E-Cigarettes and "Dripping" Among High-School Youth.
BACKGROUND
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) electrically heat and vaporize e-liquids to produce inhalable vapors. These devices are being used to inhale vapors produced by dripping e-liquids directly onto heated atomizers. The current study conducts the first evaluation of the prevalence rates and reasons for using e-cigarettes for dripping among high school students.


METHODS
In the spring of 2015, students from 8 Connecticut high schools (n= 7045) completed anonymous surveys that examined tobacco use behaviors and perceptions. We assessed prevalence rates of ever using e-cigarettes for dripping, reasons for dripping, and predictors of dripping behaviors among those who reported ever use of e-cigarettes.


RESULTS
Among 1080 ever e-cigarette users, 26.1% of students reported ever using e-cigarettes for dripping. Reasons for dripping included produced thicker clouds of vapor (63.5%), made flavors taste better (38.7%), produced a stronger throat hit (27.7%), curiosity (21.6%), and other (7.5%). Logistic regression analyses indicated that male adolescents (odds ratio [OR] = 1.64), whites (OR = 1.46), and those who had tried multiple tobacco products (OR = 1.34) and had greater past-month e-cigarette use frequency (OR = 1.07) were more likely to use dripping (Ps < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that a substantial portion (∼1 in 4) of high school adolescents who had ever used e-cigarettes also report using the device for dripping. Future efforts must examine the progression and toxicity of the use of e-cigarettes for dripping among youth and educate them about the potential dangers of these behaviors.
Departments of Psychiatry and suchitra.krishnan-sarin@yale.edu.
Suchitra
S
Krishnan-Sarin
Department of Psychology, Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio.
Meghan
M
Morean
Departments of Psychiatry and.
Grace
G
Kong
Departments of Psychiatry and.
Krysten W
KW
Bold
Emergency Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; and.
Deepa R
DR
Camenga
Departments of Psychiatry and.
Dana A
DA
Cavallo
Departments of Psychiatry and.
Patricia
P
Simon
Departments of Psychiatry and.
Ran
R
Wu
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D062789:Tobacco Products / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000072137:Vaping / Q000453:epidemiology*; D044465:White People