The use of, and attitudes towards, electronic cigarettes and self-reported exposure to advertising and the product in general.
OBJECTIVE
Very few studies have investigated New Zealanders' use of, and attitudes towards, e-cigarettes, their exposure to e-cigarette advertising and their general exposure to this product. The current study aims to fill this information gap.


METHODS
Responses were gathered from a sample of adult smokers and recent quitters who took part in a fortnightly computer-assisted telephone interviewing survey. This paper reports on data collected in 2013 on the use of, and attitudes towards, e-cigarettes and exposure to advertising and the product in general. Responses were compared by socio-demographic status and recent quit attempts.


RESULTS
Between 23% and 39% of respondents reported having used e-cigarettes (with the highest level among those who had quit or tried to quit recently), and 8-16% had used e-cigarettes in the past two weeks. About one half reported seeing advertising of e-cigarettes in the past two weeks, 22-41% had seen people they knew using e-cigarettes and 10-15% had seen a stranger using them in the past two weeks. Attitudinal responses are reported in the main text.


CONCLUSIONS
The rate of ever-use suggested that smokers and recent quitters are receptive to e-cigarettes and that they were available to many of them to try. Exposure to e-cigarette advertising or the product in general was not uncommon. Future studies should continue monitor the use of e-cigarettes and investigate the impact of the exposure to people's attitudes towards the product and their subsequent use of e-cigarettes.
Research and Evaluation, Health Promotion Agency, New Zealand.
Judy
J
Li
Rhiannon
R
Newcombe
Darren
D
Walton
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000329:Advertising; D000368:Aged; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D040541:Marketing / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D057566:Self Report; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
electronic cigarettes; marketing; prevalence; smoking