title: Perceptions about e-cigarette safety may lead to e-smoking during pregnancy.
abstract: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are nicotine-delivery devices that are increasingly used, especially by young people. Because e-cigarettes lack many of the substances found in regular tobacco, they are often perceived as a safer smoking alternative, especially in high-risk situations such as pregnancy. However, studies suggest that it is exposure to nicotine that is most detrimental to prenatal development. The authors studied perceptions of tobacco and e-cigarette health risks using a multiple-choice survey. To study the perceived safety of e-cigarettes versus tobacco cigarettes, 184 modified Global Health Youth Surveys (WHO, http://www.who.int/tobacco/surveillance/gyts/en/ ) were completed electronically or on paper. Age range, smoking status, and perceptions about tobacco cigarettes and e-cigarettes were studied. The results verified that younger people use e-cigarettes more than older people. Tobacco cigarettes were perceived as more harmful than e-cigarettes to health in general, including lung cancer and pregnancy. Although more research is necessary, the authors postulate that the perception that e-cigarettes are safer during pregnancy may induce pregnant women to use these devices more freely. Given that nicotine is known to cause fetal harm, pregnant mothers who smoke e-cigarettes could cause even greater harm to the fetus because e-cigarettes are perceived as being safer than tobacco cigarettes. Until more data about the effects of nicotine during pregnancy are available, the authors advocate for labeling of e-cigarettes as potentially harmful, at least during pregnancy.
authors.forename: Selina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baeza-Loya
authors.forename: Humsini
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Viswanath
authors.forename: Asasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Molfese
authors.forename: Kenia M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Velasquez
authors.forename: Philip R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.forename: Daisy G Y
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Thompson-Lake
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: J Christopher
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De La Garza
authors.forename: Ramiro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People; D012907:Smoking; D055815:Young Adult