How are tobacco smokers using e-cigarettes? Patterns of use, reasons for use and places of purchase in New South Wales

Dunlop, S; Lyons, C; Dessaix, A; Currow, D

How are tobacco smokers using e-cigarettes? Patterns of use, reasons for use and places of purchase in New South Wales

Dunlop, S Lyons, C Dessaix, A Currow, D

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Medical Journal of Australia, 2016, 204 (9), pp. 355.e1 - 355.e7
Issue Date:: 2016-05-16

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Dunlop, S	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Lyons, C	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Dessaix, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Currow, D https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1988-1250	en_US
dc.date.available	2016-02-17	en_US
dc.date.issued	2016-05-16	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Medical Journal of Australia, 2016, 204 (9), pp. 355.e1 - 355.e7	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0025-729X	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/116292
dc.description.abstract	© 2016 AMPCo Pty Ltd. Produced with Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Objectives: To explore how and why tobacco smokers and recent quitters in NSW use e-cigarettes, as well as common places of purchase. Design: The Cancer Institute Tobacco Tracking Survey is a serial cross-sectional telephone survey, with 40 interviews in NSW each week. Participants: 2966 tobacco smokers and recent quitters (in the past 12 months) interviewed January 2014 e June 2015. Measures: Current e-cigarette use; reasons for using; places of purchase. Results: 9% of the sample reported currently using e-cigarettes; the rate was highest among 18e29-year-old people (16%). Infrequent use (less than weekly; 57%) was more common than frequent use (at least weekly; 43%). Frequent use was more likely among older adults (55 years and older v 18e29 years: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.43; P=0.002) and less likely among current tobacco smokers (v recent quitters: aOR, 0.38, P=0.020). The most common reasons for using e-cigarettes by those over 30 years of age was “to help me quit” (42%) and to “cut down” smoking (35%); for younger adults it was “because they are not as bad for your health as cigarettes” (25%). Common places of purchase were the internet (29%) and tobacconists (27%). Conclusions: Although use of e-cigarettes by tobacco smokers in NSW remains low, some are using e-cigarettes in attempts to reduce tobacco-related harm. Physicians and public health campaigners should inform smokers about the risks associated with dual e-cigarette and tobacco use, advise interested quitters that e-cigarettes are currently unregulated as cessation aids, and continue to provide evidence-based recommendations and cessation services to smokers wanting to quit.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Medical Journal of Australia	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.5694/mja15.01156	en_US
dc.subject.classification	General & Internal Medicine	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Cross-Sectional Studies	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Health Behavior	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Smoking Cessation	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Choice Behavior	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Age Factors	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Commerce	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Adult	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Middle Aged	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	New South Wales	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Female	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Male	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Young Adult	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Self Report	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems	en_US
dc.title	How are tobacco smokers using e-cigarettes? Patterns of use, reasons for use and places of purchase in New South Wales	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	9	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	204	en_US
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services	en_US
utslib.for	11 Medical and Health Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/IMPACCT
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	9	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	204	en_US

Abstract:

© 2016 AMPCo Pty Ltd. Produced with Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Objectives: To explore how and why tobacco smokers and recent quitters in NSW use e-cigarettes, as well as common places of purchase. Design: The Cancer Institute Tobacco Tracking Survey is a serial cross-sectional telephone survey, with 40 interviews in NSW each week. Participants: 2966 tobacco smokers and recent quitters (in the past 12 months) interviewed January 2014 e June 2015. Measures: Current e-cigarette use; reasons for using; places of purchase. Results: 9% of the sample reported currently using e-cigarettes; the rate was highest among 18e29-year-old people (16%). Infrequent use (less than weekly; 57%) was more common than frequent use (at least weekly; 43%). Frequent use was more likely among older adults (55 years and older v 18e29 years: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.43; P=0.002) and less likely among current tobacco smokers (v recent quitters: aOR, 0.38, P=0.020). The most common reasons for using e-cigarettes by those over 30 years of age was “to help me quit” (42%) and to “cut down” smoking (35%); for younger adults it was “because they are not as bad for your health as cigarettes” (25%). Common places of purchase were the internet (29%) and tobacconists (27%). Conclusions: Although use of e-cigarettes by tobacco smokers in NSW remains low, some are using e-cigarettes in attempts to reduce tobacco-related harm. Physicians and public health campaigners should inform smokers about the risks associated with dual e-cigarette and tobacco use, advise interested quitters that e-cigarettes are currently unregulated as cessation aids, and continue to provide evidence-based recommendations and cessation services to smokers wanting to quit.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/116292