Heard Of E-cigarettes Research Articles

Assessing the knowledge, attitude and practice of electronic cigarettes and their associated factors among undergraduate students of Institute of Medicine, Nepal: a cross-sectional study.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are gaining popularity globally and becoming popular among young people, including in Nepal. Easy accessibility, appealing ads, and the misconception that e-cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes have fueled their rising popularity among university students in Nepal. The lack of comprehensive data on the prevalence and determinants of e-cigarette use among university students in Nepal underscores the urgent need for targeted research in this area. This study aimed to examine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding e-cigarettes, as well as their influencing factors, among undergraduate students at the Institute of Medicine in Kathmandu, Nepal. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 302 undergraduate students. A self-administered questionnaire assessed their knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to e-cigarettes. Descriptive statistics were reported, and chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the statistical association among variables using STATA 14. The mean age of participants was 21.4 ± 2.1 years. Of the 302 respondents, 214 (70.9%) had heard of e-cigarettes. Among them, 71.5% had good knowledge, 62.2% held supportive attitudes, and 79.0% had never used e-cigarettes. Males were more likely to smoke e-cigarettes than females (AOR: 2.27; 95% CI: 1.01-5.01; p = 0.046). Students with friends who smoke were nearly three times more likely to use e-cigarettes (AOR: 3.00; 95% CI: 1.12-7.99; p = 0.028). Supportive attitudes towards e-cigarettes also doubled the likelihood of smoking them (AOR: 2.10; 95% CI: 1.02-4.35; p = 0.045). The study highlights important implications for interventions, policy, and education within Nepal's medical system. With a notable percentage of students holding supportive attitudes toward e-cigarettes, there is a clear need for targeted behavior change campaigns that educate about the health risks associated with e-cigarettes.

Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Awareness of Electronic-Cigarette Use among Medical Students at King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia

Objectives: To determine the prevalence, pattern of smoking, and associated factors as well as attitudes toward E-cigarettes among medical students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 340 medical students. An online questionnaire was used in data collection. It consists of socio-demographic characteristics, smoking history, awareness of E-cigarettes, the prevalence of their use, beliefs regarding E-cigarettes, and reasons for E-cigarette use Results: Males represented 58.8%, with a mean age of 22.4±1.5 years. The prevalence of current smoking and ex-smoking among participants was 13.5% and 9.1%, respectively. Most participants have heard of E-cigarettes (94.4%); female students have heard about E-cigarettes more than males (99.3% vs. 91%, respectively, p<0.001); 36.8% of participants have tried using E-cigarettes at least once during their lifetime, 15.9% have used them during the last month and 11.8% intended to use them in the next year. Junior students were likelier to try E-cigarettes during their lifetime (44.5% vs. 32.1%, respectively, p=0.020). The commonest reasons for trying E-cigarettes were reducing the number of traditional cigarettes (93.6%), being less dangerous than traditional cigarettes (87.2%), and as an attempt to quit smoking (84.8%). Conclusions: E-cigarettes are tried by a considerable proportion of medical students, mainly to reduce the number of traditional cigarettes, assuming that they are less dangerous than traditional cigarettes, and as an attempt to quit smoking. Key Words: Cigarette smoking, E-smoking, medical students, knowledge, attitude, risk factors.

E-cigarette awareness and use, among adult residents in Shanghai, China.

The widespread popularity of e-cigarettes is considered an important public health concern. However, only some studies have investigated the prevalence of e-cigarette use in Shanghai, China. Research on the perceived harmfulness of e-cigarettes and public support for e-cigarette regulations in China is limited. This study aimed to estimate e-cigarette awareness, prevalence, and associated factors among adults in Shanghai, China. This study used data from a representative survey conducted in Shanghai, China, in 2019. The survey was conducted at 64 surveillance points in Shanghai, China, using a multistage, stratified, cluster-randomized sampling design, recruiting community-based Chinese adults aged ≥15 years. Based on the principles outlined in the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) China Project, data were collected by conducting face-to-face interviews in households. Of the 3200 selected households, 3060 people completed the individual survey. The overall response rate was 97.4%. In all, 72.3% of the respondents had heard of e-cigarettes. The respondents who had used e-cigarettes at some point in their life, used them in the last 12 months, and used them currently were 5.8%, 2.6%, and 1.3%, respectively. Among adult residents who had heard of e-cigarettes, 38.2% thought they were less harmful than traditional cigarettes. The respondents who perceived e-cigarettes as more harmful than traditional cigarettes were less likely to have ever used e-cigarettes (AOR=0.2; 95% CI: 0.1-0.5, p=0.0015) and more likely to support incorporating e-cigarettes into the regulation of smoking control (AOR=3.9; 95% CI: 1.8-8.6, p=0.0008). Our findings reveal that the awareness about e-cigarettes was high, and the prevalence of e-cigarette use was similar to the findings from previous studies in China. The harmful perception of e-cigarettes warrants further attention from public health practitioners.

