Abstract
The novelty of e-cigarettes and ambiguity about their effects may foster informal sharing of information, such as through social interactions. We aimed to describe smokers’ social interactions about e-cigarettes and their recommendations that others use e-cigarettes. Data were collected from 2149 adult smokers in North Carolina and California who participated in a study of the impact of pictorial cigarette pack warnings. In the previous month, almost half of participants (45%) reported talking to at least one person about e-cigarettes and nearly a third of participants (27%) recommended e-cigarettes to someone else. Smokers recommended e-cigarettes to cut back on smoking (57%), to quit smoking (48%), for health reasons (36%), and for fun (27%). In adjusted analyses, more frequent e-cigarette use, positive views about typical e-cigarette users, and attempting to quit smoking in the past month were associated with recommending e-cigarettes for health reasons (all p < 0.05). Social interactions appear to be a popular method of information-sharing about e-cigarettes among smokers. Health communication campaigns may help to fill in the gaps of smokers’ understanding of e-cigarettes and their long-term effects.
Highlights
Use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has increased rapidly in the U.S, among smokers [1,2]
About a third of participants (36%) had tried an e-cigarette but not in the past month, 11% had used an e-cigarette in the past month, and 15% had used an e-cigarette in the past week
Our study of 2149 U.S adult smokers described participants’ conversations about e-cigarettes (Aim 1), who they recommend e-cigarettes to and why they recommend them (Aim 2), and which factors influenced whether smokers recommend e-cigarettes for health reasons (Aim 3)
Summary
Use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has increased rapidly in the U.S, among smokers [1,2]. E-cigarettes likely pose less risk to individuals’ health compared to traditional cigarettes because they typically produce fewer harmful constituents [3]. The population-level risks and long-term health effects associated with widespread e-cigarette use are less clear. Because of the novelty of the product and the lack of clear information about the effects of e-cigarettes, users and non-users may rely on informal methods of sharing information. Social interactions are a common method of information-sharing that are hypothesized to play a key role in shaping attitudes and behavior [8,9,10,11]. Smokers are more likely to socialize with other smokers [12], suggesting that social interactions could be an important mechanism for sharing information about e-cigarettes within this population.
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