title: Patterns of electronic cigarette use and user beliefs about their safety and benefits: an internet survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  As the popularity of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) increases, it is becoming important to find out more about the characteristics of e-cigarette users, why and how they use the product and whether e-cigarettes are used exclusively or in combination with conventional cigarettes. The objective of this study was to investigate patterns and effects of e-cigarette use and user beliefs about e-cigarette safety and benefits.
  
  
  METHODS
  E-cigarette users in Poland were recruited online and asked to participate in a web-based survey. The participants provided information on their smoking history, patterns of e-cigarette use, beliefs and attitudes regarding the product and information on concurrent use of conventional cigarettes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survey was completed by 179 e-cigarette users. Almost all participants used e-cigarettes daily. E-cigarettes were primarily used to quit smoking or to reduce the harm associated with smoking (both 41%), and were successful in helping the surveyed users to achieve these goals with 66% not smoking conventional cigarettes at all and 25% smoking under five cigarettes a day. Most participants (82%) did not think that e-cigarettes were completely safe, but thought that they were less dangerous than conventional cigarettes. Sixty percent believed that e-cigarettes were addictive, but less so than conventional cigarettes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The participants primarily used e-cigarettes as a stop-smoking aid or as an alternative to conventional cigarettes, and the majority reported that they successfully stopped smoking. More data on e-cigarette safety and its efficacy in harm-reduction and smoking cessation are needed.
authors.affiliation: UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, Tobacco Dependence Research Unit, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK. m.goniewicz@qmul.ac.uk
authors.forename: Maciej L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Goniewicz
authors.forename: Elena O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Lingas
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hajek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003469:Culture; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D062789:Tobacco Products; D055815:Young Adult