Comparative analysis on prevalence of tobacco and e-cigarettes uses in junior middle school students in Shanghai, 2013 and 2019

Objective: To examine the prevalence and trend of tobacco and e-cigarettes uses and identify the influencing factors for smoking behavior in junior middle school students in Shanghai, and provide data support and scientific basis for the development of tobacco control intervention strategy in adolescents. Methods: Multi-stage stratified random sampling method was used to select junior middle school students in 8 districts and 10 districts in Shanghai in 2013 and in 2019 respectively. Information about tobacco and e-cigarettes uses in the students were collected by using self-administrated questionnaire. The prevalence of tobacco and e-cigarettes uses were calculated, the difference between two years was compared with χ2 test. The influencing factors were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: In 2019, the current smoking rate was 0.6% in junior middle school students in Shanghai, and the smoking attempt rate was 2.9%, both were lower than the levels in 2013 (0.7% and 6.9%). The current use rate of e-cigarettes was 0.6% in 2019,with no significant change compared with 2013 (0.6%). The proportion of the students who had heard of e-cigarettes in 2019 (78.4%) was higher than that in 2013 (47.2%). In 2019, the second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure rate at home, in both indoor and outdoor public places and on public transportations was 72.5%, which was slightly lower than the level in 2013 (73.0%), the differences were all significant (P<0.05). In 2019, the students seeing close friend smoking (OR=27.381, 95%CI: 12.037-62.287), seeing someone smoking in school (OR=2.477, 95%CI: 1.155-5.312), believing that SHS may not be harmful (OR=8.471, 95%CI: 1.464-49.005) had higher possibility of smoking. Being aged ≥15 years (compared with being aged ≤12 years, OR=8.688, 95%CI: 1.922-39.266), exposure to SHS in outdoor public place (OR=8.608, 95%CI: 1.048-70.692), close friend smoking (OR=8.115, 95%CI: 1.754-37.545) were positively associated with e-cigarettes use, and believing that smoking results in uncomfortable social contact [compared with believing that smoking results in comfortable social contact (OR=0.105,95%CI: 0.018-0.615)] were negatively associated with e-cigarettes use, the difference was significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of tobacco and e-cigarette uses in junior middle school students in Shanghai remained at a low level in recent years. The SHS exposure rate in junior middle school students is high. Smoking behavior of junior middle school students is closely related to personal attitude and awareness of tobacco, exposure to SHS, peer smoking and the situation of tobacco control in schools. Prevention and intervention should be carried out from multi-dimensions to effectively protect teenagers from tobacco hazards.

Awareness and prevalence of e-cigarette use among Chinese adults: policy implications

ObjectiveTo assess the awareness and prevalence of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and associated factors among Chinese adults (15 years and older).MethodThis study examined data from Global Adults Tobacco Survey China Project,...

