Background
Methods
Study population
Data collection
Staff survey
Customer survey
Piloting
Statistical analysis
Results
Vape shop staff survey
Types of e-cigarette products available
Question | n (%) |
---|---|
Highest nicotine content liquid (mg/ml) | |
0 | 1 (2) |
18 | 7 (17) |
20 | 7 (17) |
24 | 22 (54) |
36 | 4 (10) |
E-liquid bottle sizes stocked (ml, multiple responses permitted) | |
1–2* | 19 (46) |
10 | 41 (100) |
15 | 8 (20) |
30 | 41 (100) |
50–60 | 9 (22) |
100–200 | 7 (17) |
Flavours stocked (multiple responses permitted) | |
Fruit | 41 (100) |
Tobacco | 41 (100) |
Menthol | 41 (100) |
Other | 26 (63) |
Most popular flavours (multiple responses permitted) | |
Fruit | 32 (78) |
Tobacco | 20 (49) |
Menthol | 27 (66) |
Other | 7 (17) |
Cheapest starter kit price (£) | |
≤ 10 | 4 (10) |
10–19.99 | 19 (46) |
20–29.99 | 15 (37) |
≥ 30 | 2 (5) |
No response | 1 (2) |
Most expensive starter kit price (£) | |
≤ 10 | 0 (0) |
10–19.99 | 3 (7) |
20–29.99 | 3 (7) |
30–49.99 | 6 (15) |
50–99.99 | 17 (41) |
≥ 100 | 10 (24) |
No response | 2 (5) |
Promotions (multiple responses permitted) | |
None | 2 (5) |
Buy one get one free | 5 (12) |
Discounts | 22 (54) |
Free trials | 5 (12) |
Other | 23 (56) |
Price and promotions
Smoking cessation advice and types of services available
Question | n (%) |
---|---|
Do customers talk about experiences of trying to quit smoking? | |
Yes many do | 30 (73) |
Yes some do | 9 (22) |
No | 1 (2) |
No response | 1 (2) |
Do customers ask for advice about quitting? | |
Yes | 37 (90) |
No | 3 (7) |
No response | 1 (2) |
What kind of information do you give to customers? (multiple responses permitted) | |
Product information | 38 (93) |
Smoking cessation advice | 17 (41) |
Information how to cut down regular cigarettes | 36 (88) |
Other | 9 (22) |
Where do you access this information? (Open question) | |
Online | 22 (54) |
In-house training | 6 (15) |
Personal experience | 10 (24) |
Manufacturers' guidelines | 3 (7) |
How confident are you about offering smoking cessation advice to customers that ask for it? | |
Not at all | 0 (0) |
Not too confident | 2 (5) |
Quite confident | 15 (37) |
Very confident | 16 (39) |
No response | 8 (20) |
Do you think it would be a good idea to deliver smoking cessation advice with training in your shop? | |
Yes | 19 (46) |
No | 4 (10) |
Not sure | 17 (41) |
No response | 1 (2) |
Do you think customers would be interested in accessing this in-store smoking cessation service? | |
Yes | 17 (41) |
No | 9 (22) |
Not sure | 15 (37) |
Which type of in-store cessation service do you think might work best? (n = 19 - staff who think service is a good idea) | |
Support from a training member of staff | 14 (74) |
Face-to-face support from an external advisor | 1 (5) |
A text or email-based support service | 0 (0) |
No response | 4 (21) |
Question | n (%) |
---|---|
Sex | |
Male | 113 (57) |
Female | 80 (41) |
No response | 4 (2) |
Age | |
18–25 | 50 (25) |
26–30 | 43 (22) |
31–39 | 35 (18) |
40–49 | 24 (12) |
50–59 | 17 (9) |
60+ | 23 (12) |
No response | 5 (3) |
Ethnic group | |
White | 167 (85) |
Mixed/multiple ethnic group | 4 (2) |
Asian/Asian British | 15 (8) |
Black African Caribbean/black British | 2 (1) |
Other ethnic group | 1 (1) |
No response | 8 (4) |
Education | |
Degree level or equivalent | 26 (13) |
A Level, equivalent or higher education below degree levela | 53 (27) |
GCSE or equivalenta | 52 (26) |
Other below degree level | 5 (3) |
No formal qualifications | 40 (20) |
No response | 21 (11) |
Employment | |
In full time work | 111 (56) |
In part time work | 30 (15) |
Retired | 18 (9) |
Student | 12 (6) |
Not in work (long term sick, disabled, unemployed, other reason) | 19 (10) |
No response | 7 (4) |
Vape shop customer survey
Demographic characteristics and e-cigarette use
Question | n (%) |
---|---|
All participants (n = 197) | |
Reason for vape shop visit | |
I am currently using e-cigarettes | 165 (84) |
I am considering using e-cigarettes | 15 (8) |
I am purchasing e-cigarettes for somebody else | 8 (4) |
