E-cigarette use: a qualitative exploration of the views and experiences of children and young people from contrasting socio-economic backgrounds

There is concern that the emergence of e-cigarettes could result in an increase in children’s and young people's consumption of, and exposure to, nicotine. Understanding children’s and young people’s perceptions and experiences of e-cigarette use is regarded as a research priority, but there is a dearth of qualitative work that investigates any similarities and differences in their views and experiences across socio economic backgrounds. This study drew upon Childhood Studies and the Capability Approach, both of which emphasise the plurality of human experience. Its primary aim was to understand how children and young people of contrasting ages and socio-economic backgrounds view and experience e-cigarette use, and to explore the factors that influence these views and experiences. Twenty friendship group interviews were conducted with older (16-17 years) and younger (11-12 years) pupils from two socio-economically contrasting secondary schools in Merseyside, UK. In total, 64 pupils were interviewed. Thematic analysis was utilised to analyse the data. The study findings report that children’s and young people’s understandings and experiences of vaping are highly contextualised and comprise multiple meanings. E-cigarettes are understood to have advantages over tobacco cigarettes in sensory, practical, social and health terms, but positive assessments of vaping are frequently outweighed by notions of risk. Many views and experiences of e cigarette use are shared across age groups and socio economic backgrounds, but these demographic characteristics, as well as social and familial networks, also account for important differences in understandings and experiences. This thesis concludes that children’s and young people’s views and experiences of e-cigarette use can be understood in terms of their valuation of core capabilities - possibilities relating to physical, mental and social well-being. It demonstrates that the potential for e-cigarette use to realize or hamper different capabilities is dependent on the context in which it is undertaken.