Electronic cigarettes or vapes are widely used and are available in hundreds of different types and flavors, but researchers do not have information on daily e -cigarette habits of young adults. The National Institutes of Health, in collaboration with the US Food and Drug Administration, funded a study by the University of Oklahoma that will explore how, when and why young adults use electronic cigarettes and how this use may be related to health risks. The results will help the FDA make decisions on the regulation of electronic cigarette manufacturers.
Emily Hébert, a member of the Tset Health Research Center in Ou Health Stephenson Cancer Center and Assistant Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine at OU College, won the five -year Nih Grant of 3.1 million dollars for the study of a new year. Adults this autumn. The study is a new divergence from research used to conduct such research in the past. Instead of relying on a person to remember their habits last month, Hébert and her team will check in with study participants daily through a smartphone platform. It is called an ecological instant evaluation, the technique is designed to capture the routines and motives of the new adults right now.
Investigations usually ask about average behavior and are subject to prejudice. We needed a different methodology to understand exactly what characteristics of the product they relate to which they use patterns. What we want to know is that there are certain features – such as candy flavors or nicotine concentrations – that may carry higher risks to public health or resort disproportionately to youth, which is important for the FDA to know. “
Emily Hébert, a member of the Tset Health Promotion Research Center in Ou Health Stephenson Cancer Center
Study participants will be requested many times a month for one month, again in six months, in five different waves, helping the researchers gather both short and long -term data. Hébert said the researchers would ask about the types of products used, what are the moods of the participants, whether they are alone or with friends, or use other products such as hemp or traditional cigarettes and if they have symptoms such as respiratory problems.
In pilot studies, Hébert said that he found that many young adults use multiple products with multiple effects during a month, do not necessarily show faith in a particular brand – and there are hundreds of different products to choose from, which can be purchased in person.
“Because we collect data so often, we can quickly monitor any changes in the market,” he said. “Study participants can also upload images so we can see exactly what kind of product they use.”
Understanding the frequency of using young adults’ electronic cigarettes is also important, Hébert said. Existing research shows that many young adults use electronic cigarettes all day.
“If people use electronic cigarettes to abandon traditional cigarettes or hit only once or twice a day, we want to know it, but this is not necessarily what we see,” Hébert said. “We see many young adults who have never smoked to start using electronic cigarettes and, in some cases, reporting frequent use that may indicate early signs of dependency, as well as other common substances, such as caffeine, frequency and intensity of use.
The FDA has approved about 30 electronic cigarettes that will be marketed in the United States, all with either tobacco or minthol. These licenses are based on evidence that the products are suitable for protecting public health, taking into account factors such as the call for youth, addiction potential and the possibility of helping smokers go away from fuel cigarettes, Hébert said. However, hundreds of other electronic cigarettes products remain on the market without FDA license. While the imposition is provocative, Hébert’s study can shed light on the extent to which unauthorized products are used by young adults.
Hébert said she was excited to start studying because she offers the opportunity to gather information that was not available on the FDA.
“Young adults are comfortable using communication smartphones and we expect to become rich in real -time data,” he said. “This is an amazing type of research because your findings can lead to changes in politics. It is a unique area of tobacco regulatory science.”