Knowledge, Attitudes and Use of E-Cigarettes

Aim: Investigate knowledge, attitudes and use of e-cigarettes among Croatian population with validated online questionnaire. Methods: Study included 531 subjects who volunteered to participate and was done using online anonymous questionnaire in 2017; the link to questionnaire was on social media on the University of Applied Sciences Official web site. To limit duplicate responses, one response per IP address was permitted. Specially designed questionnaire using internationally validated surveys: „The young people in Scotland schools omnibus 2014: questions on e-cigarettes“, “Monitoring the future-National survey results on drug results” and The European commission-Special Eurobarometer Report-Attitudes of Europeans towards tobacco and electronic cigarettes. Results: There were 379 (71.4%) women and 152 (28.6%) men in the study. Almost all (97.9%) participants have heard of e-cigarettes. The prevalence rate of the current use of e-cigarettes is (5.8%) of all respondents-9.2% men and 4.5% women. Men know more about e-cigarettes (χ²=8.573, ss=2, p=0.014), and use it more often than women (χ²=4.406, ss=1, p=0.036). The largest number of users are in the age group of 18-30 years, and the largest number of respondents who are seeing advertisements for e-cigarettes see them in social media. People with lower education have tried e-cigarettes more than people with higher level of education (χ²=9.750, ss=3, p=0.020). Cigarettes smokers have more knowledge about composition of e-cigarettes (χ²=7.966, ss=2, p=0.019) and more of them tried e-cigarettes than non-smokers (χ²=5.576, ss=1, p=0.018). Conclusion: Questions related to knowledge show a lack of knowledge of the general population about possible consequences of long-term use e-cigarettes that can be expected. Populations at risk of consuming are younger men, having residency in the city, high school graduates, smokers and former smokers, so public health programs should be created and implemented to that population in cooperation with the educational and health sector.

Tobacco use and E-cigarette regulation: Perspectives of University Students in the Asia-Pacific

IntroductionThe Asia-Pacific is home to 30% of the world’s smokers. Additional efforts are needed to reduce negative health impacts of tobacco, including e-cigarettes. The study objectives were to 1. Investigate Asian-Pacific students’ knowledge, attitudes, and use of tobacco products; 2. Determine the level of student support for tobacco control policies; and 3. Examine differences in students’ attitudes by the strength of national tobacco control policies based on implementation of WHO’s MPOWER package, and e-cigarette regulation in their countries. MethodsA total of 1953 students from members of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities in 13 countries completed the online survey. We compared the results by the Fisher-Freeman-Halton test. ResultsWhile about 83% of students had heard of e-cigarettes; only 14.1% had tried them. Students in countries with e-cigarette bans were the least likely to report having experimented with e-cigarettes (8.1%). While the vast majority of students (87.9%) reported having seen health campaigns targeting combustible cigarettes, far fewer (42.5%) had seen any health campaigns targeting e-cigarettes. About 80% of students supported smoke-free campuses, with the most support coming from those in countries with the weakest adoption of MPOWER policies (88.7%) and no e-cigarette regulations (80.4%). Students in countries with the weakest MPOWER policies were also the most likely to support campus bans and government regulation of e-cigarettes. ConclusionsThe adoption of tobacco control polices by government may have an impact on e-cigarette smoking behavior among students, and student support for tobacco control, including noncombustible products, is high. Universities should take action by adopting comprehensive tobacco control measures that include e-cigarette regulations.

Prevalence of e-cigarette use among tobacco smokers in six states and regions of Myanmar

BackgroundEmergence of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in the past decade has the potential to undermine the global tobacco control efforts and undo the successes achieved to date. There are also concerns that e-cigarettes may become a gateway for future tobacco use and its use is increasing globally. There is no published evidence on this issue from Myanmar. Hence, we aimed to assess prevalence of e-cigarette use among tobacco smokers and its associated socio-demographic factors in six states and regions of Myanmar. MethodsThis was a secondary analysis of data collected as part of a programme evaluation conducted by the National Tobacco Control Programme of Myanmar in 2018, which involved sampling 100 smokers from each state/region. We used modified Poisson regression to measure associations. ResultsThere were 629 tobacco smokers included in the programme evaluation. Among them, 246 (39.2%, 95% CI: 24.0%–56.7%) smokers reported that they had heard of e-cigarettes and 73 (11.6%, 95% CI: 5.1%–24.3%) reported having ever used e-cigarettes. There was no e-cigarette use among female smokers. The prevalence of e-cigarette use was significantly higher among males, students, young adults aged 18–29 years, heavy smokers (greater than 20 cigarettes per day) and those who lived in the Mandalay region. ConclusionOur study provides preliminary evidence about e-cigarette use in Myanmar and fills an important knowledge gap. One limitation was small sample size, which is reflected by wide confidence intervals around the estimate. We recommend a national survey to obtain precise and nationally representative information.

