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

Introduction:
This text presents the findings of a cross-sectional study examining the relationship between tobacco cigarette brand recognition and e-cigarette use among adolescents in Scotland. The study aims to identify environmental and personal level factors that influence e-cigarette use in young people.

Key Points:

* The study had a high response rate of 86% and a sample size of 1404 adolescents.
* Seventy-five percent of the respondents had heard of e-cigarettes, and 17.3% had tried them.
* Recognition of more cigarette brands was associated with greater probability of previous e-cigarette use.
* Intention to try e-cigarettes was related to higher cigarette brand recognition, hanging around in the street or park more than once a week, and living in areas of high tobacco retail density.
* Never having smoked was a protective factor for both future intention to try and past e-cigarette use.
* The study controlled for demographic characteristics, including age, gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity.

Main Message:
The study found that higher cigarette brand recognition was associated with increased probability of previous use and intention to use e-cigarettes in adolescents. These findings suggest that tobacco control measures, such as restricting point-of-sale displays, may impact the uptake of e-cigarettes in young people. Further research is required to clarify the mechanisms by which cigarette brand recognition and tobacco retail outlet density influence e-cigarette uptake. The study highlights the importance of monitoring the influence of newly implemented point-of-sale legislation on e-cigarette use as well as youth tobacco use in order to inform policy discussions in other jurisdictions.

Best, C, W Van Der Sluijs, F Haseen, D Eadie, M Stead, Am MacKintosh, J Pearce, et al. “Does Exposure to Cigarette Brands Increase the Likelihood of Adolescent E-Cigarette Use? A Cross-Sectional Study.” BMJ Open 6, no. 2 (February 2016): e008734. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-008734.