Beliefs and intention to use e-cigarettes among university students in Dhaka city of Bangladesh: a qualitative exploration

Between January and February 2020 we conducted four sex-stratified focus-group discussions with 32 current vapers (mean age 22 years; 50% male; 50% private-university) drawn purposively from one public and one private university. Most participants were former combustible-cigarette smokers; three quarters had replaced cigarettes with e-cigarettes and half no longer smoked tobacco. Vaping was viewed as less harmful, cheaper, and more socially acceptable than smoking, with judgments shaped by social-media marketing and parental tolerance. Flavoured aerosols, playful brand names, and "cloud tricks" heightened appeal, while easy retail and online access minimised barriers. Peer endorsement was the dominant normative driver; private-university students additionally used premium devices to signal social status. Awareness of potential health risks was limited, and only robust scientific evidence or loss of peer interest were cited as potential deterrents. Targeted education, flavour restrictions, and point-of-sale warnings may curb normalisation of vaping on Bangladeshi campuses.