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Aims to characterize e-cigarette use, users, and effects, in a sample of Electronic Cigarette Causacian, 44% educated to degree level or above. Findings 74% reported not smoking for at least a few weeks since using the e-cigarette and 70% reported reduced urge to smoke.72% of participants used a 'tank' system, most commonly, the eGo-C (23%). Mean duration of use was 10 months. Only 1% reported exclusive use of non-nicotine (0mg) containing liquid. E-cigarettes were generally considered to: be satisfying to use; elicit few side effects; be healthier than smoking; improve cough/breathing; and be associated with low levels of craving. Among ex-smokers, 'time to first vape' was significantly longer than 'time to first cigarette' (t 1104 =11.16, P <0.001) suggesting a lower level of dependence to e-cigarettes. Exsmokers reported significantly greater reduction in craving than current smokers (χ 2 1 =133.66, P<0.0007) although few other differences emerged between these groups.Compared to males, females opted more for chocolate/sweet flavours (χ 2 1 =16.16, P< 0.001) and liked the e-cigarette because it resembles a cigarette(χ 2 3 = 42.65, P< 0.001). Conclusions E-cigarettes tend to be used for smoking cessation but for a longer duration than NRT and were generally regarded as efficacious. Future research should focus on possible long-term health risks, abuse liability and cessation efficacy.

Rationale Electronic cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular among smokers worldwide. Commonly reported reasons for use include: to quit smoking, avoid relapse, reduce urge to smoke, or as a perceived lower risk alternative to smoking. Few studies however, have explored whether e-cigarettes deliver measurable levels of nicotine to the blood.Objective This study in experienced users explores the effect of using an 18 mg/ml nicotine first generation e-cigarette on blood nicotine, tobacco withdrawal symptoms and urge to smoke.Methods Fourteen regular e-cigarette users (3 female), abstinent from smoking and ecigarette use for 12 h, each completed a 3 h testing session. Blood was sampled and questionnaires completed (tobacco-related withdrawal symptoms, urge to smoke, positive and negative subjective effects) at four stages: baseline, 10 puffs, 60 min of ad lib use and a 60 min rest period.Results Complete sets of blood were obtained from 7 participants. Plasma nicotine concentration rose significantly from a mean of 0.74 ng/ml at baseline to 6.77 ng/ml 10 min after 10 puffs, reaching a mean maximum of 13.91 ng/ml by the end of the ad lib puffing period. Tobacco related withdrawal symptoms and urge to smoke were significantly reduced, direct positive effects were strongly endorsed and there was very low reporting of adverse effects.Conclusions These findings demonstrate reliable blood nicotine delivery after acute use of this brand/model of e-cigarette in a sample of regular users. Future studies might usefully quantify nicotine delivery in relation to inhalation technique and the relationship with successful smoking cessation/harm reduction.

Rationale: Neurobiological models of addiction suggest that abnormalities of brain reward circuitry distort salience attribution and inhibitory control processes, which in turn contribute to high relapse rates. Objectives:To determine whether impairments of salience attribution and inhibitory control predict relapse in a pharmacologically unaided attempt at smoking cessation.Methods: 141 smokers were assessed on indices of nicotine consumption / dependence (e.g. the FTND, cigarettes per day, salivary cotinine), and three trait impulsivity measures. After overnight abstinence they completed experimental tests of cue reactivity, attentional bias to smoking cues, response to financial reward, motor impulsiveness, and response inhibition (antisaccades). They then started a quit attempt with follow-up after 7 days, 1 month, and 3 months; abstinence was verified via salivary cotinine levels ≤ 20ng/ml. Results:Relapse rates at each point were 52.5%, 64% and 76.3%. The strongest predictor was pre-cessation salivary cotinine; other smoking / dependence indices did not explain additional outcome variance and neither did trait impulsivity. All experimental indices except responsivity to financial reward significantly predicted one week outcome. Salivary cotinine, attentional bias to smoking cues and antisaccade errors explained unique as well as shared variance. At one and three months, salivary cotinine, motor impulsiveness and cue reactivity were all individually predictive; the effects of salivary cotinine and motor impulsiveness were additive.Conclusions: These data provide some support for the involvement of abnormal cognitive and motivational processes in sustaining smoking dependence and suggest that they might be a focus of interventions, especially in the early stages of cessation.2

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