Table 1 Identified themes and examples of narratives expressed by focus group participants

Narratives

“That feeling when it comes down and hits your throat and you inhale it, that’s like a big deal for us all.”

“Going to the website you start hearing people’s stories […] you research until you find something and I kept coming back to this and really liked it. There’s a big support community ethic, which is part of it.”

“I learned about […] the different bases and juices. There’s so much knowledge out there and I became a nerd. And it became a hobby.”

“You know, for years, I loved being able to carry around my pack of cigarettes and my Red Sox lighter. I miss carrying my Red Sox lighter […] it becomes who you are. It becomes, you don’t do anything without a cigarette in your hand. Now I can still do that and still get the nicotine without disgusting somebody else because I am smoking, and it does stink.”

“When I first started, that was the plan. But I enjoy it now. I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

“My goal is to be nicotine free at some point but I’m not in a hurry, either.”

“[…] When I quit cigarettes, my fixation with, you know, vaping, is very similar. So I like to vape while I’m in the car, I like to vape while after I have a meal or when I have a coffee or when I’m drinking and so on, so it mirrors that almost.”

“I like all the flavors, I like the devices. You know, it’s my new hobby, my new collection. I don’t collect lighters now, I’m collecting juice and devices.”

“Having the support was instrumental.”

“You don't hear about two people on the patch talking about their patches or what brand their trying or what not.”

“Perfect vape.”

Refer to themselves as “vapers.”