Parents’ Awareness and Perceptions of JUUL and Other E-Cigarettes

The purpose of this study is to examine awareness, attitudes, and related knowledge of e-cigarettes, and JUUL specifically, among parents of middle and high school students. Data were collected in October-November 2018 from a nationally representative sample of U.S. parents of middle and high school students aged 11-18 years (n=2,885) to examine e-cigarette and JUUL awareness, concern about e-cigarette use, and school communication regarding e-cigarettes. Weighted frequencies and percentages are reported; Rao-Scott chi-square tests examined differences by school level. Data were analyzed in 2019. Although most parents (96.2%) had seen or heard of e-cigarettes, only 55.9% had seen or heard of JUUL, and only 44.2% accurately identified an image of JUUL as a vaping device. Many parents reported concern about adolescent e-cigarette use (60.6%), but fewer reported concern about their own child's use (32.9%). Most parents (73.5%) reported receiving no communication from their child's school about e-cigarettes or JUUL. There are notable gaps in parents' awareness of JUUL. School-to-parent communication efforts are necessary to build parents' knowledge of e-cigarettes like JUUL to prevent the growing youth uptake of these novel and addictive products.

Perception and Current Use of E-cigarettes Among Youth in China.

This study provides nationally representative estimates of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among youth in China and explores the factors associated with awareness and use of e-cigarettes and the relationship between e-cigarette and conventional tobacco use. This study examined data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, which was completed by 155 117 middle school students (51.8% boys and 48.2% girls) in China, and employed a multistage stratified cluster sampling design. For data analysis, SAS 9.3 complex survey procedures were used, and logistic regression was used to explore factors associated with e-cigarette use and the relationship between e-cigarette and conventional tobacco use. About 45.0% of middle school students had heard of e-cigarettes, but only 1.2% reported using e-cigarettes in the last 30 days. Among never-smokers, e-cigarette users were more likely to intend to use a tobacco product in the next 12 months than nonusers (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 6.970, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.474% to 10.857%), and more likely to say that they would enjoy smoking a cigarette (adjusted OR = 14.633, 95% CI = 11.328% to 18.902%). E-cigarette use was associated with previous experimentation with cigarette smoking (OR = 3.2), having noticed tobacco advertising in the past 30 days (OR = 2.7), having close friends who smoke (OR = 1.4), and thinking tobacco helps people feel more comfortable in social situations (OR = 3.3) and makes young people look more attractive (OR = 1.3). E-cigarette use among youth in China remains low but awareness is high. E-cigarette use was associated with increased intentions to use tobacco. Enhanced prevention efforts are needed targeting e-cigarette use among youth. This study is the first nationally representative survey of e-cigarette use among youth in China. It found that among middle school students, prevalence of e-cigarette use is 1.2% and prevalence of e-cigarette awareness is 45.0%. Chinese youths use e-cigarettes as a tobacco product rather than an aid to quitting. Among never-smokers, e-cigarette users were more likely to have intentions to use a tobacco product in the next 12 months, more likely to use a tobacco product offered by their best friends and enjoy smoking a cigarette than nonusers.

Electronic Cigarette Use and Understanding Among a National Sample of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Smokers.

Adult daily smoking prevalence in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is 2.8 times that of other Australians. There is little data on prevalence of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We measured e-cigarette use and beliefs about their harmfulness in national samples of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers and of all Australian smokers. The Talking About the Smokes project interviewed a nationally representative quota sample of 1301 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers between August 2013 and August 2014. The Australian Wave 9 survey of the long-running International Tobacco Control Project interviewed 1093 smokers between February and May 2013. Estimates for all Australian smokers were standardized to the age and sex distribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers. Fewer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander than all Australian smokers had tried an e-cigarette (21% vs. 30%). This was in part because of more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers having not heard of e-cigarettes. Fewer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers than all Australian smokers agreed that e-cigarettes are less harmful than conventional cigarettes (22% vs. 50%). Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers have used e-cigarettes. However, there is considerable misunderstanding about the relative harm of e-cigarettes compared with conventional cigarettes, in part because of the tight regulatory environment in Australia. The study describes e-cigarette use and understanding in national samples of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers and of all Australian smokers. Only small studies have reported on e-cigarette use in this high smoking prevalence population. Fewer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers than all Australian smokers had tried an e-cigarette and fewer agreed that e-cigarettes are less harmful than conventional cigarettes. Australian governments, health authorities, health professionals, and e-cigarette regulations should provide clearer messages that e-cigarettes are less harmful.

