Introduction: The growing popularity of electronic cigarettes and vaping devices among young people poses a serious challenge to public health. This pilot study aims to assess the awareness, risk perceptions, and behavioral attitudes towards the use of these devices among early adolescents in Varna, Bulgaria.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted between April 17-26, 2025, among 195 students (58.5% boys; 41.5% girls) aged 10-14 years from three secondary schools in Varna, selected through convenience sampling. An author-developed anonymous questionnaire with 10 closed questions was administered on paper. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage distribution) and the χ² test for independence.
Results: The data analysis revealed extremely high levels of awareness, with 87.2% of respondents knowing what electronic cigarettes are. Significant social exposure was also observed, as 70.3% knew someone who uses such devices. Regarding safety perceptions, slightly over half (50.8%) correctly assessed that electronic cigarettes are not safer than traditional ones, but a substantial proportion (34.9%) expressed uncertainty ("I don't know"). The majority of students (86.1%) stated they would not try an electronic cigarette, but around 14% identified themselves as a risk group with positive or hesitant attitudes.
Conclusion: The results show a high degree of awareness and social exposure to these devices, indicating their sustained penetration into the adolescent environment. Despite limited personal experience with electronic cigarette use among the studied population, the presence of information gaps and uncertainty about risks, as well as the existence of a risk group with positive attitudes towards use, highlights the critical need for early and targeted preventive interventions to build robust negative attitudes before potential experimentation.
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