Vaping among Norwegians who smoke or formerly smoked: reasons, patterns of use, and smoking cessation activity.

Introduction:
This text discusses a study on vaping prevalence, patterns, and motivations among adults who smoke in Norway. The study also investigates smoking intensity and smoking cessation behavior differences between those who vape and those who do not. The study is based on two separate Norwegian samples from 2017 and 2018/2019.

Key Points:

* Less than 1 in 10 in the ever-smoked group, and 1 in 5 of the currently smoked or recently quit group, were currently vaping.
* Ever trial rates for vaping were much higher at 1 in 3 in the ever-smoked group, and 1 in 2 in the currently smoked or recently quit group.
* Dual use with combustible cigarettes was common, but people who smoked tended to use e-cigarettes less frequently, while those who formerly smoked tended to use them more frequently.
* Both quitting attempts and smoking intensity reduction were positively associated with vaping.
* The most common reasons for e-cigarette use were reported to be desires to reduce harm, to stop smoking, or to reduce smoking intensity.
* The results indicate that Norwegians who smoke tend to see e-cigarettes as a tool to reduce or completely stop smoking.
* The predominance of use-motivations related to reducing harm points at the importance of conveying correct information about relative harmfulness of tobacco- and nicotine products.

Main Message:
The study found that Norwegians who smoke see e-cigarettes as a tool to reduce or quit smoking, with the predominance of use-motivations related to reducing harm. The study highlights the importance of conveying correct information about the relative harmfulness of tobacco- and nicotine products to the public. The results can inform regulatory authorities about the implications of differences in harmfulness between various tobacco and nicotine products and the need to balance the protection of the young and minimizing the tobacco-related burden of disease among adults who smoke.

Lund I, Sæbø G. Vaping among Norwegians who smoke or formerly smoked: reasons, patterns of use, and smoking cessation activity. harm reduction journal. 2023;20(1):35. doi:10.1186/s12954-023-00768-z