Current and Former Smokers’ Use of Electronic Cigarettes for Quitting Smoking: An Exploratory Study of Adolescents and Young Adults

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a scientific study on the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) for smoking cessation among adolescent and young adult established smokers. The study aims to determine the prevalence of ever using e-cigarettes to quit smoking and examine demographic, smoking status, flavor preference, and risk perception-related predictors of ever using e-cigarettes to quit cigarette smoking among this population. The study is important for understanding the potential role of e-cigarettes in harm reduction and smoking cessation among young people.

Key Points:

* The study surveyed a convenience sample of adolescents and young adults attending two middle schools, four high schools, and one public college in Connecticut.
* The study restricted the sample to those with complete data regarding e-cigarette use, cigarette use, and use of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation.
* The study found that 41.8% of the sample reported that they had used e-cigarettes to quit smoking.
* Older age, White race, higher e-cigarette frequency, and preference for using a combination of e-cigarette flavors predicted increased odds of having used e-cigarettes to quit smoking.
* Using e-cigarettes to quit smoking was not associated with current or former cigarette smoking status or perceptions that e-cigarettes help people quit smoking or are safer than quit smoking medications.
* The study suggests that while some adolescents and young adults may use e-cigarettes during quit attempts, use of e-cigarettes alone may not always lead to successful abstinence from cigarette smoking in this younger group of established smokers.
* The study highlights the need for further research to determine whether e-cigarette use leads to quit attempts and tobacco abstinence among youth.

Main Message:
The study provides valuable insights into the use of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation among adolescent and young adult established smokers. The findings suggest that more frequent e-cigarette use and preference for using flavor combinations are associated with using e-cigarettes for smoking cessation. However, the study also highlights the need for further research to determine whether e-cigarette use leads to successful abstinence from cigarette smoking among youth. The unique patterns of youth tobacco use should be considered when determining the net population health impact of e-cigarettes. Regulators should take into account the potential benefits and risks of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation among young people, while also working to prevent the initiation of e-cigarette use and nicotine addiction among youth.

Camenga, Deepa R., Grace Kong, Dana A. Cavallo, and Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin. “Current and Former Smokers’ Use of Electronic Cigarettes for Quitting Smoking: An Exploratory Study of Adolescents and Young Adults.” Nicotine & Tobacco Research, September 23, 2016, ntw248. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntw248.