Use of electronic cigarettes in smoke-free environments.
Although most US states prohibit cigarette smoking in public places and worksites, fewer jurisdictions regulate indoor use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). Given the dramatic increase in e-cigarette use and concern about its impact on non-users, there is a need to examine the use of e-cigarettes in smoke-free environments and related attitudes and perceptions.



Recruited from a nationally representative adult panel (GfK's KnowledgePanel), 952 current users of e-cigarettes completed a cross-sectional online survey in 2014. Multivariate logistic regressions were conducted to examine the factors associated with ever using e-cigarettes in smoke-free environments.



Overall, 59.5% of e-cigarette users had vaped where cigarette smoking was not allowed. Young adults (18-29 years) were most likely to do so, 74.2%. The places of first-time use most often mentioned were service venues (bar, restaurant, lounge and club), 30.7%, followed by worksites, 23.5%. Daily e-cigarette users were more likely to have vaped in smoke-free environments than non-daily users (OR=2.08, p=0.012). Only 2.5% of those who used e-cigarettes in smoke-free environments reported negative reactions from other people. Most e-cigarette users did not think e-cigarettes are harmful to themselves or to by-standers, and thus should not be banned where smoking is; those who had used e-cigarettes where smoking is banned were even more likely to hold these views.



E-cigarette use in smoke-free environments was common, suggesting that most e-cigarette users do not consider smoke-free laws to apply to e-cigarettes. Explicit laws should be considered if jurisdictions want to prohibit e-cigarette use in public places.
Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Yuyan
Y
Shi
Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.|Moores UCSD Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Sharon E
SE
Cummins
Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.|Moores UCSD Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Shu-Hong
SH
Zhu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D061845:Smoke-Free Policy; D000074285:Smokers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control; D055815:Young Adult
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
Electronic nicotine delivery devices; Public policy; Surveillance and monitoring