Has growth in electronic cigarette use by smokers been responsible for the decline in use of licensed nicotine products? Findings from repeated cross-sectional surveys

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a study that investigates the relationship between the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and licensed nicotine products among smokers in England. The study aims to determine how far electronic cigarettes are complementing licensed nicotine products or replacing them. The study uses data from the Smoking Toolkit Study (STS), an ongoing population study in England, and looks at trends in the use of e-cigarettes and licensed nicotine products among smokers between March 2011 and August 2014.

Key points:

* The study found that the use of e-cigarettes among smokers in England increased rapidly from 2.2% in quarter 2 of 2011 to 20.8% in quarter 3 of 2013, and then remained stable.
* The use of licensed nicotine products among smokers remained stable from quarter 2 of 2011 (17.4%) to quarter 3 of 2013 (17.9%), and then declined steadily to 7.9% in quarter 4 of 2014.
* The use of any nicotine-containing product among smokers increased from 18.5% in quarter 1 of 2012 to 33.3% in quarter 3 of 2013, and then decreased to 22.7% in quarter 4 of 2014.
* The study found no evidence that the increase in e-cigarette use among smokers is responsible for the decline in licensed nicotine product use.
* The study found that e-cigarette users were more likely to be male, younger, and have a non-manual job than non-users of nicotine-containing products.
* The study found that e-cigarette users were more likely to report attempting to cut down their cigarette consumption and making a quit attempt than non-users of nicotine-containing products.
* The study found that e-cigarette users were more likely to report using nicotine-containing products and/or electronic cigarettes to reduce cigarette consumption than non-users of nicotine-containing products.

Main message:
The main message of this study is that e-cigarette use among smokers in England has not replaced licensed nicotine product use. Instead, e-cigarettes appear to have increased the market for non-tobacco nicotine-containing products. The study also highlights the need for further research on the potential benefits or otherwise of e-cigarette use while continuing to smoke. Overall, the study provides important insights into the relationship between e-cigarettes and licensed nicotine products among smokers, and highlights the need for continued monitoring and research in this area.

Beard, Emma, Jamie Brown, Ann McNeill, Susan Michie, and Robert West. “Has Growth in Electronic Cigarette Use by Smokers Been Responsible for the Decline in Use of Licensed Nicotine Products? Findings from Repeated Cross-Sectional Surveys.” Thorax 70, no. 10 (October 2015): 974–78. https://doi.org/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2015-206801.