An aerosol generation system for generation of an aerosol from an aerosol-forming precursor includes an electrically operated heating system to heat the precursor to generate the aerosol; a flow path for transmission of flow, including the aerosol, to a user; the heating system arranged in fluid communication with the flow path; electrical circuitry to measure a change in a property associated with the heating system due to a cooling effect on the heating system from a user inhalation through the flow path, to determine a characteristic of the inhalation based on the measured property associated with the heating system, and to identify the user based on the determined characteristic.