Predictors of youth e-cigarette use susceptibility in a U.S. nationally representative sample

ObjectivesGiven that nicotine is one of the most addictive substances and that adolescents who are exposed to nicotine via e-cigarettes can progress to conventional cigarette smoking, there is a need to identify youth who are susceptible to e-cigarette use and prevent them from initiating e-cigarette use. Susceptibility to e-cigarette use, defined as the absence of a firm decision not to use e-cigarettes, is a useful concept that can be used to predict e-cigarette initiation and identify youth who have high risk of initiating e-cigarettes. This study was conducted to investigate factors that affect youth susceptibility to e-cigarette use. MethodsYouth who have never smoked conventional cigarettes and who had seen or heard of e-cigarettes but never used them (N = 9853) were drawn from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Wave 1 youth dataset collected from 2013 to 2014. Data were analyzed using logistic regression to investigate intrapersonal and environmental determinants of youth susceptibility to e-cigarette use. ResultsOverall, 24.2% (n = 2410) of youth who have never used e-cigarettes were susceptible to e-cigarette use. Psychological problems and rebelliousness were associated with increased susceptibility. Ever use of alcohol, marijuana, and other substances and household secondhand smoke exposure were found to be risk factors. Perceptions of e-cigarettes as addictive and harmful worked as protective factors. ConclusionsThe results revealed determinants of e-cigarette use susceptibility. Multi-level intervention approach is needed to prevent youth from being susceptible to e-cigarette initiation.

Community education by advanced pharmacy practice experience students: Increasing electronic cigarette awareness amongst teens

Background and purposeAn electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) is a device used to mimic the experience of smoking tobacco cigarettes. Considering their growing popularity amongst adolescents, it is imperative that education surrounding e-cigarettes be provided. The purpose of this project is to describe the development and delivery of a pilot interactive presentation and survey tool by doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) candidates to gauge the use and understanding of e-cigarettes amongst teens. Educational activity and settingAn interactive presentation providing information on e-cigarettes was created by a PharmD candidate, and presented to 357 high school students in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. An anonymous survey tool was administered after the presentation to evaluate students’ perception, use, and knowledge of e-cigarettes. FindingsWhen asked which is safer, an e-cigarette or a tobacco cigarette, most students (84%) responded “neither,” and most stated that they learned something new from the presentation. Of the 96% of students that indicated they had heard of e-cigarettes, 27% of them had tried one. PharmD candidates reported increased confidence in public speaking and preparation of patient-suitable material. DiscussionThis pilot project provided both education to adolescents and insight into their experience and understanding of the potential harms of e-cigarettes. Having a PharmD candidate deliver the presentation may have increased the students’ level of comfort. SummaryAn interactive, PharmD candidate-delivered presentation about e-cigarettes is an innovative method to both provide education about e-cigarettes, and ascertain information about knowledge and use in adolescents. Facilitating presentations like this could be successful in other settings or topics.

Reported electronic cigarette use among adolescents in the Niagara region of Ontario.

