title: Tobacco smokers and electronic cigarettes users among Polish universities students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are small battery-powered electronic devices, heating the liquid to produce vapour--in most cases the latter contains nicotine and several flavourings. E-cigarettes are highly advertised across the media, mainly as healthy substitute to conventional cigarettes, aid in quitting smoking addiction or way of circumventing ban on smoking in public places.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of study was obtaining epidemiological data on cigarette smoking and electronic cigarette usage among Polish universities students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students of different Polish state universities were asked to fill a self-prepared survey on cigarette-smoking and electronic cigarette usage. 1068 fulfilled questionnaires were gathered. The population was divided into two subgroups--medical universities' students (n=545) and non-medical universities students (n=523).
  
  
  RESULTS
  23.78% of respondents declared current smoking while 57.0% admitted ever smoking. The mean duration of smoking among current smokers was 4.17±2.53 years. 56.30% of current smokers tried quitting at least once. 31.46% of students declared ever using e-cigarettes (37.28% (n=195) among non-medical universities' students and 25.87% (n=141) among medical universities' students and 8.33% current usage. Among the latter 52.81% admitted simultaneous smoking. 26.97% of current e-cigarettes' users declared having experienced side effects of e-cigarettes. 42.70% (n=456) of respondents viewed e-cigarettes as safer than conventional cigarettes, this group comprises of 40.54% (n=212) non-medical and 44.77% (n=244) medical universities' students. 85.39% (n=912) of students viewed e-cigarettes as generally unhealthy, there were 83.56% (n=437) non-medical and 87.16% (n=475) medical universities' students among this group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of e-cigarettes usage resembles current status in many Western countries. Collected data shows high frequency of e-cigarettes usage and conventional cigarettes smoking among students (also medical universities' students). The situation requires intensive preventive measures to limit and reduce the popularity of tobacco products along with modern equivalents like electronic cigarettes.
authors.affiliation: Chair and Department of Histology and Embryology with Experimental Cytology Unit, Medical University of Lublin, Radziwiłłowska Street 11, 20-080 Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Michał K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Zarobkiewicz
authors.affiliation: Chair and Department of Histology and Embryology with Experimental Cytology Unit, Medical University of Lublin, Radziwiłłowska Street 11, 20-080 Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewelina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wawryk-Gawda
authors.affiliation: Chair and Department of Histology and Embryology with Experimental Cytology Unit, Medical University of Lublin, Radziwiłłowska Street 11, 20-080 Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Mateusz M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Woźniakowski
authors.affiliation: Chair and Department of Histology and Embryology with Experimental Cytology Unit, Medical University of Lublin, Radziwiłłowska Street 11, 20-080 Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Mirosław A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sławiński
authors.affiliation: Chair and Department of Histology and Embryology with Experimental Cytology Unit, Medical University of Lublin, Radziwiłłowska Street 11, 20-080 Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jodłowska-Jędrych
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult