Ever Use of Nicotine and Nonnicotine Electronic Cigarettes Among High School Students in Ontario, Canada

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a quantitative research study examining waterpipe use among high school students in Ontario. The study looks at the association between waterpipe use and demographic factors, tobacco cigarette smoking, ever use of electronic cigarettes, and alcohol use. The study is based on data from the 2013 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey.

Key Points:

* The study found that 12.5% of high school students (grades 9-12) had used a waterpipe in the previous year.
* Awareness of waterpipes was high, with 68.4% of students reporting that they were aware of waterpipes but had not used one in the past year.
* Waterpipe use was highly associated with past-year tobacco cigarette and regular alcohol use, as well as ever use of e-cigarettes.
* In multivariate analyses, males and females had similar odds of waterpipe use, and non-White students and those in higher grades had greater odds of use after controlling for other substance use.

Main Message:
The study suggests that waterpipe use among high school students should be of concern, as it is highly associated with the use of other substances. The findings highlight the need for policy measures to address potential risks associated with waterpipe use, particularly among non-White students and those in higher grades. It is important for regulators to consider the impact of waterpipe use on the health of young people and to take appropriate action to protect them.

Hamilton, Hayley A., Roberta Ferrence, Angela Boak, Robert Schwartz, Robert E. Mann, Shawn O’Connor, and Edward M. Adlaf. “Ever Use of Nicotine and Nonnicotine Electronic Cigarettes Among High School Students in Ontario, Canada.” Nicotine & Tobacco Research 17, no. 10 (October 2015): 1212–18. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntu234.