Association between electronic cigarette use and smoking cessation in the European Union in 2017: analysis of a representative sample of 13 057 Europeans from 28 countries.

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a scientific study on the association between electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use and smoking cessation in the European Union (EU) in 2017, taking into account e-cigarette use frequency and quit duration. The study aims to provide a better understanding of the impact of e-cigarettes on smoking cessation in the EU population.

Key Points:

* The study analyzed data from the Eurobarometer 458 (wave 87.1) survey conducted in March 2017 in the 28 EU member states.
* The survey included questions on sociodemographics, smoking status, duration, and consumption, as well as e-cigarette use.
* The study focused on current and former smokers, excluding those who responded "Do not know" to the smoking status questions.
* E-cigarette use was classified into current daily, current occasional, former daily, former occasional, and never users.
* The study found that daily e-cigarette use was strongly associated with recent (≤5 years) smoking cessation in the EU in 2017.
* Former daily e-cigarette use was also associated with recent (≤2 years) smoking cessation.
* Duration of smoking cessation was a major determinant in understanding the interaction between smoking and e-cigarette use in the EU population.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of considering quit duration when examining the impact of e-cigarettes on smoking cessation in the EU population. The findings suggest that daily e-cigarette use is positively associated with recent smoking cessation (≤5 years), indicating that e-cigarettes could be a useful tool for those trying to quit smoking. However, further research is needed to better understand the long-term effects of e-cigarette use on smoking cessation and overall health. Regulatory authorities should consider these findings when developing future regulatory interventions related to e-cigarettes, aiming to strike a balance between encouraging smokers to use e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid and preventing unintended use by never smokers.

Farsalinos KE, Barbouni A. Association between electronic cigarette use and smoking cessation in the European Union in 2017: analysis of a representative sample of 13 057 Europeans from 28 countries. Tobacco control. 2021;30(1):71-76. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2019-055190