Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: May 13, 2020
Date Accepted: Sep 24, 2020
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
There was an app for that: A content review of Google Play Store vaping-related mobile applications after Apple’s vaping app ban
ABSTRACT
Background:
In response to health concerns about vaping devices (e.g., youth nicotine use, lung injury), Apple removed 181 previously approved vaping-related apps in November 2019. This policy change may lessen youth exposure to content that glamorizes vaping; however, it may also block important sources of information and vaping device control for adults seeking to use vaping devices safely.
Objective:
Understanding the types of apps still available for mobile devices in the competing Google Play Store can shed light on how digital apps may reflect and influence nicotine and cannabis vaping behaviors.
Methods:
In December 2019, we searched the Google Play Store for vaping-related apps using the keywords “vape” and “vaping” and reviewed the top 100 apps presented in the results. We reviewed app titles, descriptions, screenshots, and metadata to categorize the intended substance (nicotine or cannabis/THC) and the app’s purpose. The most popular apps in each purpose category were downloaded and evaluated using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS).
Results:
Of the first 100 apps, 79 were related to vaping. Of these 79 apps, 44 (56%) were specific to nicotine, 4 (5%) were specific to cannabis, with the remaining 31 (39%) unclear about the intended substance. The most common purposes of the apps were: making DIY coils (n=28, 35%) and e-liquids (n=25, 32%); games/entertainment (n=19, 24%); social networking (n=16, 20%), and shopping for vaping products (n=15, 19%). At least 4 apps paired with vaping devices to control temperature or dose settings. Eight apps claimed to help people quit smoking using vaping and 2 apps had the goal of helping people quit vaping.
Conclusions:
The most common type of vaping-related app in the Google Play Store was for creating DIY coils or e-liquids. Few apps were for controlling device settings or assisting with quitting smoking or vaping.
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