Perceptions of the Harm and Addictiveness of Conventional Cigarette Smoking Among Adolescent E-Cigarette Users

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a research study examining the perceptions of harm and addictiveness of conventional cigarette smoking among adolescent e-cigarette users. The study aims to compare these perceptions among e-cigarette users, nonusers, conventional cigarette smokers, and dual users. The study also controls for potential confounders, such as peer smoking, influence of anti-smoking ads, and risk-taking propensity. The key findings of this study provide valuable insights for regulatory matters related to e-cigarette use among adolescents.

Key Points:

* The study uses national samples of 8th and 10th-grade students from 2014 and 2015 obtained from the Monitoring the Future Study.
* The study compares perceptions of harm and addictiveness of conventional cigarette smoking among e-cigarette users, nonusers, conventional cigarette smokers, and dual users.
* E-cigarette users had lower perceptions of the addictiveness of conventional cigarette smoking compared to nonusers but higher than cigarette smokers and dual users.
* E-cigarette users reported lower influence by anti-smoking ads, more conventional cigarette-smoking peers, and greater risk-taking propensity than nonusers.
* E-cigarette users and cigarette smokers did not differ in their perceived harm of conventional cigarette smoking or in their risk-taking propensity.
* Adolescent smoking prevention campaigns should emphasize the addictiveness of all forms of tobacco use.
* Understanding how e-cigarette users compare with nonusers, conventional cigarette smokers, and dual users on perceptions of harm and addictiveness of conventional cigarette smoking can help better characterize the adolescent e-cigarette user population and design effective campaigns to communicate potential harms and the addictiveness of e-cigarettes.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of understanding how e-cigarette users perceive the harm and addictiveness of conventional cigarette smoking. The findings suggest that e-cigarette users' attitudes and perceptions may leave them vulnerable to becoming conventional cigarette smokers. Therefore, regulatory measures should focus on educating adolescents about the addictiveness of all forms of tobacco use, including e-cigarettes, and emphasizing the potential harms associated with their use. Effective campaigns to communicate the risks associated with e-cigarette use can help prevent adolescents from transitioning to conventional cigarette smoking.

Owotomo, Olusegun, Julie Maslowsky, and Alexandra Loukas. “Perceptions of the Harm and Addictiveness of Conventional Cigarette Smoking Among Adolescent E-Cigarette Users.” Journal of Adolescent Health 62, no. 1 (January 2018): 87–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.08.007.