Temporal Changes in the Correlates of U.S. Adolescent Electronic Cigarette Use and Utilization in Tobacco Cessation, 2011 to 2013

Introduction:
This article examines the relationship between adolescent e-cigarette use and conventional cigarette smoking, as well as the role of e-cigarettes in tobacco cessation. The study uses data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) to analyze temporal changes in the correlates of experimental and current e-cigarette use and associations with tobacco quit attempts.

Key Points:

* The study found that adolescent e-cigarette use has become more common between 2011 and 2013 and shows signs of becoming increasingly characterized by current rather than experimental use.
* Temporal patterns suggest that recent population increases were initially driven by select subgroups (e.g., Whites), with other subgroups contributing to the increase more recently (e.g., Black).
* Tobacco cessation has remained unrelated to current e-cigarette use over time, suggesting that e-cigarette use may be contributing to increased nicotine use.
* The study also found that e-cigarette use is increasing in popularity among adolescents, with 16% of 10th graders and 17.1% of 12th graders reporting past-month e-cigarette use in the 2014 Monitoring the Future Study.
* The study highlights concerns regarding weak regulation of e-cigarette sales, products with teen appeal, and teen-directed marketing, which have emerged against the backdrop of increasing adolescent e-cigarette use.
* Results from prospective data suggest that e-cigarette use increases the risk of conventional cigarette initiation at follow-up.
* Though recent studies have identified key correlates of teenage e-cigarette use, it remains unclear how these correlates have shifted over time and whether e-cigarettes have become more important for teenage tobacco cessation.

Main Message:
The study emphasizes the need for regulation in the e-cigarette market to prevent adolescent nicotine use and reduce the potential for e-cigarettes to contribute to increased nicotine use. The study also highlights the importance of continued research to understand the shifting patterns of adolescent e-cigarette use and the role of e-cigarettes in tobacco cessation. The findings suggest that e-cigarette use may be contributing to the renormalization of smoking behaviors among adolescents, making regulatory measures a public health priority.

Lippert, Adam M. “Temporal Changes in the Correlates of U.S. Adolescent Electronic Cigarette Use and Utilization in Tobacco Cessation, 2011 to 2013,” 2017.