Electronic cigarette among health science students in Saudi Arabia

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a study examining the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) among health science students in Saudi Arabia. The study aims to determine the prevalence of e-cigarette use, its effectiveness as a smoking cessation method, and its potential addictiveness. The study was conducted through an online survey distributed to students in three different universities in Jeddah.

Key Points:

* The study found that more college students use e-cigarettes (27.7%) than conventional cigarettes (14.1%).
* One-fifth of the e-cigarette users were using it on a regular daily basis.
* The study found that 42.7% of e-cigarettes users have used it as a tool to quit smoking, and more than half (56.7%) of them have succeeded.
* However, only 46% of e-cigarettes users who tried to quit vaping have succeeded.
* Younger students and those who believed that conventional smoking is more addictive than e-cigarettes have a higher chance of quitting smoking.
* Students who started vaping to quit smoking or used e-cigarettes with fruit flavor also had a higher chance of quitting.

Main Message:
The study highlights the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes among health science students in Saudi Arabia, with more students using e-cigarettes than conventional cigarettes. The study also suggests that e-cigarettes can be an effective tool for smoking cessation, but it can also be addictive. The study recommends regulating e-cigarettes as tobacco products, prohibiting media advertising, flavorings, sale to adolescents and young adults, indoor and public places use, and conducting further clinical studies to explore e-cigarette effects on lung function and radiology.

Qanash, Sultan, Shereen Alemam, Estabraq Mahdi, Jood Softah, AbdelfattahAhmed Touman, and Adil Alsulami. “Electronic Cigarette among Health Science Students in Saudi Arabia.” Annals of Thoracic Medicine 14, no. 1 (2019): 56. https://doi.org/10.4103/atm.ATM_76_18.