E-cigarette use is associated with susceptibility to tobacco use among australian young adults.

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a research study examining the relationship between e-cigarette use and susceptibility to tobacco smoking among australian young adults. The study aims to inform policy decisions regarding the regulation of e-cigarettes in australia.

Key Points:

* The study surveyed 519 australian young adults, aged 18-25, who had never smoked a tobacco cigarette.
* E-cigarette use was significantly associated with curiosity, willingness, and intentions to smoke tobacco cigarettes.
* Other factors, such as harm perceptions, social pressure to smoke tobacco cigarettes, having friends and family members who smoke tobacco cigarettes, and living with someone who smokes tobacco cigarettes, were also associated with susceptibility to tobacco smoking.
* The study found that e-cigarette use was a significant predictor of susceptibility to tobacco smoking, even after controlling for other factors.
* The study also found that social variables were more likely than individual variables to moderate the relationship between e-cigarette use and susceptibility to tobacco smoking.
* The study's findings suggest that relaxing current regulations surrounding the sale of e-cigarettes in australia may have unintended consequences, such as contributing to smoking initiation among youth.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of maintaining current regulations surrounding the sale of e-cigarettes in australia to protect youth from the harms associated with e-cigarette use. The findings suggest that e-cigarette use may contribute to the initiation of smoking-related behaviors among young adult non-smokers and has the potential to contribute to the development of a new population of tobacco cigarette smokers. Therefore, ongoing surveillance of e-cigarettes and their potential to result in tobacco cigarette use is important to ensure these devices do not undermine decades of effective tobacco control efforts.

Jongenelis MI, Jardine E, Kameron C, Rudaizky D, Pettigrew S. E-cigarette use is associated with susceptibility to tobacco use among australian young adults. The International journal on drug policy. 2019;74:266-273. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.06.017