Work

e-Cigarette Awareness, Use, and Harm Perceptions in US Adults

Year: 2012

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVES: We estimated e-cigarette (electronic nicotine delivery system) awareness, use, and harm perceptions among US adults. METHODS: We drew data from 2 surveys conducted in 2010: a national online study (n = 2649) and the Legacy Longitudinal Smoker Cohort (n = 3658). We used multivariable models to examine e-cigarette awareness, use, and harm perceptions. RESULTS: In the online survey, 40.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 37.3, 43.1) had heard of e-cigarettes, with awareness highest among current smokers. Utilization was higher among current smokers (11.4%; 95% CI = 9.3, 14.0) than in the total population (3.4%; 95% CI = 2.6, 4.2), with 2.0% (95% CI = 1.0, 3.8) of former smokers and 0.8% (95% CI = 0.35, 1.7) of never-smokers ever using e-cigarettes. In both surveys, non-Hispanic Whites, current smokers, young adults, and those with at least a high-school diploma were most likely to perceive e-cigarettes as less harmful than regular cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS: Awareness of e-cigarettes is high, and use among current and former smokers is evident. We recommend product regulation and careful surveillance to monitor public health impact and emerging utilization patterns, and to ascertain why, how, and under what conditions e-cigarettes are being used.

Source: American Journal of Public Health

DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2011.300526

Authors: Jennifer L. Pearson, Amanda Richardson, Raymond S. Niaura, Donna M. Vallone, David B. Abrams

Institutions: Truth Initiative, Johns Hopkins University

Language: English

Topic: Smoking Behavior and Cessation

Subfield: Physiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse