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 article summarizes a study on the relationship between electronic cigarette use and licensed nicotine product use among smokers in England. The study aims to determine how far electronic cigarettes are complementing or replacing licensed nicotine products. The key points and main message of the article are outlined below.

Key Points:

* The study used data from the Smoking Toolkit Study (STS), an ongoing population study in England, involving monthly surveys of smokers and recent ex-smokers.
* Smokers were asked about their use of electronic cigarettes and licensed nicotine products.
* The study found that electronic cigarette use increased rapidly from 2.2% in 2011 to 20.8% in 2013, while licensed nicotine product use remained stable from 2011 to 2013 and then declined steadily.
* Prevalence of use of any product was stable to quarter 1 of 2012, after which it increased and then decreased.
* The shapes of the trajectories suggest that electronic cigarettes are probably not responsible for the decline in use of licensed nicotine products.
* Instead, electronic cigarettes appear to have increased the total market for use of non-tobacco nicotine-containing products.
* The study provides the first evidence in any country assessing the potential trade-off between the use of electronic cigarettes and nicotine products licensed by medicines regulators.

Main Message:
The main message of the article is that electronic cigarettes are not responsible for the decline in use of licensed nicotine products. Instead, electronic cigarettes have increased the market for non-tobacco nicotine-containing products. This finding has important implications for regulators and policymakers, as they consider how to regulate electronic cigarettes and licensed nicotine products. It is essential to understand the relationship between these products to develop effective policies that promote public health. Overall, the study highlights the need for further research to better understand the impact of electronic cigarettes on smoking and smoking cessation.

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.