Current and Former Smokers' Use of Electronic Cigarettes for Quitting Smoking: An Exploratory Study of Adolescents and Young Adults.
BACKGROUND
This exploratory study examines the prevalence and predictors of current and former smokers' use of electronic (e-) cigarettes for smoking cessation among a sample of adolescent and young adult established smokers.


METHODS
We conducted school-wide surveys in two middle (n = 1166) and four high schools (n = 3614) in fall 2013 and one public college (n = 625) in spring 2014. We analyzed data from 189 established smokers (reported smoking 100 cigarettes in their lifetime) who also reported ever-use of e-cigarettes (50.7% female, 89.4% White race, Mage 18.3 [SD = 2.8]). We further classified participants as current smokers (reported past-month cigarette smoking) and former smokers (no past-month smoking). Adjusted logistic regression assessed associations of using e-cigarettes to quit smoking with demographic, cigarette and e-cigarette use patterns, e-cigarette flavor preference, and risk perception variables.


RESULTS
Overall, 41.8% of the sample reported that they "have used an e-cigarette to quit smoking." In adjusted models, older age, White race, higher e-cigarette frequency, and preference for using a combination of e-cigarette flavors predicted increased odds of having used e-cigarettes to quit smoking (p < .05). Using e-cigarettes to quit smoking was not associated with current or former cigarette smoking status or perceptions that "e-cigarettes help people quit smoking" or "e-cigarettes are safer than quit smoking medications."


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescents and young adults who report more frequent e-cigarette use and preference for using flavor combinations are more likely to use e-cigarettes for smoking cessation. Future studies are needed to determine whether e-cigarette use leads to tobacco abstinence in youth smokers.


CONCLUSIONS
Among young established smokers, more frequent e-cigarette use and preference for using flavors mixed together, but not perceptions of harmfulness of e-cigarettes or comparative safety of e-cigarettes compared with cigarettes or other smoking cessation medications or helpfulness of e-cigarettes in quitting smoking, are associated with using e-cigarettes for smoking cessation.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
Deepa R
DR
Camenga
Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
Grace
G
Kong
Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
Dana A
DA
Cavallo
Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
Suchitra
S
Krishnan-Sarin
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000073865:Cigarette Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000074285:Smokers / Q000523:psychology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000073869:Tobacco Smoking / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult
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