E-cigarettes` perceived benefits may lead to higher experimentation rates

Researchers have suggested that the belief that e-cigarettes pose less health risk could lead to increased experimentation among young adults.

Investigators from the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota surveyed 1379 participants from the Minnesota Adolescent Community Cohort who had never used e-cigarettes.

The initial baseline survey explored their opinions about e-cigarettes and their effect on health relative to cigarettes or their usefulness as an aid to stop smoking. Then, a follow-up survey conducted one year later asked participants if they had experimented with e-cigarettes.

Study lead author Kelvin Choi, PhD, said that participants who agreed e-cigarettes can help people quit smoking and those who agreed that e-cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes were more likely than those who did not agree to subsequently report experimenting with e-cigarettes.

Specifically, the follow-up study found that 7.4 per cent of participants who had never used an e-cigarette at baseline reported subsequently using an e-cigarette, with 21.6 per cent among baseline current smokers, 11.9 per cent among baseline former smokers, and 2.9 per cent among baseline nonsmokers reporting use.

Choi said that the study showed that 2.9 per cent of baseline nonsmokers in this U.S. regional sample of young adults reported ever using e-cigarettes at follow-up, suggesting an interest in e-cigarettes among nonsmoking young adults.

A new study has been published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

What's an e-cig?

An electronic cigarette is a device that mimics the entire smoking process by producing a mist which has the same sensation (sometimes the same flavour too) of smoking. The concept of an electronic cigarette has been around since the 60s but tobacco consumption wasn't really considered hazardous back then and it took until 2003 for the first smokeless e-cigarette to hit the market.

Electronic cigarettes manufacturers claim that they are like real cigarettes except that there are no hazardous health implications because there is no combustion, no tobacco and no smoking. Also since there is no passive smoking, second hand smoke and pollution due to butt litter or smoke.

What's in an e-cig?

The e-cigarette basically consists of three parts: Cartridge, Atomizer and Power supply

The cartridge's a mouthpiece (like a cigarette's butt) that usually holds the liquid that is to be vaporized. The atomizer serves as a heating element and vaporizes the liquid and each of them contains a power supply like a chargeable plug, USB drive or batteries.

An e-cigarette produces nicotine infused vapour and though it looks like smoke is actually atomised air. Some e-cigs replace this nicotine vapour with other flavours like vanilla, chocolate, etc. though certain anti-smoking groups feel this could encourage minors to smoke. As a smoking cessation tool some manufactures even look to replicate the flavour of particular brands like Marlboro, Camel, etc. (Read: Could electronic cigarettes save a million lives?)

With input from: ANI

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