Examining Youth Dual and Polytobacco Use with E-Cigarettes

Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of the topography, or puffing behavior, of e-cigarette users in a naturalistic setting. The study compares the topography of established and nonestablished cigarette smokers, as well as their use on weekdays and weekend days. The text also discusses the implications of these findings for regulatory agencies.

Key Points:

* The study included 20 young adult participants, 14 of whom were established cigarette smokers and 6 of whom were nonestablished cigarette smokers.
* Participants used their own preferred disposable or rechargeable e-cigarette during the study, which lasted for one week.
* Topography data was collected using a wireless personal use monitor (wPUM) and analyzed using the Topography Analysis Program (TAP).
* The study found several differences in session characteristics between established and nonestablished cigarette smokers, including more sessions per day, longer sessions, more puffs per session, and larger puff volume per session for established cigarette smokers.
* Mean puffing characteristics also varied between the two groups, with established cigarette smokers using e-cigarettes for longer puff durations, having longer puff intervals, larger puff volume, and lower puff flow rate.
* Established cigarette smokers consistently recorded more mean puffs per day on weekend days, while on weekdays, they recorded over three times as much total volume per day.
* The study suggests that some users' e-cigarette puffing patterns could result in higher exposures to harmful chemicals, and that monitoring puff topography in natural settings may provide a more accurate and nuanced picture of e-cigarette exposure.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of understanding the topography of e-cigarette users in order to assess the potential for population harm and to identify potentially vulnerable populations. The findings suggest that e-cigarette puffing patterns and exposure to harmful chemicals may vary between established and nonestablished cigarette smokers, and that regulators will need information about how device type and usage patterns might affect individual and population health to inform potential regulations for e-cigarettes. Additionally, the study demonstrates the value of naturalistic topography measurement over time in understanding e-cigarette use patterns.

Lee, Youn, Jessica Pepper, Anna MacMonegle, James Nonnemaker, Jennifer Duke, and Lauren Porter. “Examining Youth Dual and Polytobacco Use with E-Cigarettes.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, no. 4 (April 8, 2018): 699. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15040699.