“Cloud chasers” and “substitutes”: e‐cigarettes, vaping subcultures and vaper identities

Abstract

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.

Motivations for use, identity and the vaper subculture: a qualitative study of the experiences of Western Australian vapers

“…Two approaches to vaping emerged from our data, that of the 'cloud chaser' and the 'substitute'. Vapers within this sample displayed similar subcultural elements and practices to those reported in the international literature examining the motivations of e-cigarette users, identity formation and involvement in the vaping subculture [14,15] which could be diffused via global structures such as social media. However, some subcultural elements are localised to Australian vapers due to the unique social conditions under which the behaviour has evolved.…”

“…Two identities and approaches to vaping emerged from the data, which we labelled 'substitute' vapers and 'cloud chasers' after the dominant vaper identities constructed by Tokle and Pedersen [15]. Cloud chasing is the act of expelling large amounts of vapour using an e-cigarette, we use the term in a broader, more symbolic sense.…”

“…Farrimond [ 14 ] identified differing motivations for use of, and varying political engagement in, vaping regimes among a sample of vapers in the United Kingdom (UK) and constructed three main typologies to describe these users: vaping for pleasure, vaping as medical treatment and ambivalent e-cigarette use, suggesting that the motives of vaping may be linked to different social identities. Similarly, a study of Norwegian vapers identified two dominant vaper identities, who Tokle and Pedersen [ 15 ] labelled ‘cloud chasers’ and ‘substitutes’. Cloud chasers were dedicated vapers who identified with symbols and values in the subculture, many of whom were politically engaged in improving e-cigarette regulation, describing a sense of belonging to the vape community.…”

“…Vaping is a relatively new practice, and therefore its symbolic meanings and social practices are yet to be fully understood. However, it appears that through the uptake of vaping, personal and collective identities have been established and a vaping subculture has emerged [ 14 , 15 , 20 ]. Considering the limited extant research investigating e-cigarette use within Australia, this study aimed to examine vapers motivations for use, reinforcing influences, and association with the vaper subculture within Western Australia.…”

Bottom-up meets top-down: exploring vapers’ accounts of risk in a context of e-cigarette controversies

“…At the same time vaping companies seem to use this contextof uncertainty and challenged authorityas an opportunity, by promoting e-cigarettes through social media influencers with status among peer-followers (Daniel et al, 2018), and YouTube (Willis et al, 2017). The lay expertise represents guidance in a bewildering context, marked by rapidly evolving product technology and new products entering the market (Niaura, 2018). In line with this, vaper forums are reported to be places for receiving support online and advice, hence my understanding of these social contexts in terms of 'vaping as a bottom-up movement'.…”