‘I'm Not Smoking; I'm Just Vaping’: Deciphering the Reasons for and Against Vaping and Intention to Quit Among Young Consumers

Vaping has become a defining feature of youth culture and a fast‐expanding consumer practice, yet little is known about how young people rationalize their continued use despite awareness of health risks and social controversy. Drawing on behavioral reasoning theory (BRT) and insights from social identity theory (SIT), this study examines how young consumers construct, compare and prioritize reasons for and against vaping under conditions of uncertainty, thereby deciphering their intention to quit. Using a mixed‐methods design, it combines 21 in‐depth interviews with a survey of 804 young adult vapers in the UK. The findings indicate that conspiracy beliefs, scepticism and perceived uncountability are positively associated with relative disadvantage, which in turn predicts ambivalence and subsequently intention to quit. Ambivalence, in turn, is linked with stronger intention to quit, particularly among individuals with a strong future time perspective, whereas fear of social exclusion appears to weaken the effect of relative disadvantage on ambivalence. The study advances BRT by using evaluability as a conceptual lens to explain why certain reasons become more salient. By integrating cognitive reasoning with social identity, it offers theoretical and policy insights for enhancing health communication and fostering more informed behavioural engagement among young consumers.