Online Searches for quitting Vaping During the 2019 Outbreak of E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-associated Lung Injury.

Introduction:
This text summarizes a study that analyzed trends in internet searches for quitting e-cigarettes and vaping before and during the 2019 outbreak of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVaLI) in the USa. The study aimed to evaluate changes in e-cigarette use during this time period.

Key Points:

* The study used Google Trends to search for terms related to quitting e-cigarettes and vaping.
* The relative search interest in quitting e-cigarettes started increasing shortly after the first reported cases of EVaLI in the media.
* There was a 3.7-fold increase in relative search interest on September 8, 2019, compared to the predicted trend.
* The slope of the increasing trend from July 25, 2019, to September 8, 2019, and the decreasing trend after September 8, 2019, were both significantly different from the trend before July 25, 2019.
* Limitations of the study include the potential incompleteness of the search term list and the inability to determine if the individuals searching for information about quitting vaping are users of the products.
* The findings suggest that many e-cigarette users may be dependent on these products and may need behavioral and/or pharmacologic assistance to quit.
* The study highlights the need for healthcare providers to screen for and assist e-cigarette users who are interested in quitting.

Main Message:
The study found that internet searches for quitting e-cigarettes increased during the EVaLI outbreak in the USa. This suggests that many e-cigarette users may be dependent on these products and may need assistance to quit. healthcare providers, particularly those caring for adolescents and young adults, should routinely screen for e-cigarette use and assist those who are interested in quitting. Further research is necessary to determine the best ways to help e-cigarette users quit.

Kalkhoran S, Chang Y, Rigotti Na. Online Searches for quitting Vaping During the 2019 Outbreak of E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-associated Lung Injury. Journal of general internal medicine. 2021;36(2):559-560. doi:10.1007/s11606-020-05686-5