ArticleBMC public health2020
Motivations for use, identity and the vaper subculture: a qualitative study of the experiences of Western Australian vapers.
Article in BMC public health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 32 citations in OpenAlex.
- E-cigarette use among adults in southern Iran: a qualitative study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- A Content Analysis of Alcohol Marketing on Instagram: Examining Its Contribution to an Australian Aquatic Alcogenic Environment.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Factors Influencing Vaping Behaviors Based on Social Cognitive Theory: A Qualitative Study among Mexican-American College Students.Substance use & misuse · 2026Article
- Article
- The Socio-Ecological Enablers of Smoking and Vaping in Rural Young Adults: A Mixed-Methods Study.Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals · 2025Article
- "If I could try it, I'd try it": Qualitative study of the illegal vaping culture in Singapore.Addictive behaviors reports · 2024Article
- Relationship Between Product Features and the Prices of e-Cigarette Devices Sold in Web-Based Vape Shops: Comparison Study Using a Linear Regression Model.JMIR formative research · 2024Article
- Prevalence, lived experiences and user profiles in e-cigarette use: A mixed methods study among French college students.PloS one · 2024Article
- Psychoactive Comfort Products or Snacks: How Chinese Young Adults Perceive the Potentially Addictive Nature of E-Cigarettes.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Navigating social interactions and constructing vaping social identities: A qualitative exploration with New Zealand young adults who smoke.Drug and alcohol review · 2023Article
- The emergence of e-cigarette retail shops in a regulated tobacco control environment.Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals · 2023Article
- Subculture wars: The struggle for the vape industry.The British journal of sociology · 2023Article
- Inhaled or Ingested, Which Is Worse, E-Vaping or High-Fat Diet?Frontiers in immunology · 2022Article
- E-Cigarette Promotion on Twitter in Australia: Content Analysis of Tweets.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundVaping is a relatively new practice, and therefore its symbolic meanings and social practices are yet to be fully understood, especially within Australia where the practice is strictly regulated. This study aimed to examine vapers motivations for use, reinforcing influences, and association with the vaper subculture.
methodsWorking from a constructivist epistemology and a symbolic interaction framework, in-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 37 current (89%) and former (11%) adult vapers, 70% male, mean age of 32.5. Data was analysed via thematic analysis.
resultsVapers largely started vaping to quit smoking and underwent common experiences during their initiation phase. Subsequently, vapers tended to adopt one of two dominant identities, that of the 'cloud chaser' or the 'substitute', which some users moved between during different stages of their vaping career. The social and symbolic meaning of e-cigarettes and vaping varied and involved concepts of harm reduction, addiction, pleasure, stigma and community, and for some, connection to the vaper subculture.
conclusionsUnderstanding the complexities of vaping, and the nuanced differences of 'cloud chasers' and 'substitute' vapers may have important implications for health communication, research and policy. E-cigarette users within this sample were not a homogeneous group and differed in their motivations for use, association with the vaper subculture and relationship with the vape community. These findings provide new insights into the socialisation process and subsequent identity adoption of vapers within the unique regulatory environment of Western Australia.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.