-cigarettes and marijuana, perceptions about the benefits and harms, and health effects of use.

Participants

College student e-cigarette and marijuana ever users (n = 20; 18-21 years old) from the Texas Adolescent Tobacco and Marketing Surveillance System (TATAMS).

Methods

Participants completed a one-hour long online interview about their experiences using e-cigarettes and marijuana. Thematic content analysis in NVivo identified prominent themes.

Results

Vaping nicotine and marijuana were preferred and perceived as normal, trendy and useful in circumventing smoke-free campus policies. Preference for nicotine versus marijuana fluctuates during the academic school year in response to campus restrictions and work and school-related activities. College students commonly experienced health effects (shortness of breath, wheezing) attributed to vaping, did not perceive their use as very harmful, and perceived their use as a college-related phase.

Conclusions

Findings have implications for college-based health education, resources, and smoke-free policies.

Keywords:

• college students
• e-cigarette
• health effects
• marijuana
• perceptions

Conflict of interest disclosure

Dr. Harrell is a consultant in litigation involving the vaping industry. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

Additional information

Funding

Research reported in this paper was supported by grant number [R01-CA239097] from the National Cancer Institute.