“In My Social Circle, We Don’t Discuss Health risks”: A Qualitative Study of the Role of Uncertainty in Adolescent and Young Adults’ Perceptions of Nicotine Vaping Risks

Australian AYAs navigate vaping by rationalizing and deferring engagement with risk. Uncertainty tolerance played a role in continued vaping, particularly in the absence of visible harms. Prevention strategies should address this tolerance directly and leverage social and peer-based messaging to counteract normalization. Findings highlighted the need for tailored messaging interventions designed to disrupt vaping risk minimization.