Visited a vape shop? Prevalence and correlates from a national sample of U.S. young adults

INTRODUCTION: The increasing popularity of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) has brought with it the emergence of “vape shops,” retail outlets designed for the sale of ENDS, nicotine fluid, and accessories. To understand user characteristics of this rapidly-growing retail environment, this study examined the prevalence and correlates of having ever visited a vape shop among U.S. young adults. METHODS: Data were drawn from Wave 7 (weighted n = 3,542) of the Truth Initiative Young Adult Cohort, a national sample of individuals aged 18 to 34 (October 2014). Multivariable logistic analysis examined odds of ever visiting a vape shop as a function of demographics, tobacco use, and substance use. RESULTS: Results showed that 11% of young adults had ever visited a vape shop. Significant bivariate relationships existed between all tobacco products and other substance use and vape shop visiting. Significant correlates of ever visiting a vape shop in multivariable analyses were: past 30-day use of cigarettes, past 30-day or ever use of an e-cigarette or hookah, past 30-day use of marijuana or other drugs, younger age (18–24 vs 25–34), Hispanic and other race (vs White race), and limited financial means. CONCLUSIONS: Young adult vape shop ever visitors share common characteristics with tobacco, other drug and ENDS users and likely reflect an underlying propensity to engage in risk behaviors. Future research should determine reasons why young adults visit vape shops and the potential impact of vape shop visits and purchases on ENDS use and trajectories of use of other tobacco products.