Exposure to Potentially Harmful E-Cigarette Emissions via Vape Tricks: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Study

Robert Furberg; Alexa M Ortiz; Michelle McCombs; Margaret Cress; Jonathan Thornburg; Jessica K Pepper; Youn Ok Lee

doi:10.2196/12304

Exposure to Potentially Harmful E-Cigarette Emissions via Vape Tricks: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Study

JMIR Res Protoc. 2019 Apr 15;8(4):e12304. doi: 10.2196/12304.

Authors

Robert Furberg¹, Alexa M Ortiz¹, Michelle McCombs², Margaret Cress³, Jonathan Thornburg², Jessica K Pepper³, Youn Ok Lee³

Affiliations

¹ Digital Health and Clinical Informatics, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States.
² Air Quality and Exposure, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States.
³ Center for Health Policy Science and Tobacco Research, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States.

PMID: 30985285
PMCID: PMC6487345
DOI: 10.2196/12304

Abstract

Background: The number of adolescents and adults using e-cigarettes, referred to as vaping, has dramatically increased. E-cigarettes can be used to perform vape tricks by inhaling and exhaling the e-cigarette aerosol in patterns to create visual effects or large clouds. To create these effects, the puffing patterns associated with vape tricks may be different than standard ad-lib e-cigarette usage. The prevalence of vape tricks and the harm associated with exposure to e-cigarette emissions when performing vape tricks is currently unknown.

Objective: Our objectives are to characterize duration, heart rate, respiratory rate, tidal volume, minute volume, and physical activity metrics associated with the performance of vape tricks and to characterize the emission of e-cigarettes when performing vape tricks in a manner suitable to inform novel exposure modeling.

Methods: The study will recruit e-cigarette users with a history of performing vape tricks. Data collection will occur in two different sessions. In the first session, participants will be asked to puff on their e-cigarette as they normally would for 20 minutes. The second session will be a vape tricks session, where users will be asked to perform a series of up to five different vape tricks with their e-cigarette. Data will be collected through screener surveys, in-person interviews, video recordings, a personal exposure monitor, and a biometric garment.

Results: Data analysis is pending and scheduled to take place in the fall of 2019.

Conclusions: This study will be used to assess the feasibility of using a biometric garment to complement environmental and observational data. The approach may provide greater insight into the health risks of performing vape tricks compared to typical e-cigarette use.

International registered report identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/12304.

Keywords: digital health; electronic nicotine delivery systems; human exposure modeling; vaping; wearable electronic devices.

©Robert Furberg, Alexa M Ortiz, Michelle McCombs, Margaret Cress, Jonathan Thornburg, Jessica K Pepper, Youn Ok Lee. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 15.04.2019.