142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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297773
Susceptibility to Electronic Cigarette Use Among Current Nonsmokers

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014 : 2:50 PM - 3:10 PM

Robert C. McMillen, PhD , Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS
Susanne Tanski, MD, MPH , Cancer Risk Behaviors Group, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH
Karen Wilson, MD, MPH , Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO
Regina M. Shaefer, MPH , Julius B Richmond Center of Excellence, American Academy of Pediatrics, Elk Grove Village, IL
Jonathan Klein, MD, MPH , Julius B Richmond Center of Excellence, American Academy of Pediatrics, Elk Grove Village, IL
Jonathan Winickoff, MD, MPH , Pediatrics, MGH Center for Child and Adolescent Health Policy, Boston, MA
  
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Background: Marketing and availability of e-cigarettes has increased in recent years. We assessed nonsmokers’ susceptibility to e-cigarette use.

Methods:  Within a representative sample of U.S. adults, we assessed susceptibility to e-cigarette use among never-triers by asking “Do you think you will smoke an e-cigarette in the next year?” Those responding other than “Definitely not” were considered “susceptible” to e-cigarette use.

Results: Of 2,677 eligible respondents, 1,693 (63%) completed the survey and 1,225 had never tried an e-cigarette. Of these, 711 (42.0%) were never smokers and 348 (20.6%) were former smokers.  Former smokers were more often (15.8%) than never smokers (6.3%) to be susceptible to e-cigarette use (p<.001). Young adults (18-24y) were more often susceptible, irrespective of smoking status: among never smokers, 17.5% of 18-24 year olds were susceptible, compared to 6.4% of those 25-44y, 3.6% of those 45-64y, and, 2.2% of those 65+ (p<.001). Of former smokers, 53.8% of 18-24 year olds were susceptible, while 26.7% of those 25-44y, 10.7% of those 45-64y, and 7.9% of adults 65+ were susceptible (p<.001).

Conclusion: Over 20% of young adult never and former smokers who have never tried e-cigarettes are susceptible to using them in the future. The substantial number of vulnerable young adult nonsmokers illustrates the imperative for sales and marketing regulation to protect nonsmokers from being recruited to e-cigarette use and possible nicotine addiction. Until the risks of e-cigarettes are better defined, it is irresponsible to allow an unrestrained industry to encourage uptake of a potentially hazardous product.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Describe the susceptibility to electronic cigarette use among never and former smokers.

Keyword(s): Tobacco Control

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal or co-principal of multiple federally funded grants focusing on the social climate of tobacco use, tobacco smoke exposure, and physician counseling about tobacco. Among my scientific interests is the assessment of use and motivation for use of emerging tobacco products.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3321.0: Taking E-Cigarettes Head On - Local, State and National Regulations