E-cigarettes and Smoking Cessation in the United States According to Frequency of E-cigarette Use and Quitting Duration: Analysis of the 2016 and 2017 National Health Interview Surveys

Introduction:
This text presents the findings of a study examining the association between electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use and smoking cessation among US adults, taking into consideration the duration of smoking cessation. The study is based on the pooled analysis of the 2016 and 2017 National Health Interview Surveys.

Key Points:

* The study found that current e-cigarette use was negatively associated with being a former smoker when quit duration was ignored, but it was positively associated with being a former smoker of less than 1 year and 1-3 years when quit duration was considered.
* Daily e-cigarette use was not associated with being a former smoker when quit duration was ignored, but it was positively associated with being a former smoker of less than 1 year, 1-3 years, and 4-6 years when quit duration was considered.
* The study also found that frequency of e-cigarette use and smoking cessation duration are important parameters when analyzing the effects of e-cigarettes in population surveys.
* The study sample included 9935 current smokers and 14754 former smokers.
* The study controlled for sociodemographic factors such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, census region, health insurance, work status, current use of other tobacco products, and serious psychological distress.
* The study defined current smoking status as every day or some days and former smoking status as not at all.
* The study defined duration of smoking cessation as less than 1 year, 1-3 years, 4-6 years, and more than 6 years.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of considering the duration of smoking cessation when examining the association between e-cigarette use and smoking cessation. The findings suggest that daily e-cigarette use is strongly associated with recent smoking cessation (≤6 years) among US adults. Therefore, frequency of e-cigarette use and duration of smoking cessation are important factors in determining the effects of e-cigarettes in population studies.

Farsalinos, Konstantinos E, and Raymond Niaura. “E-Cigarettes and Smoking Cessation in the United States According to Frequency of E-Cigarette Use and Quitting Duration: Analysis of the 2016 and 2017 National Health Interview Surveys.” Nicotine & Tobacco Research 22, no. 5 (April 21, 2020): 655–62. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntz025.