The Road to Vaping: E-cigarette Susceptibility and Curiosity Among U.S. Adolescents Susceptible and Nonsusceptible to Cigarette Smoking.

Introduction:
This text summarizes a research study examining factors associated with e-cigarette susceptibility and curiosity among e-cigarette-naive adolescents who are susceptible and nonsusceptible to cigarette smoking. The study utilizes data from the 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey to identify correlates of e-cigarette susceptibility and curiosity in this population. The findings of this study can help guide tobacco control strategies and prevention efforts to prevent never-smoking adolescents from starting their first e-cigarette.

Key Points:

* The study focused on adolescents who have never used cigarettes or e-cigarettes.
* The study categorized participants as susceptible or nonsusceptible to using cigarettes or e-cigarettes.
* Adolescents who were susceptible to cigarette smoking had higher odds of being susceptible to and curious about e-cigarettes.
* Exposure to secondhand e-cigarette aerosol in public places and at home was associated with greater odds of e-cigarette susceptibility and curiosity.
* Exposure to e-cigarette ads on the internet and point-of-sale was associated with greater odds of e-cigarette susceptibility and curiosity.
* Lower perceptions of e-cigarette harm were associated with higher odds of e-cigarette susceptibility and curiosity.
* Girls and certain racial/ethnic groups had higher odds of e-cigarette susceptibility and curiosity.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of preventing e-cigarette use among never-smoking adolescents, particularly those who are susceptible to cigarette smoking. Factors such as exposure to secondhand e-cigarette aerosol, e-cigarette ads, and lower perceptions of e-cigarette harm are associated with greater odds of e-cigarette susceptibility and curiosity. Regulatory policies and tobacco control prevention campaigns should focus on increasing health awareness of e-cigarettes and restricting marketing and use in public places to prevent e-cigarette use among adolescents.

Ebrahimi Kalan M, McKelvey K, Ibrahimou B, Trucco EM, Ben Taleb Z. The Road to Vaping: E-cigarette Susceptibility and Curiosity Among U.S. Adolescents Susceptible and Nonsusceptible to Cigarette Smoking. Health education & behavior : the official publication of the Society for Public Health Education. 2020;47(5):696-705. doi:10.1177/1090198120943166