Summary
Introduction:
This text discusses a study on the prevalence of electronic cigarette (EC) use for vaporizing cannabis among current EC users in Germany. The study also examines the associations between socio-demographic characteristics and tobacco smoking status of the consumers. The study's findings provide valuable information for public health policy and practice.
Key Points:
* The study used data from the German Study on Tobacco Use (DEBRa) collected from august 2016 to January 2019.
* EC cannabis use was measured by asking: “have you ever smoked an electronic joint (e-joint) or an electronic-cigarette (e-cigarette), filled with cannabis (grass or hashish) with the aim of obtaining mood changing effects?”.
* among current EC users, 7.2% had ever vaporized cannabis: 2.3% reported occasional or regular use, and 4.8% reported experimental use.
* age was significantly associated with ever EC cannabis use, with the highest prevalence rates found among 18 -24-year-olds.
* The majority (90.2%) of ever EC cannabis users were current tobacco smokers.
* The study did not find significant associations between EC cannabis use and other socio-demographic variables.
* The study suggests that monitoring trends of EC cannabis consumption is necessary to evaluate the impact of regulations on usage patterns.
Main Message:
The study highlights the need to monitor trends of EC cannabis consumption in Germany and other European countries. The findings suggest that EC cannabis use is more prevalent among young adults and current tobacco smokers. Therefore, public health policies and interventions should target these populations to prevent potential adverse health outcomes associated with EC cannabis use. additionally, regulations on ECs may impact the usage of these devices for cannabis use, and continuous monitoring is necessary to evaluate the impact of such regulations.
Citation
Kastaun S, hildebrandt J, Kotz D. Electronic Cigarettes to Vaporize Cannabis: Prevalence of Use and associated Factors among Current Electronic Cigarette Users in Germany (DEBRa Study). Substance use & misuse. 2020;55(7):1106-1112. doi:10.1080/10826084.2020.1729197
