E-cigarette Use Is Associated with Non-prescribed Medication Use in Adults: Results from the PATH Survey

Introduction:
This text presents the results of a study examining the association between e-cigarette use and the use of non-prescribed controlled prescription medications in a nationally representative sample of adults. The study controlled for various potential confounders and utilized logistic regression to analyze the data.

Key Points:
• The study included 23,670 adults who completed interviews for waves 1-3 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study.
• Current e-cigarette use was defined as daily or some-day use in wave 1.
• The study examined the use of non-prescribed pain killers, sedatives, tranquilizers, Ritalin, and Adderall in the last 30 days or last 12 months in waves 2 or 3.
• After adjusting for potential confounders, e-cigarette use was associated with significantly higher use of non-prescribed pain killers, sedatives, tranquilizers, and Ritalin/Adderall.
• The findings suggest that medications could be dissolved and vaped by e-cigarette users.
• The study also found an association between e-cigarette use and the non-prescription use of controlled medications, which adds to the literature on the relationship between e-cigarette use and risky behavior.
• A limitation of the study is the possibility of recall bias in the survey.

Main Message:
The main message of this study is that e-cigarette use is associated with a higher reporting of non-prescription drug use, including pain killers, sedatives, tranquilizers, and Ritalin/Adderall. Clinicians should be aware of this association and assess whether inappropriate use of prescription medications occurs in their patients who use e-cigarettes. The findings suggest that medications could be dissolved and vaped by e-cigarette users, which adds to the growing concerns about the potential risks associated with e-cigarette use.

Bentivegna, Kathryn, Nkiruka C. Atuegwu, Cheryl Oncken, Erin L. Mead, Mario F. Perez, and Eric M. Mortensen. “E-Cigarette Use Is Associated with Non-Prescribed Medication Use in Adults: Results from the PATH Survey.” Journal of General Internal Medicine 34, no. 10 (October 2019): 1995–97. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05093-5.