Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37838658›Full record

ArticleHarm reduction journal2023

Patterns of flavored e-cigarette use among adult vapers in the USA: an online cross-sectional survey of 69,233 participants.

Konstantinos Farsalinos, Christopher Russell, Riccardo Polosa, Konstantinos Poulas, George Lagoumintzis, Anastasia Barbouni

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Harm reduction journal, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.8field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Trial
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. E-Liquid Flavor Availability Significantly Affects Cigarette and E-Liquid Purchasing in an Experimental Marketplace Simulating a Low Nicotine Product Standard.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco · 2025
    Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. NAM journal · 2025
    Article
  12. Review
  13. Alveolar macrophage function is impaired following inhalation of berry e-cigarette vapor.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2024
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Konstantinos FarsalinosDepartment of Public and Community Health, University of West Attica, Aigaleo, Greece. kfarsalinos@gmail.com.
Christopher RussellRussell Burnett Research & Consultancy Ltd, Glasgow, UK.
Riccardo PolosaDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Konstantinos PoulasDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Patras, Patras, Greece.
George LagoumintzisDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Patras, Patras, Greece.
Anastasia BarbouniDepartment of Public and Community Health, University of West Attica, Aigaleo, Greece.
University of Patras · GRUniversity of Catania · ITUniversity of West Attica · GR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFlavored e-cigarettes remain a controversial topic with regulators planning or already implementing restrictions worldwide. In this study, we examined patterns of flavor use in e-cigarettes among a convenience sample of US adult vapers.

methodsParticipants aged ≥ 18 years who reported ever using an e-cigarette were included in the study (N = 69,233) and responded to an online questionnaire. Their smoking status was recorded as well as patterns of flavor use at e-cigarette use initiation, at the time of the survey and at the time of smoking cessation (for participants who used to smoke and were using e-cigarettes at the time of quitting).

resultsThe most popular flavors at e-cigarette use initiation were fruit (82.8%), followed by dessert/pastry/bakery (68.6%) and candy/chocolate/sweet (52.2%). Slightly higher prevalence of using fruit and dessert/pastry/bakery flavors was observed in those who never smoked compared to those who were currently and formerly smoking. Tobacco flavors were used by 20.8% of the participants and was by far the least prevalent among participants who never smoked. Similar patterns were observed with participants' choices at the time of the survey, but tobacco flavor use was substantially reduced (7.7%). Only 2.1% reported tobacco as the single most often used flavor. The most prevalent flavor at the time of quitting smoking was again fruit (83.3%), followed by dessert/pastry/bakery (68.0%) and candy/chocolate/sweet (44.5%). These flavors were considered the most helpful for quitting smoking. Tobacco flavor use at the time of smoking cessation was reported by 15.0%, while 9.3% considered it helpful for quitting smoking.

conclusionNon-tobacco flavors were popular among the US adult vapers who participated in the study, and were popular choices at the time of quitting smoking for those who formerly smoked. Tobacco flavor use prevalence was low and was further reduced over time. Regulators should consider the flavor choice of adult consumers, especially those who quit smoking, when preparing legislation on flavored e-cigarettes.

Indexed as

Electronic Nicotine Delivery SystemsTobacco ProductsVapingAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFlavoring AgentsHumansSmokersUnited StatesFlavoring Agents

Identifiers

PMID37838658
PMCPMC10576309
OpenAlexW4387641862

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.