Use of electronic cigarettes among young people is on the rise, and one in four high school students report using these devices for dripping, according to a study by Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin, PhD, of Yale University, New Haven, and associates.
In the spring of 2015, 7,045 students from eight Connecticut high schools completed anonymous surveys that examined tobacco use behaviors and perceptions. Among 1,080 ever e-cigarette users, 26% of students reported ever using e-cigarettes for dripping, which involves “vaporizing the e-liquid at high temperatures by dripping a couple of drops of e-liquid directly onto an atomizer’s coil and then immediately inhaling the vapor.”
Students use dripping because it produces thicker clouds of vapor (according to 64% of respondents); because they get a stronger throat hit (28%); and because it makes the flavors taste better (39%). Curiosity was cited by 22% of the students.
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These results suggest that youth who use dripping may be those who are more familiar with and have experience with using multiple tobacco products, including e-cigarettes Pediatrics. 2017. doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-3224).
“Importantly, risk assessment models for e-cigarettes must take into consideration the prevalence rates and toxicities of these alternative e-cigarette use behaviors, especially among vulnerable youth. There is also a critical need for regulatory efforts that consider restrictions on the e-cigarette device so it cannot be easily manipulated for behaviors such as dripping,” the researchers noted. “Finally, there is an urgent need for prevention programs that educate youth about the potential dangers and toxicity of the use of e-cigarettes for dripping.”