Summary
Introduction:
This text provides an in-depth analysis of the use of e-cigarettes among California students who have never used tobacco products. The study aims to determine the prevalence and correlates of e-cigarette use among California middle and high school students. The findings of this study can help public health practitioners define target groups for prevention efforts and help policymakers assess the need for e-cigarette regulation.
Key Points:
* The study used data from the 2013-2014 California Healthy Kids Survey, which was administered to middle and high school students throughout California.
* The study found that 24.4% of California students had ever used e-cigarettes, and 12.9% were current e-cigarette users.
* Of both ever and current e-cigarette users, the majority had never smoked cigarettes or used smokeless tobacco.
* Hispanics and those of other races who had never used smokeless tobacco and never smoked a whole cigarette were more likely to ever use e-cigarettes than were Whites.
* Girls had lower odds of e-cigarette ever use than boys among tobacco nonusers, whereas among tobacco users, girls had 27% lower odds than boys.
* Older age was associated with higher odds of ever use, and higher parental educational attainment with lower odds of ever use, particularly among tobacco nonusers.
Main Message:
The study provides valuable insights into the use of e-cigarettes among California students who have never used tobacco products. The findings highlight the need for policies that decrease adolescent e-cigarette access and comprehensive prevention programs targeting groups that are at higher risk for e-cigarette use, such as older adolescents, Hispanics, and males. With little current regulation on licensing, marketing, or use, e-cigarette use has contributed to an increased prevalence of aggregate tobacco product use among high school students nationally. Therefore, policymakers need to consider e-cigarette regulation to protect the health of California adolescents.
Citation
Bostean, Georgiana, Dennis R. Trinidad, and William J. McCarthy. “E-Cigarette Use Among Never-Smoking California Students.” American Journal of Public Health 105, no. 12 (December 2015): 2423–25. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302899.
