Summary
Introduction:
This article examines the relationship between electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use and tobacco cigarette smoking among British youth using data from the Millennium Cohort Study. The study aims to test several hypotheses regarding this relationship, including the catalyst, diversion, and common liability hypotheses. The key points and main message of the article are summarized below.
Key Points:
* The study uses data from the Millennium Cohort Study, a large, nationally representative UK birth cohort study.
* The study tests the catalyst hypothesis by examining whether e-cigarette use in adolescence is associated with increased odds of later combustible tobacco use and frequency.
* The study also tests the bidirectional catalyst hypothesis by examining whether tobacco cigarette smoking in adolescence is associated with increased odds of e-cigarette initiation and frequency.
* The study controls for family and child risk factors prospectively assessed from infancy to age 11 to disentangle potential confounders from the relationship between e-cigarette use and tobacco consumption.
* The study finds that e-cigarette use by age 14 is associated with increased odds of tobacco cigarette initiation and frequent smoking at age 17 among British youth.
* The study also finds that tobacco cigarette smoking in adolescence is associated with increased odds of both e-cigarette initiation and frequent use at age 17.
* The study estimates models based on samples using coarsened exact matching (CEM) to match treated adolescents with untreated adolescents on antecedent risk factors.
Main Message:
The main message of the article is that e-cigarette use by age 14 is associated with increased odds of tobacco cigarette initiation and frequent smoking at age 17 among British youth. Similarly, tobacco cigarette smoking in adolescence is associated with increased odds of both e-cigarette initiation and frequent use at age 17. These findings suggest that both e-cigarette use and tobacco cigarette smoking are catalysts for later smoking and vaping behaviors. Therefore, the prevention of e-cigarette consumption among early teens may ultimately prevent nicotine dependence and tobacco-related harms throughout the life-course. Strong tobacco control and prevention should be maintained as e-cigarette control and prevention scales up.
Citation
Staff J, Kelly BC, Maggs JL, Vuolo M. adolescent electronic cigarette use and tobacco smoking in the Millennium Cohort Study. addiction (abingdon, England). 2022;117(2):484-494. doi:10.1111/add.15645
