Do e-cigarettes attract youths who are otherwise unlikely to use addictive substances? Cross-sectional analyses of Dutch and Flemish secondary school students.

Introduction:
This summary will provide an overview of a research paper examining the relationship between e-cigarette use and substance use among Dutch and Flemish adolescents. The paper aims to identify characteristics and behaviors associated with e-cigarette use and compare them to non-users.

Key Points:

* The study found that e-cigarette users had several characteristics associated with substance use, such as being more likely to be boys, older, have lower education levels, non-Dutch or non-Belgian ethnicity, report more combustible tobacco use, smoking family members, smoking friends, depressive symptoms, impulsivity, delinquent behavior, and positive smoking expectancies.
* Current e-cigarette users had more characteristics related to substance use than former users, indicating a higher likelihood of experimenting with substances regardless of e-cigarette use.
* Users of non-tobacco flavored e-cigarettes and e-cigarettes without nicotine had fewer characteristics known to be related to substance use, suggesting that they may attract youths who might otherwise be less likely to try substances.
* Explorative analyses suggest that e-cigarettes without nicotine or with flavors other than tobacco attract youths who might otherwise be less likely to try substances.

Main Message:
The study suggests that e-cigarette use is associated with several characteristics and behaviors related to substance use among Dutch and Flemish adolescents. While e-cigarette use may not attract youths who are otherwise unlikely to use substances, certain types of e-cigarettes, such as non-tobacco flavored and nicotine-free products, may be less likely to attract youths who are prone to substance use. Further research is needed to determine the most effective regulatory strategies for preventing e-cigarette use among youths.

Martinelli TF, De Vries h, Talhout R, van Schayck OCP, Nagelhout GE. Do e-cigarettes attract youths who are otherwise unlikely to use addictive substances? Cross-sectional analyses of Dutch and Flemish secondary school students. Tobacco prevention & cessation. 2021;7:74. doi:10.18332/tpc/144181