E-cigarette Use Among High School and Middle School Adolescents in Connecticut

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a research study on e-cigarette use among middle and high school students in Connecticut. The study aims to contribute to the evidence base needed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate e-cigarettes. The study surveyed students in high schools and middle schools in southeast Connecticut in Fall 2013 and examined issues related to e-cigarettes among adolescents, based on cigarette smoking status.

Key Points:

* The study found high rates of awareness (84.3% middle school, 92.0% high school) and use (3.5% middle school, 25.2% high school) of e-cigarettes among adolescents.
* Males, older students, Caucasians, ever cigarette smokers, and current cigarette smokers were more likely to be lifetime e-cigarette users and to report greater future susceptibility.
* Among middle school students who were lifetime e-cigarette users, 51.2% reported that e-cigarette was the first tobacco product they had tried.
* E-cigarettes that were rechargeable and had sweet flavors were most popular.
* Smokers preferred e-cigarettes to cigarettes.
* Current cigarette smokers were more likely to initiate with nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, and ever and never cigarette smokers to initiate with e-cigarettes without nicotine.
* Primary sources for e-cigarette advertisements were televisions and gas stations, and for acquiring e-cigarettes, were peers.

Main Message:
The study highlights the high rates of e-cigarette use among adolescents and the need for longitudinal monitoring and establishment of policies to limit access. The study also found that e-cigarettes are often the first tobacco product tried by middle school students and that smokers prefer e-cigarettes to cigarettes. These findings suggest that e-cigarettes may be serving as a pathway to nicotine addiction and cigarette use among adolescents. Therefore, it is crucial to regulate e-cigarettes and limit access to minors to prevent the potential negative health consequences.

Krishnan-Sarin, Suchitra, Meghan E. Morean, Deepa R. Camenga, Dana A. Cavallo, and Grace Kong. “E-Cigarette Use Among High School and Middle School Adolescents in Connecticut.” Nicotine & Tobacco Research 17, no. 7 (July 2015): 810–18. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntu243.