Playful consumption, serious concerns: navigating risks and normalization in Chile’s e-cigarette unregulated market

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dc.article.number3679
dc.catalogadorgjm
dc.contributor.authorSilva-Gallardo, Constanza
dc.contributor.authorAstudillo Rodríguez, Gabriel Arturo
dc.contributor.authorConcha, Francisca
dc.contributor.authorRocha-Jiménez, Teresita
dc.contributor.authorCastillo-Carniglia, Álvaro
dc.date.accessioned2025-12-09T19:42:30Z
dc.date.available2025-12-09T19:42:30Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.date.updated2025-11-02T01:04:44Z
dc.description.abstractBackground Despite legal restrictions, e-cigarette use is rapidly expanding in Chile, driven by informal sales and weak enforcement. Classified as pharmaceutical products, e-cigarettes are technically prohibited for commercial sale without health authority approval. However, widespread access and appealing product features have contributed to their social normalization (e.g., perceived as a common or an acceptable practice). This study aims to explore e-cigarette related behaviors and perceptions in the absence of clear institutional guidelines and oversight. Methods This qualitative study draws on 18 in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted between May 2024 and May 2025 with adult users and adult informal sellers of e-cigarettes in the Metropolitan Region of Chile. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling. Data were transcribed, anonymized, and analyzed thematically using an inductive approach to capture participants’ motivations, perceptions of harm, and experiences navigating a largely unregulated vaping landscape. Results Three major themes emerged among adult users: (1) E-cigarettes were often introduced through peer influence and framed as a playful, socially embedded practice rather than a cessation tool; (2) Participants described high levels of normalization and visibility of e-cigarettes across public and private settings, even as they expressed ambivalence about health risks; (3) Most participants reported navigating a state of uncertainty fueled by inconsistent e-cigarette regulations, limited product labeling, and reliance on informal sources such as social media. The lack of clear legal guidance or public health communication contributed to both confusion and normalization of use in our sample. Conclusions Participants described a legal and informational ambiguity that enables normalization and downplays perceived harms. As the first qualitative study on adult e-cigarette–related behaviors in Chile, these findings provide timely insights that may be valuable for other Latin American contexts facing similar regulatory gaps.
dc.fechaingreso.objetodigital2025-12-09
dc.format.extent13 páginas
dc.fuente.origenAutoarchivo
dc.identifier.citationBMC Public Health. 2025 Oct 31;25(1):3679
dc.identifier.doi10.1186/s12889-025-24936-x
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-24936-x
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorio.uc.cl/handle/11534/107322
dc.information.autorucPrograma de Estudios Generales College; Astudillo Rodríguez, Gabriel Arturo; S/I; 1134950
dc.language.isoen
dc.nota.accesocontenido completo
dc.revistaBMC Public Health
dc.rightsacceso abierto
dc.rights.holderThe Author(s)
dc.rights.licenseCC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.subjectE-cigarette
dc.subjectVaping
dc.subjectNicotine
dc.subjectQualitative study
dc.subjectHealth perception
dc.subjectLatin America
dc.subjectHarm reduction
dc.subjectPublic policy
dc.subjectRegulation
dc.subject.ddc300
dc.subject.ods16 Peace, justice and strong institutions
dc.subject.odspa16 Paz, justicia e instituciones sólidas
dc.titlePlayful consumption, serious concerns: navigating risks and normalization in Chile’s e-cigarette unregulated market
dc.typeartículo
dc.volumen25
sipa.codpersvinculados1134950
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