E‐cigarette use by people who smoke or have recently quit, New South Wales, 2016–2020

Abstract

We examined changes over time in e-cigarette use by NSW adults who smoke or have recently quit smoking, assessed demographic characteristics associated with e-cigarette use, and investigated reasons for using e-cigarettes, building on and updating our 2016 report. 13 MethodsThe Cancer Institute NSW Tobacco Tracking Survey (CITTS) is an ongoing, serial, cross-sectional telephone survey study; 40

Dispelling misconceptions about who uses e‐cigarettes and why

“…A critical finding of the study was a more than threefold increase in e‐cigarette use among young adult smokers or recent smokers (under 24 years of age) between 2016 and 2020, alongside a small decline among people aged 55 years or older 5 . This finding runs counter to e‐cigarette proponent claims that the products are primarily tobacco harm reduction tools and targeted at older adults who want to quit smoking.…”

“…In this issue of the MJA , Freeman and colleagues 5 invalidate the notion that e‐cigarettes are predominantly for older smokers who have struggled to quit using approved methods. The authors have made use of an extremely valuable resource for determining trends in e‐cigarette use in New South Wales: the Cancer Institute NSW Tobacco Tracking Survey (CITTS).…”

“…Another important outcome reported by Freeman and colleagues 5 were the reasons users reported for using e‐cigarettes, categorised by age and cigarette smoking status. The most frequent reasons across all age groups were “to help me quit cigarettes” and “to cut down on the number of cigarettes I smoke” (one‐quarter to one‐third of respondents in each age group).…”

“…The report by Freeman and her colleagues 5 was based on interviews during 2016–2020, a period during which e‐cigarette technologies evolved considerably and significant regulations were legislated in NSW, including bans on advertising and bans on their use in smoke‐free areas. Despite increased restrictions, in NSW “the proportions of surveyed smokers and recent quitters using e‐cigarettes increased from 2016 to 2018, and had not markedly declined by 2020”, particularly among people aged 18–24 years 5 . This suggests that such actions have had limited impact on e‐cigarette uptake, and that additional measures are required.…”

“…Facts about vaping comprises evidence‐based resources aimed at increasing “awareness around vapes and the health risks of vaping” and addressing “the myths and misperceptions about vaping”, 11 while TGO110 outlines quality and safety requirements for e‐liquids in Australia. These initiatives came into effect after the period covered by the study of Freeman and colleagues 5 , and it will be interesting to see what effects they have on vaping rates, as reflected in future CITTS interviews.…”