Associations of Close Social Connections With Smoking and Vaping: A Population Study in England

Introduction:
This article reports the findings of a study examining the associations between having close social connections who smoke or vape and relevant smoking and vaping outcomes in a representative sample of adults in England. The study aimed to answer research questions related to the prevalence of social connections who smoke or vape, the extent to which having such connections is associated with smoking and vaping behaviors and perceptions, and whether these associations differ by age. The study also explored potential dose-response associations.

Key Points:

* The study found that having close social connections who smoke or vape is associated with increased odds of smoking or vaping oneself.
* Adults with close social connections who smoke had 7.23 times higher odds of being smokers than those without such connections, while those with close social connections who vape had 5.16 times higher odds of being vapers than those without such connections.
* There was some evidence that smokers may be less likely to quit if they have close social connections who smoke, but there was no such association with vaping among close social connections.
* Among past-year smokers who tried to quit, those with close social connections who vape were more likely to use e-cigarettes in their most recent attempt to quit (57.0% vs. 27.9%).
* The study found some differences in the prevalence of smoking and vaping among participants' close social connections across sociodemographic groups, with older adults and men less likely to have connections who smoke or vape.
* There was no clear pattern in the strength of associations between smoking and vaping among close social connections and the odds of engaging in the same behavior across age groups.
* The study did not distinguish between different types of close social connections or consider the dual use of smoking and vaping.

Main Message:
The study found that having close social connections who smoke or vape is strongly associated with engaging in the same behavior. However, dose-response associations may be stronger for smoking than vaping. People may also be more likely to perceive e-cigarettes as less harmful than cigarettes if they have close social connections who vape, and are more likely to use e-cigarettes to quit smoking. Interventions that encourage smokers to switch to vaping may have positive spillover effects on social connections' perceptions of e-cigarettes and the use of these products to support smoking cessation. However, further research is needed to establish causality and explore potential indirect effects on social networks.

Sarah E Jackson, Hazel Squires, Lion Shahab, Harry Tattan-Birch, Charlotte Buckley, Robin C Purshouse, Jamie Brown, Associations of Close Social Connections With Smoking and Vaping: A Population Study in England, Nicotine & Tobacco Research, Volume 27, Issue 3, March 2025, Pages 447–456, https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntae225