With nicotine and cannabis vaping on the rise among young adults, Cal State Fullerton public health researcher Joshua Yang is studying how exposure to new and emerging products affects use.
Yang is directing the three-year study “Influence of Emerging Alternative Products on Transitions in Nicotine and Cannabis Product Use.” The research is funded by a $1.2 million grant from the Regents of the University of California, Office of the President.
“Though cigarette smoking among young adults has been declining in the United States, the use of electronic nicotine delivery systems is particularly high,” said Yang, professor of public health.
The purpose of his study is to determine the effects of exposure to and engagement with electronic nicotine delivery systems and cannabis electronic vaporizers, or vapes, on young adults’ transitions in using tobacco and cannabis vaping products, Yang said.
“Due to the health consequences associated with vaping both tobacco and cannabis, there is an urgent need to improve our understanding of the factors that lead young adults to transition to using these products,” said Yang, whose research interests include alternative tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, and tobacco control.
His research project focuses on young adults who only vape nicotine and whether exposure to new and emerging nicotine and cannabis products, such as those with new flavors or product designs, leads to other tobacco or cannabis product use.
With projections for continued growth in the vaping market and expansion of the legalization of recreational marijuana, exposure to cannabis vapes is likely to continue increasing, Yang added.
Yang said the study’s results could be used to inform prevention of vaping, improve interventions for nicotine and cannabis vaping addiction, provide helpful information for cessation protocols and implement policies to better regulate the marketing of these products, especially to teens and young adults.
The study focuses on three specific research areas, including using technical tools to identify popular new and emerging products and brands as they are introduced to the market in near real time.
Yang explained that vapes are a relatively new method of using cannabis, with the rate of cannabis vaping increasing among young adults.
“This past year, we’ve been studying online retailers selling nicotine and cannabis products marketed to young adults. Next, we’ll compare last year’s products with this year’s products,” Yang said.
This fall, Yang plans to conduct an online survey of California young adults, ages 18 to 25, to assess how emerging product engagement and other factors influence their transition from using only nicotine vapes to other products like cannabis vapes.
The final stage of his study will focus on in-depth interviews of survey respondents to better understand changes in substance use patterns, such as transitioning to cannabis vaping. Public health student researchers will assist in analyzing the data.
“The working hypothesis is that exposure to and engagement with emerging tobacco, nicotine and cannabis products act on product use patterns through multiple interactive pathways, including through exposure to online marketing,” Yang said.
“Through this research, we hope to understand whether greater exposure to new and emerging products results in higher engagement and use.”