Submitted by Livia Edegger on
Young adults under the age of 25 view e-cigarettes as less harmful and risky than conventional cigarettes, new study finds. Views on e-cigarettes also seem to change with age. Respondents under the age of 25 rated e-cigarettes as less risky than respondents 25 and over. The respondent pool included a mix of smokers as well as non-smokers aged 18-34. The findings revealed that:
- 62.1% of respondents under 25 rated e-cigarettes as less risky than cigarettes, while 54.6% of respondents 25 and over rated e-cigarettes as less risky
- 32.7% of respondents under 25 rated hookah as less risky than cigarettes, while only 18.5% of respondents 25 and over rated hookah as less risky
- 50% of all respondents believed that methanol cigarettes, hookah, cigars, smokeless tobacco, and snus were about as risky as cigarettes
- 30% of all respondents believed that smokeless tobacco, menthol cigarettes, and cigars were more risky than cigarettes
According to the study's researchers young people's perceptions of e-cigarettes and hookah "might be associated with differences in advertising messages these groups are exposed to, the variety of flavours these different products are offered in, and in the case of e-cigarettes, possibly an inclination for younger people to attribute more positive feelings toward newer products that are seen as new and 'techy'."