Initiation Patterns and Trends of E-Cigarette and Cigarette Use Among U.S. Adolescents

Introduction:
This article examines the initiation patterns and trends of e-cigarette and cigarette use among U.S. adolescents using data from the Monitoring the Future study. The study aims to determine the prevalence of initiation patterns, whether they have changed from 2015 to 2017, sociodemographic differences in initiation patterns, and the association of initiation patterns with cigarette risk perceptions, use, and intentions.

Key Points:

* The study uses data from the Monitoring the Future study, a nationally representative survey of eighth and 10th-grade students in the U.S.
* The study finds that initiation patterns related to e-cigarette and cigarette use among U.S. youth are changing rapidly.
* Among lifetime e-cigarette or cigarette users, initiating e-cigarettes only was the most common pattern (47.45%).
* E-cigarette before cigarette users were more likely to perceive cigarette use as risky but also more likely to currently smoke cigarettes compared with those who initiated cigarettes before e-cigarettes.
* Both cigarette only initiators and e-cigarette only initiators were less likely to report future intentions to smoke compared with those who initiated cigarettes before e-cigarettes.
* The study found that the initiation pattern of e-cigarettes/cigarettes differentiates risk of other substance use among 12th graders.
* The study also finds that there is a significant linear increase in the initiation of e-cigarette use before cigarettes and in the initiation of e-cigarettes only from 2015 to 2017.
* The study found significant sociodemographic differences in initiation patterns across all sociodemographic characteristics.

Main Message:
The study highlights the changing patterns of e-cigarette and cigarette use initiation among U.S. adolescents. The findings suggest that different initiation patterns carry different associations with cigarette risk perception, use, and intentions to use. Understanding these patterns is important for public health interventions and surveillance. The study emphasizes the need for continued monitoring of these patterns among youth, as they are rapidly evolving and have implications for cigarette-related risk.

Evans-Polce, Rebecca J., Philip Veliz, Carol J. Boyd, and Sean Esteban McCabe. “Initiation Patterns and Trends of E-Cigarette and Cigarette Use Among U.S. Adolescents.” Journal of Adolescent Health 66, no. 1 (2019): 27–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.07.002.