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. 2022 Aug;31(e1):e10-e17.
doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-055999. Epub 2021 Jan 21.

Association of device type, flavours and vaping behaviour with tobacco product transitions among adult electronic cigarette users in the USA

Alyssa F Harlow  1 , Jessica L Fetterman  2 , Craig S Ross  3 , Rose Marie Robertson  4 , Aruni Bhatnagar  5 , Emelia J Benjamin  3   2 , Andrew C Stokes  6
Affiliations

Association of device type, flavours and vaping behaviour with tobacco product transitions among adult electronic cigarette users in the USA

Alyssa F Harlow et al. Tob Control. 2022 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Few studies assess whether electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) device characteristics or flavours impact longitudinal patterns of cigarette and e-cigarette use.

Design: We examined data from waves 2-4 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (2014-2018). Among adult (≥18 years) current e-cigarette users at wave 2 who were current smokers (dual users; n=1759) and former smokers (exclusive e-cigarette users; n=470), we classified participants into four use patterns at wave 3 (~12 months later) and wave 4 (~24 months later): (1) dual use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes; (2) exclusive cigarette smoking; (3) exclusive e-cigarette use; (4) non-use of both products. We used multinomial logistic regression to assess correlates of changing use patterns at 24 months, relative to no change, adjusting for sociodemographic factors.

Results: At 24 months, 26.5% of baseline exclusive e-cigarette users, and 9% of baseline dual users, abstained from both vaping and smoking. Participants who vaped non-tobacco flavours (vs tobacco flavours), and used refillable tank or modifiable devices (vs disposable, cartridges and other devices) were less likely to transition to non-use of both products and to exclusive cigarette smoking. Baseline daily vaping (vs non-daily) was positively associated with exclusive e-cigarette use at 24 months for baseline daily cigarette smokers, but negatively associated with exclusive e-cigarette use and non-use of both products at 24 months for baseline non-daily smokers.

Conclusions: Non-tobacco flavours, daily vaping and modifiable e-cigarette devices may help some smokers abstain from cigarette smoking via transitioning to exclusive e-cigarette use, but are also associated with ongoing exclusive e-cigarette use.

Keywords: cessation; electronic nicotine delivery devices; non-cigarette tobacco products.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Patterns of e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking at 12 and 24 months among former and current smokers who use e-cigarettes at baseline, PATH 2014–2018
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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