Use of e-cigarettes among young queer men living in Aotearoa New Zealand
Thibaut Bouttier-Esprit 1 , Rosie Dobson
2 , Peter Saxton 3 , Judith McCool 4 *
1 Campus Life, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
2 National Institute for Health Innovation, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
3 Department of Social and Community Health, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
4 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Journal of Primary Health Care 15(2) 172-175 https://doi.org/10.1071/HC22154
Published: 21 March 2023
© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)
Abstract
Introduction: Queer-identifying (non-heterosexual) men report higher rates of tobacco and e-cigarette use than the general population. The advent of e-cigarettes as a commercial product in Aotearoa New Zealand has been accompanied by aggressive marketing and a sharp uptake in use, especially among young people. Recent evidence suggests that e-cigarettes are widely used for purposes other than smoking cessation.
Aim: This study investigated how vaping is perceived and the role e-cigarettes play in the daily lives of young queer users.
Methods: Using focus groups with a semi-structured interview proforma, we interviewed twelve young queer men between July and August 2021. Interviews were queer-led, conducted via Zoom, and lasted up to 2 h. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim for subsequent inductive and thematic analysis.
Results: Of the twelve participants, 10 were daily users, and two described themselves as ‘social vapers’. We found strong evidence for minority and intra-minority stress as a driver to uptake and continued use of e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes were also used to navigate new social and cultural spaces and as currency for integration into various social milieux, including both mainstream and gay community spaces. There was little support for queer-targeted cessation initiatives.
Discussion: Vaping is highly socially acceptable within queer communities where it is a facilitator of social integration, managing stress and quitting tobacco.
Keywords: behaviours, electronic cigarettes, marketing, nicotine, perceptions, queer, sexual minority, vaping.
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