I am visiting to collect information | 8 (4) |
Other | 1 (1) |
All e-cigarette users (n = 165) | |
Tobacco and e-cigarette use | |
I currently use both e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes | 31 (19) |
I currently use e-cigarettes only but used to smoke regular cigarettes | 128 (78) |
I currently use e-cigarettes but have never smoked regular cigarettes | 5 (3) |
No response | 1 (1) |
Time since starting e-cigarette use | |
Less than 24 h | 4 (2) |
Between 1 day and 1 week | 1 (1) |
Between 1 week and 4 weeks | 15 (9) |
Between 1 month and 1 year | 47 (28) |
Between 1 year and 2 years | 56 (34) |
Longer than 2 years | 41 (25) |
Don’t know/other | 1 (1) |
Reasons for starting to use an e-cigarette (multiple responses permitted) | |
Wanted to quit smoking | 129 (78) |
Previous unsuccessful attempt | 33 (20) |
Reduce number I smoke | 26 (16) |
Friends/family | 40 (24) |
Flavours I like | 24 (15) |
Advert | 1 (1) |
Can use e-cigarette where can’t smoke | 29 (18) |
E-cigarettes are less harmful | 55 (33) |
Cheaper than regular tobacco | 53 (32) |
Curiosity | 24 (15) |
Other | 7 (4) |
Main reason for using an e-cigarette | |
To help me quit/stay quit | 117 (71) |
To reduce number of regular cigarettes I smoke | 17 (10) |
I can use e-cigarettes where I can’t smoke | 6 (4) |
Other | 12 (7) |
No response | 13 (8) |
Perceived harm of using e-cigarette | |
More harmful than tobacco cigarettes | 3 (2) |
Less harmful than tobacco cigarettes | 136 (82) |
The same as tobacco cigarettes | 2 (1) |
Don’t know | 17 (10) |
No response | 7 (4) |
Side effects while using e-cigarette | |
No side effects | 120 (73) |
Side effects | 45 (27) |
Weekly spend on e-cigarettes | |
< 5£ | 38 (23) |
£5–10 | 63 (38) |
£11–20 | 33 (20) |
£21–30 | 13 (8) |
Other | 7 (4) |
Don’t know | 3 (2) |
No response | 8 (5) |
Nicotine content used when started vaping (mg/ml) | |
0 | 3 (2) |
1–3 | 5 (3) |
4–10 | 16 (10) |
11–20 | 74 (45) |
> 20 | 43 (26) |
No response | 24 (15) |
Nicotine concentration currently used (mg/ml) | |
0 | 12 (7) |
1–3 | 52 (32) |
4–10 | 41 (25) |
11–20 | 33 (20) |
> 20 | 10 (6) |
No response | 17 (10) |
Change in nicotine content since started vaping | |
Reduced | 92 (56) |
Stayed the same | 41 (25) |
Increased | 0 (0) |
No response | 32 (19) |
Preferred e-liquid flavour | |
Fruit | 80 (48) |
Tobacco | 19 (12) |
Menthol | 21 (13) |
Other | 19 (12) |
No response | 23 (14) |
Where usually buy e-cigarettes or liquids | |
From a shop | 117 (71) |
Online | 2 (1) |
Both | 35 (21) |
Other | 2 (1) |
No response | 9 (5) |
Type of information/advice received from shop (multiple responses permitted) | |
About the products | 148 (90) |
About stopping smoking tobacco cigarettes | 62 (38) |
About how to cut down on smoking tobacco cigarettes | 46 (28) |
Other | 2 (1) |
Appropriate to deliver advice on quitting smoking in an e-cigarette shop? | |
Yes and I would consider using it | 75 (45) |
Yes but I would not consider using it | 5 (3) |
Maybe | 40 (27) |
Not sure | 15 (9) |
No | 10 (6) |
Don’t want to answer | 5 (3) |
No response | 15 (9) |
Best way to deliver in-shop service (n = 75 – vapers who would consider using service) | |
Support from a trained member of staff | 58 (77) |
Face-to-face support from an external advisor | 2 (3) |
A text or email-based support service | 7 (9) |
Other | 1 (1) |
No response | 7 (9) |
Ex-smokers only (n = 128) |
n
|
Time since quit smoking | |
Within the last week | 5 (4) |
Within the last month | 8 (6) |
Within the last 6 months | 14 (11) |
Within the last year | 24 (19) |
Over a year ago | 75 (59) |
No response | 2 (2) |
Methods used to help stop smoking during the most recent serious quit attempt (multiple responses permitted) | |
Electronic cigarette | 114 (89) |
Nicotine replacement therapy | 48 (38) |
Nicotine replacement on prescription | 12 (9) |
Zyban | 5 (4) |
Champix | 14 (11) |
Stop smoking group | 11 (9) |
Smoking helpline | 4 (3) |
NHS smoke free website | 9 (7) |
App | 5 (4) |
Hypnotherapy | 3 (2) |
Acupuncture | 2 (2) |
Booklet | 1 (1) |
Don’t know | 9 (7) |
Other | 2 (2) |