The use of e‐cigarettes is increasing, a practice denoted as vaping. We explore user motives, self‐identity as vapers and involvement in vaping subcultures, drawing on sociological theory of stigma, subcultures and symbolic boundaries. Based on analyses of semi‐structured interviews with 30 Norwegian vapers, we find that there is a vaping subculture in Norway. We identify two dominant vaper identities. The first is labelled cloud chasers. These were dedicated vapers who identified with symbols and values in the subculture. Many were politically engaged in improving vaping regulation regimes and felt a sense of belonging to a vaping community. The second group is labelled substitutes. These were former daily smokers who used e‐cigarettes for smoking cessation in a more pragmatic and defensive manner, to avoid health risks, to escape the stigma of smoking and to manage nicotine addiction. In this group, self‐identity as a vaper was generally lacking. Vaping was often symbolically linked to the stigmatised smoker identity they wanted to escape, and was restricted to private contexts. The perceived symbolic meaning of e‐cigarettes varies: for some, they are a symbol of pleasure and community. For others, they connote the stigmatised status of the addicted smoker seeking an alternative to cigarettes.

Introduction and Aims In many countries, adolescents' drinking has decreased substantially over recent years. This study aims to explore Norwegian adolescents' accounts of refraining from drinking alcohol and how their explanations are contextualised. Design and Methods Semi‐structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 95 adolescents aged 15–16 years (50 females), recruited from six schools in Norway. Interviews examined perceptions and experience of alcohol use, and how non‐drinking was reasoned for. Results The adolescents' accounts of refraining from alcohol were sorted into three categories: (i) influence from non‐drinking peers and negative social norms towards alcohol use: non‐drinking was described as the norm in their age group; (ii) legal age and relationship to parents: age limits and parents' disapproval of drinking was perceived as justifiable; and (iii) non‐drinking to sustain control: alcohol use was perceived as implying loss of control of self‐presentation in specific situations, and risk of negative exposure on social media. It was also seen as implying risk of loss of control of future achievement in school or sports. Discussion and Conclusions The adolescents' explanations for non‐drinking indicated a devaluation in the social position of alcohol among younger adolescents. Non‐drinking was described as majority behaviour and fitting in with a life orientation towards both present‐day and future achievement. Their accounts pointed towards a normative effect of age limits on buying alcohol and highlighted the significance of emotional closeness and open communication about alcohol with parents. The results indicate a differentiated normalisation of non‐drinking in this age group.

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PurposeThe Monitoring Young Lifestyles (MyLife) project was initiated as an integrated quantitative and qualitative prospective investigation of correlates, causes, and consequences of adolescent substance use and other addictive behaviours in Norway.ParticipantsThe MyLife cohort was recruited from middle schools in Norway, which were selected from low, medium and high standard of living areas in both rural and urban regions of the country. A total of 3512 eighth, ninth and tenth graders (55% girls) from 33 schools were enrolled in the quantitative project arm (QT), while a total of 120 eighth graders (52% girls) from six schools were enrolled in the qualitative project arm (QL).Findings to dateQT baseline was conducted in the fall of 2017, when 2975 adolescents completed an online questionnaire at school during a regular class time. A total of 2857 adolescents participated in the first QT follow-up 1 year later. QL baseline was conducted across the fall semesters of 2014 (one class) and 2015 (five classes), when a total of 118 eighth graders completed face-to-face interviews. QL follow-ups were conducted in the spring of 2015 and fall of 2017 (n=98) for group interviews, and in the spring of 2017 and 2018 (n=95) for individual interviews. In terms of additional data sources, a total of 3035 parents consented to own participation, of which 1899 completed a brief online questionnaire at QT baseline in late 2017. School principals completed brief surveys at the same time.Future plansBoth QT and QL arms have planned follow-ups through 2021. Consents were obtained for individual-level linkages of adolescent and parental quantitative surveys to each other, as well as to the information available in multiple national registries and databases. These supplemental data sources will provide key information on additional putative exposures as well as on the long-term health, educational, and social outcomes of the MyLife participants.

Introduction Although adolescents’ nicotine addiction from e-cigarettes is a concern, few studies differentiate between vaping with and without nicotine. This study examines the prevalence of nicotine and nicotine-free vaping, maps transitions between vaping behaviours, and assesses differences in the personal characteristics of vapers in a sample of Norwegian adolescents. Methods Data came from a nationwide longitudinal study of adolescents (n=2,018) conducted in 2017 (T1), 2018 (T2) and 2019 (T3) (mean age: 14.2, 15.0 and 16.2). Using an online questionnaire, we measured vaping with and without nicotine, snus use, smoking, sensation-seeking, conduct problems and levels of depression. Results Past 12-month vaping prevalence was stable (12%, 13% and 15%). Among adolescents reporting vaping at T1, 69% had used e-cigarettes without nicotine, 17% with nicotine, and 15% were unsure of nicotine content. Individual vaping trajectories were unstable: of nicotine-free vapers, 54% became non-users, whilst 14% became nicotine vapers from T1-T2. From T2-T3, 50% became non-users, whilst 17% became nicotine vapers. Of nicotine vapers, 39% became non-users from T1-T2, whilst 46% became non-users from T2-T3. Compared to nicotine-free vapers, nicotine vapers had more conduct problems (mean=3.67 vs 2.17), had more symptoms of depression (mean=11.38 vs 6.95), and comprised more past-30-day snus users (33% vs 14%) and cigarette users (33% vs 9%). Conclusions Adolescent vapers most commonly used e-cigarettes without nicotine, few of these transitioned into nicotine vaping, and a majority became non-users. Nicotine vapers were more likely to use other tobacco products and have more conduct problems and symptoms of depression compared to nicotine-free vapers. Implications Reporting the prevalence of nicotine-free vaping is critical for assessing nicotine exposure and subsequent risks of nicotine addiction. This multi-cohort longitudinal study showed that use of nicotine-free e-cigarettes is common among young vapers in Norway. Adolescents’ vaping patterns – both with and without nicotine – are generally temporal and experimental. Despite the majority of nicotine vapers becoming non-users, they are characterised by having more conduct problems and poorer mental health, and they more often used other tobacco products.