Information for Study Participants

What's Involved?

When you first joined this study, we asked you to complete a detailed survey which asked questions about your vaping awareness, views and experiences. We also asked a few questions about your use of regular cigarettes, hookahs, marijuana and alcohol, and a few questions about your personality and health.

As part of this study, we are following up with you, by email or text, about every 3 months, over 18 months. At 3, 9 and 15 months follow-up you also have a chance to participate in a mini-poll about your current vaping behaviour. You are also being invited to complete a couple of short online surveys (about 5 minutes), one at about 6 months and one at around 12 months. In September 2019, around 18 months after you filled out your first survey, you’ll be invited to complete a final detailed survey, which will take about 8-20 minutes. Detailed information about time commitment and compensation is in the table on the next page.

E-Gift Cards & Prizes

As a thank you for completing each of the 2 detailed surveys – at the beginning and end of study – participants have and will receive an email to select a $10 e-gift card (choose from  iTunes, Amazon, Cineplex, Starbucks, Indigo or Harvey’s), sent from the study team via Giftbit. You’ll have 3 months from the send date to claim your e-gift card before it expires, but once you select and claim your e-card there is no expiry date.

As well, when you complete each of the 2 detailed surveys, you’ll be entered to win a prize draw for one of two $250 VISA or MasterCard gift cards. The odds of winning are about 1 in 500.

When you finish each of the short 6 and 12 month surveys, you’ll receive a $5 e-gift card (choose from iTunes, Amazon, Cineplex, Starbucks or Indigo), sent from the study team via Giftbit. You’ll also be entered to win a prize draw for one of two $100 VISA or MasterCard gift cards. The odds of winning are about 1 in 400.

You can only register for the study once. Multiple submissions are not permitted and each survey is subject to verification. You will only receive ONE e-gift card for each of the eligible surveys that you complete (see table below). Everyone who completes any of the surveys with prize draws will be entered to win 1 of 2 VISA or MasterCard gift cards as described above. Draw dates will be determined by the length of time it takes to reach the required study numbers. The suggested dates for prize draws are detailed in the table below.

All prize winners will be notified by email or text message and will be asked to verify their mailing address and phone number. The VISA or Mastercard gift card prizes will be mailed out by priority post, and the winner must sign for the package for it to be released.

*NOTE: In February 2019, the timing of the detailed follow-up survey was changed from September to March 2019. The honourarium for completing the 12-month detailed follow-up survey was also increased to a $15 e-gift card. The second short survey will now take place in September 2019.

The Fine Print

Linking to Provincial Administrative Health Records

Your participation in this University of Toronto study is helping us understand people’s views and experiences with vaping over time. You’re also helping us to determine whether there are any health effects from vaping and whether vaping helps smokers quit.

To help increase our knowledge and understanding of how vaping is positively or negatively affecting health, we would like to link your survey responses from this Vaping Study to provincial administrative health records. These data are protected and tightly controlled under your province’s personal health information protectionlegislation. These health records include, for example, visits to a family physician or medications that are paid for by your provincial government. As required by your province’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, your personal information, such as your name, date of birth, and email, is removed from these data so that you cannot be identified. This means that no one on the research team will be able to identify you personally in any of the health and survey information after the data are linked.

Risks & Benefits

There are no known or anticipated risks associated with participating in the study. Although you may not receive any direct personal benefit from participating in this survey, your participation will help us understand the patterns of use and side effects of vaping.

Privacy & Confidentiality

All responses to this study are confidential. All personal information—including name, address, and email—will not be shared with any person or group who is not associated with this study. Participation is voluntary and you may choose to skip any question that you are not comfortable answering. You may also stop your participation at any time.

No information identifying specific individuals will be used in any publication or presentations. Electronic data will be stripped of all personal information and kept on password protected servers at the University of Toronto.

Withdrawing From the Study

Study participants can choose not to answer any survey invitation and/or request to withdrawal from future participation. Please email the study team with your request, specifying your name and email address. If you'd like to withdraw your data completely from this study, please send an email to the study coordinator with the subject line "Withdraw my data completely from the Vaping Study". Please note that we will not be able to withdraw your data from this study if data are already analyzed and published.

Ethics & Funding

This study has received ethics approval from the University of Toronto. If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant, please contact the Office of Research Ethics or at 416-946-3389. This study is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Health System Research Fund. Download an official copy of the study procedures.

Where Can I Read About Study Findings?

Responses will be combined with other respondents and no personal information will be released. Requests for study findings can be sent to the study team.