Abstract
BackgroundRecently, electronic cigarette (e-cig) usage has increased significantly, making it a potentially effective smoking cessation tool. In Muslim countries, most people who use e-cigarettes fast the month of Ramadan, which results in intermittent fasting. This study aims to reveal the severity of e-cig withdrawal symptoms among users during this intermittent fasting period.MethodsA self-administered survey was developed and validated to solicit anonymous responses from e-cig users living in Jordan, through a cross-sectional study design. Participants were recruited through social media resources. Severity scores of physical (out of 11) and psychological (out of 8) withdrawal symptoms for each participant were assessed and calculated for each participant, depending on the symptoms reported.ResultsA convenience sample (n = 523) of e-cig adult users were recruited. The majority of the participants were males (96.4%) aged between 18 and 40 years (86.4%). Many participants replaced tobacco smoking with e-cig (53.5%) in order to help them stop smoking. More than half of the participants experienced relatively weak physical (0.82 ± 1.78) and psychological (1.24 ± 1.89) withdrawal symptoms during the month of fasting. Most of the participants (63.2%) preferred to engage themselves with a busy schedule to tolerate the related withdrawal symptoms they experienced.ConclusionE-cigs could play a vital role in smoking cessation among tobacco smokers during intermittent fasting. Ramadan offers a good opportunity for smokers to quit, as the reported physical and psychological e-cig withdrawal symptoms were found to be relatively weak. Awareness and behavioral interventions would help clarify the effect of e-cigs and help determine alternative ways to cease smoking.
Highlights
Electronic cigarette (e-cig) usage has increased significantly, making it a potentially effective smoking cessation tool
Electronic cigarettes (E-cig) may increase the severity of nicotine dependence in dual-users of cigarettes [1]
Ramadan offers a good opportunity for smokers to quit
Summary
Electronic cigarette (e-cig) usage has increased significantly, making it a potentially effective smoking cessation tool. Electronic cigarettes (e-cig) usage has increased significantly in recent years, and it has been proposed as a potentially effective smoking cessation tool [1]. According to a government study carried out by the Jordan health ministry in collaboration with the World Health Organization in 2019, 8 out of 10 Jordanian men smoke or regularly use nicotine products, including s-cigs [6]. Many nicotine smokers use smoking cessation products to stop smoking [8]. E-cigs can lead to nicotine addiction for tobacco non-smoker adults and youth [1]. E-cigs may increase the severity of nicotine dependence in dual-users of cigarettes [1]
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