Use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) among adolescents has not been fully described, in particular their motivations for using them and factors associated with use. We sought to evaluate the frequency, motivations and associated factors for e-cigarette use among adolescents in Ontario. We conducted a cross-sectional study in the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada, involving universal screening of students enrolled in grade 9 in co-operation with the Heart Niagara Inc. Healthy Heart Schools' Program (for the 2013-2014 school year). We used a questionnaire to assess cigarette, e-cigarette and other tobacco use, and self-rated health and stress. We assessed household income using 2011 Canadian census data by matching postal codes to census code. Of 3312 respondents, 2367 answered at least 1 question in the smoking section of the questionnaire (1274 of the 2367 respondents [53.8%] were male, with a mean [SD] age of 14.6 [0.5] yr) and 2292 answered the question about use of e-cigarettes. Most respondents to the questions about use of e-cigarettes (n = 1599, 69.8%) had heard of e-cigarettes, and 380 (23.8%) of these respondents had learned about them from a store sign or display. Use of e-cigarettes was reported by 238 (10.4%) students. Most of the respondents who reported using e-cigarettes (171, 71.9%) tried them because it was "cool/fun/new," whereas 14 (5.8%) reported using them for smoking reduction or cessation. Male sex, recent cigarette or other tobacco use, family members who smoke and friends who smoke were strongly associated with reported e-cigarette use. Reported use of e-cigarettes was associated with self-identified fair/poor health rating (odds ratio [OR] 1.9 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-3.0), p < 0.001), high stress level (OR 1.7 (95% CI 1.1-2.7), p < 0.001) and lower mean (33.4 [8.4] × $1000 v. 36.1 [10.7] × $1000, p = 0.001) and median [interquartile range] (26.2 [5.6] × $1000 v. 28.1 [5.7] × $1000) household incomes. Use of e-cigarettes is common among adolescents in the Niagara region and is associated with sociodemographic features. Engaging in seemingly exciting new behaviours appears to be a key motivating factor rather than smoking cessation.

Does exposure to cigarette brands increase the likelihood of adolescent e-cigarette use? A cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo examine the relationship between tobacco cigarette brand recognition, and e-cigarette use in adolescents.DesignCross-sectional observational study.SettingHigh schools in Scotland.ParticipantsQuestionnaires were administered to pupils in Secondary 2 (S2 mean age: 14.0...

Electronic cigarette awareness and use among adults in Hong Kong

IntroductionElectronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have gained popularity rapidly in the Western world but data in the East are scarce. We examined the awareness and ever use of e-cigarettes, and reasons for e-cigarette use in a probability sample of adults in Hong Kong. MethodsCross-sectional data were collected in 2014 from Chinese adults aged 15–65 in Hong Kong (819 never smokers, 800 former smokers, 800 current smokers) via computer-assisted telephone interviews (response rate: 73.8%). Analysis was limited to a subset of 809 respondents (i.e., 357 never smokers, 269 former smokers, 183 current smokers) who were randomly selected to answer questions on e-cigarettes. Chi-square analyses compared e-cigarette awareness and ever use by gender, age, education, and cigarette smoking status. Multivariable logistic regression examined if e-cigarette awareness was associated with demographic variables and cigarette smoking status. Results75.4% of adults had heard of e-cigarettes, and 2.3% reported having used e-cigarettes. Greater awareness was associated with male gender and higher education. Ever use of e-cigarettes was higher among males (3.6%, p=.03), younger adults (aged 15–29, 5.2%, p=.002), and current cigarette smokers (11.8%, p<.001). Common reasons for using e-cigarettes were curiosity (47.4%), the stylish product design (25.8%), and quitting smoking (13.6%). ConclusionsAwareness of e-cigarettes was widespread in Hong Kong. Although the use of e-cigarettes was low, its relation with younger age and current smoking is of concern. Health surveillance of e-cigarette use is needed. Interventions should target young adults and cigarette smokers, and address the marketing messages, especially the effect of e-cigarettes on smoking cessation.

Perception of e-cigarette harm and its correlation with use among U.S. adolescents.

U.S. adolescents increasingly use e-cigarettes. The perceived harm of e-cigarettes has not been described, nor has the correlation between harm perception and e-cigarette use been assessed. This study examines correlates of e-cigarette harm perception and use of e-cigarettes in a national survey. We used cross-sectional nationally representative data from the 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey (n = 24,658). Cross-tabulations and multivariate ordered probit and logistic regression models were employed to assess relative harm perception and e-cigarette use. Half of U.S. adolescents had heard of e-cigarettes. Of these, 13.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 11.7-14.9) and 4.0% (95% CI = 3.4-4.7) reported ever or currently using e-cigarettes, respectively. Of those aware of e-cigarettes, 34.2% (95% CI = 32.8-35.6) believed e-cigarettes were less harmful than cigarettes. Among those trying e-cigarettes, 71.8% (95% CI = 69.0-74.5) believed e-cigarettes were comparatively less harmful. Females and those ≥ 17 years old were more likely to perceive e-cigarettes as more harmful relative to cigarettes, while on average Whites, users of other tobacco products, and those with family members who used tobacco were more likely to perceive e-cigarettes as comparatively safer. Among cigarette-naive e-cigarette users, use of other tobacco products and perceived harm reduction by e-cigarettes were, respectively, on average associated with 1.6 and 4.1 percentage-point increases in e-cigarette use. Perception of e-cigarettes as less harmful than conventional cigarettes was associated with increased e-cigarette use, including among cigarette-naive e-cigarette users. These findings should prompt further scientific investigation and merit attention from regulators.

