Summary
Introduction:
This text summarizes a study examining the prevalence of self-reported adverse symptoms attributed to e-cigarette use in a nationally representative sample of US adults. The study also explores whether symptoms vary based on demographic variables, e-cigarette use frequency, and cigarette smoking status.
Key Points:
* The study is based on a nationally representative cross-sectional telephone survey of 4,964 US adults.
* Participants were asked whether they ever experienced any of six symptoms they thought were caused by e-cigarette use.
* The six symptoms included cough, dry or irritated mouth or throat, dizziness or lightheadedness, headache or migraine, shortness of breath, and change in or loss of taste.
* Most participants were current or former cigarette smokers, with 29.0% never smokers.
* Just over half of respondents (58.2%) reported at least one symptom, with an average of 1.6 symptoms.
* among past 30-day e-cigarette users, current and never cigarette smokers were more likely than former smokers to report any symptoms.
* Demographic differences in symptoms reported were generally minimal.
Main Message:
The study found that a majority of e-cigarette users reported at least one symptom, most commonly cough or dry or irritated mouth or throat. Former cigarette smokers who used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days were less likely than current or never smokers to report adverse symptoms of e-cigarette use. These findings suggest that e-cigarettes may have negative health impacts for some users, and further research is needed to understand how e-cigarettes may influence public health.
Citation
King JL, Reboussin Ba, Wiseman KD, et al. adverse symptoms users attribute to e-cigarettes: Results from a national survey of US adults. Drug and alcohol Dependence. 2019;196:9-13. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.11.030
