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Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs), originally intended to be used as cigarette substitutes, have evolved into discreet devices for consuming drugs other than nicotine (DOTNs). Presented are the results of an exploratory survey in which information regarding demographics, e-cig device type, DOTN use, frequency and context of use was collected. The average reported age of respondents was 27.4 years of age (SD = 12.0), and respondents predominantly identified as male (73%). Vape pens (disposable or refillable) were the most reported device across all DOTN classes. Cannabinoids were the most reported class of DOTN used, for both lifetime and past 30-day use. Other DOTNs reported included herbal supplements, amphetamines, caffeine, kratom, vitamins, opiates, DMT, fentanyl, and ketamine. Combinations of DOTNs used in e-cigs and trends in poly-substance use were reported. The most commonly reported context was vaping alone, followed by with friends, at home, and at social events; less commonly reported contexts included when driving, at work, and at school. Results from this study are useful for developing future national surveys to consider a comprehensive substance use-focused strategy that includes vaping, building awareness of DOTN e-cig use, and highlighting public safety issues in driving impairment, crime scene investigations, and death investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In total, 3.2% of American adults report using e-cigarettes every day or some days. The Vaping and Patterns of E-cigarette Use Research (VAPER) Study is a web-based longitudinal survey designed to observe patterns in device and liquid use that suggest the benefits and unintended consequences of potential e-cigarette regulations. The heterogeneity of the e-cigarette devices and liquids on the market, the customizability of the devices and liquids, and the lack of standardized reporting requirements result in unique measurement challenges. Furthermore, bots and survey takers who submit falsified responses are threats to data integrity that require mitigation strategies. Objective: This paper aims to describe the protocols for 3 waves of the VAPER Study and discuss recruitment and data processing experiences and lessons learned, including the benefits and limitations of bot- and fraudulent survey taker-related strategies. Methods: American adults (aged ≥21 years) who use e-cigarettes ≥5 days per week are recruited from up to 404 Craigslist catchment areas covering all 50 states. The questionnaire measures and skip logic are designed to accommodate marketplace heterogeneity and user customization (eg, different skip logic pathways for different device types and customizations). To reduce reliance on self-report data, we also require participants to submit a photo of their device. All data are collected using REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture; Vanderbilt University). Incentives are US $10 Amazon gift codes delivered by mail to new participants and electronically to returning participants. Those lost to follow-up are replaced. Several strategies are applied to maximize the odds that participants who receive incentives are not bots and are likely to possess an e-cigarette (eg, required identity check and photo of a device). Results: In total, 3 waves of data were collected between 2020 and 2021 (wave 1: n=1209; wave 2: n=1218; wave 3: n=1254). Retention from waves 1 to 2 was 51.94% (628/1209), and 37.55% (454/1209) of the wave 1 sample completed all 3 waves. These data were mostly generalizable to daily e-cigarette users in the United States, and poststratification weights were generated for future analyses. Our data offer a detailed examination of users' device features and specifications, liquid characteristics, and key behaviors, which can provide more insights into the benefits and unintended consequences of potential regulations. Conclusions: Relative to existing e-cigarette cohort studies, this study methodology has some advantages, including efficient recruitment of a lower-prevalence population and collection of detailed data relevant to tobacco regulatory science (eg, device wattage). The web-based nature of the study requires several bot- and fraudulent survey taker-related risk-mitigation strategies, which can be time-intensive. When these risks are addressed, web-based cohort studies can be successful. We will continue to explore methods for maximizing recruitment efficiency, data quality, and participant retention in subsequent waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcoholism and nicotine dependence share many neurobiological underpinnings; the presence of one drug can cause a person to crave the other. Depressive illness can complicate comorbid alcohol and nicotine dependence [...]

Harm reduction for tobacco smokers may involve reducing their exposure to lethal smoke constituents. Assessing smoke constituent exposure and any resulting harm reduction from a potential reduced-exposure product (PREP) will involve preclinical, clinical, and epidemiological research. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a clinical laboratory model for assessing the acute effects of PREPs for smokers. Philip Morris' Accord and R.J. Reynolds' Eclipse were used as examples. Twenty overnight-abstinent smokers (> 15 'light' or 'ultra-light' cigarettes/day) participated in 4 Latin-square ordered, 2.5-hr sessions in which they completed an 8-puff smoking bout every 30 minutes. Sessions were separated by at least 24 hours and differed by product used: own brand, denicotinized tobacco cigarettes, Accord, or Eclipse. Tobacco withdrawal and carbon monoxide (CO) were assessed before and after smoking, heart rate was assessed before and during smoking, and puff volume, duration, and interpuff interval were assessed while subjects smoked. Blood was sampled at the beginning and end of each session. Relative to normal cigarettes, Accord was less effective at suppressing withdrawal and produced minimal CO boost despite the fact that, when using Accord, subjects took bigger and longer puffs. Eclipse suppressed withdrawal fully and increased CO boost by approximately 30%. Own brand, Accord, and Eclipse, but not denicotinized cigarettes, increased plasma nicotine concentration. Taken together, these results suggest that neither Accord nor Eclipse is likely to be an effective reduced-exposure product for smokers and that this clinical laboratory model is valuable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDSs) produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that often contains nicotine. The nicotine can be protonated that may make the aerosol easier to inhale than freebase nicotine. This study's purpose is to determine, in cigarette smokers and ENDS users, the effects of three concentrations of protonated nicotine aerosolized at two different power settings. Forty-five participants (22 cigarette smokers and 23 ENDS users) completed some or all of six sessions that varied by liquid nicotine concentration (10, 15, or 30 mg/ml protonated nicotine) and device power (15 or 30 W). Participants took 10 puffs from each product and then used each product for 90 min ad libitum . Plasma nicotine concentration, subjective effects, and puff topography were measured. Results showed increases in plasma nicotine concentration in all conditions, with greater plasma nicotine increases in higher watt, higher nicotine concentration conditions, as well as greater nicotine delivery for ENDS users compared to cigarette smokers. For puff topography, puff duration and volume decreased as nicotine concentration and power increased, and ENDS users took longer and larger puffs than cigarette smokers. Participants rated the higher watt, higher nicotine concentration conditions as harsher and with more throat hit. Overall, these results suggest that device characteristics and liquid constituents interact to influence users' plasma nicotine delivery and should be considered together when regulating ENDS. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: Evaluating electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) in the clinical laboratory is critical to understanding their effects. However, laboratory evaluation of ECIGs can be challenging, as they are a novel, varied, and evolving class of products. The objective of this paper is to describe some methodological challenges to the clinical laboratory evaluation of ECIGs., Methods: The authors gathered information about challenges involved in the laboratory evaluation of ECIGs. Challenges were categorized and solutions provided when possible., Results: Methods used to study combustible cigarettes may need to be adapted to account for ECIG novelty and differences within the class. Challenges to ECIG evaluation can include issues related to 1) identification of ECIG devices and liquids, 2) determination of short -term ECIG abstinence, 3) measurement of use behavior, and 4) assessment of dependence. These challenges are discussed, and some suggestions to inform ECIG evaluation using clinical laboratory methods are provided., Conclusions: Awareness of challenges and developing, validating, and reporting methods used to address them aids interpretation of results and replication efforts, thus enhancing the rigor of science used to protect public health through appropriate, empirically-based, ECIG regulation., Competing Interests: Conflict of InterestStatement All authors of this article declare they have no conflicts of interest.