E-cigarette use in young Swiss men: is vaping an effective way of reducing or quitting smoking?

Introduction:
This article reports the findings of a longitudinal study examining the relationship between e-cigarette use and smoking cessation among young Swiss men. The study followed men aged 20 years old over a period of around 15 months and examined their e-cigarette use and smoking behaviors. The study also controlled for nicotine dependence and other covariates.

Key Points:

* The study found that e-cigarette use was not associated with higher follow-up smoking rates among baseline nonsmokers.
* E-cigarette use was not associated with higher follow-up cessation rates among baseline smokers.
* E-cigarette use was not associated with fewer cigarettes used at follow-up among smokers.
* E-cigarette use was associated with more attempts to quit smoking among baseline occasional smokers.
* The study controlled for nicotine dependence and other covariates.
* The study had a large sample size and used validated measures of e-cigarette use and smoking behaviors.
* The findings suggest that e-cigarette use does not have a beneficial effect on smoking cessation among young men.

Main Message:
The main message of this study is that e-cigarette use is not an effective way to reduce or quit smoking among young men. The study found no evidence to suggest that e-cigarette use is associated with higher smoking cessation rates or fewer cigarettes smoked. These findings are important for regulators to consider when developing policies around e-cigarette use and smoking cessation. It is important to ensure that e-cigarettes are marketed and used in a way that does not encourage smoking behavior, particularly among young people.

Gmel, G, S Baggio, M Mohler-Kuo, Jb Daeppen, and J Studer. “E-Cigarette Use in Young Swiss Men: Is Vaping an Effective Way of Reducing or Quitting Smoking?” Swiss Medical Weekly, January 11, 2016. https://doi.org/10.4414/smw.2016.14271.