How U.S. adults find out about electronic cigarettes: implications for public health messages.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are battery-powered nicotine delivery systems that have become increasingly popular in the United States. We sought to understand how U.S. adults hear about e-cigarettes. A national sample of 17,522 U.S. adults (≥ 18 years old) completed an online survey in March 2013 assessing their awareness of and sources of information about e-cigarettes. Most respondents (86%) had heard of e-cigarettes. Current and former smokers were more likely to be aware of e-cigarettes than non-smokers. Males, younger adults, non-Hispanic Whites, and those with higher education were also more likely to have heard of e-cigarettes. The most commonly reported sources of information were another person, ads on television, and seeing e-cigarettes being sold, although the relative frequency of these sources differed for current, former, and never-smokers. Former and current smokers were more likely to have heard about e-cigarettes from e-cigarette users than were never-smokers. Adults age 30 years or younger were more likely than adults older than 30 years to have heard about e-cigarettes online. Nearly all U.S. adults had heard of e-cigarettes in 2013. By focusing on the most common channels of information, public health campaigns can more efficiently communicate information about e-cigarette safety and consider necessary regulations should companies use these channels for marketing that targets youth, non-tobacco users, and other at-risk groups.

E-Cigarette awareness, use, and harm perceptions in US adults.

We estimated e-cigarette (electronic nicotine delivery system) awareness, use, and harm perceptions among US adults. We drew data from 2 surveys conducted in 2010: a national online study (n = 2649) and the Legacy Longitudinal Smoker Cohort (n = 3658). We used multivariable models to examine e-cigarette awareness, use, and harm perceptions. In the online survey, 40.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 37.3, 43.1) had heard of e-cigarettes, with awareness highest among current smokers. Utilization was higher among current smokers (11.4%; 95% CI = 9.3, 14.0) than in the total population (3.4%; 95% CI = 2.6, 4.2), with 2.0% (95% CI = 1.0, 3.8) of former smokers and 0.8% (95% CI = 0.35, 1.7) of never-smokers ever using e-cigarettes. In both surveys, non-Hispanic Whites, current smokers, young adults, and those with at least a high-school diploma were most likely to perceive e-cigarettes as less harmful than regular cigarettes. Awareness of e-cigarettes is high, and use among current and former smokers is evident. We recommend product regulation and careful surveillance to monitor public health impact and emerging utilization patterns, and to ascertain why, how, and under what conditions e-cigarettes are being used.

Electronic-Cigarette Smoking Experience Among Adolescents

To investigate the level of awareness and contact routes to electronic cigarette (e-cigarette), and to identify significant factors that may affect adolescent use of e-cigarettes; this study explores the experience of e-cigarettes among adolescents. Using the data from the 2008 Health Promotion Fund Project in Korea, we used a hierarchical logistic regression analysis to evaluate gender, level of school, family smoking, perception of peer influence, satisfaction in school life, and cigarette smoking experience as predictors of trying e-cigarettes among adolescents in five schools in Korea. Overall, 444 (10.2%) students responded as having seen or heard of e-cigarettes. Twenty-two (.5%) students reported as having used an e-cigarette. The contact routes of information on e-cigarettes were the Internet (249, 46.4%), friends (150, 27.9%), television (59, 11.0%), books (50, 9.3%), and others (29, 5.4%). The following factors were determined to be statistically significant predictors of e-cigarette experience: male gender, perception of peer influence, satisfaction in school life, and cigarette smoking experience. In light of this fact, continuous attention needs to be paid on the marketing of e-cigarettes on Internet sites to prevent adolescents from being exposed to unsupported claims about e-cigarettes and to provide appropriate information on health effects.