The scope of damage caused by tobacco remains a major challenge to public health, with almost 21,000 Australians and 8 million people worldwide dying as a result of smoking. Now, we have seen the emergence of a new nicotine delivery device, referred to as e-cigarettes or vapes, entering the US market in 2007, offering opportunities to ‘hook’ a new generation of nicotine users.

Originally touted as a smoking cessation tool, e-cigarettes have transformed into high-tech nicotine delivery devices, used predominantly by non-smokers and youth. Young people are exposed to e-cigarette devices and e-liquid (commonly known as e-juice) via shop fronts on high streets, social networking platforms and the internet. Here prospective users can learn about products, share experiences, and make purchases.

Our international cross-disciplinary research team are collaborating with community organisations to understand how e-cigarettes are promoted, accessed, and used within Australia’s tightly regulated environment, exploring the online and real-world e-cigarette environment, while gathering the perspective of users and other stakeholders to identify how to deal with this nascent issue.