title: Adolescents' attitudes towards e-cigarette ingredients, safety, addictive properties, social norms, and regulation.
abstract: E-cigarette use has dramatically increased. While studies have examined adolescents' attitudes towards smoking, few have extended this research to adolescents' attitudes towards e-cigarettes. The goal of this study was to examine adolescents' attitudes regarding e-cigarette ingredients, safety, addictive properties, social norms, accessibility, price, and regulation; and determine whether attitudes differ by past cigarette/e-cigarette use. Participants were 786 9th and 12th graders from California (63.21% females; mean age=16.10years [SD=1.6]; 26.61% White, 21.98% Asian/Pacific Islander, 29.82% Hispanic, and 21.59% other). Results indicated that 19.05% of participants believed smoke from e-cigarettes is water; 23.03% believed e-cigarettes aren't a tobacco product; 40.36% considered e-cigarettes to be for cessation, and 43.13% felt they were safer than cigarettes. Participants felt it was more acceptable to use e-cigarettes indoors and outdoors compared to cigarettes (p<0.0001), 23.13% felt raising e-cigarette taxes is a bad idea, 63.95% thought e-cigarettes were easier to get than cigarettes, 54.42% felt e-cigarettes cost too much, 64.33% felt the age for buying e-cigarettes should be raised, and 64.37% favored e-cigarette regulation. Adolescents who used e-cigarettes and/or cigarettes had significantly more favorable e-cigarette attitudes than non-users. This study indicates that adolescents are aware of some of the risks of e-cigarettes, although many harbor misperceptions and hold more favorable attitudes towards e-cigarettes than cigarettes. Of concern is the relationship between favorable e-cigarette attitudes and use. Findings suggest the need to provide adolescents with correct information about e-cigarette ingredients, risks, and the insufficient evidence of their role in cigarette cessation.
authors: Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors: Anuradha
authors: A
authors: Gorukanti
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors: Kevin
authors: K
authors: Delucchi
authors: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors: Pamela
authors: P
authors: Ling
authors: Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
authors: Raymond
authors: R
authors: Fisher-Travis
authors: Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA. Electronic address: bonnie.halpernfelsher@stanford.edu.
authors: Bonnie
authors: B
authors: Halpern-Felsher
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000067697:Adolescent Health; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology*; D002140:California; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D033161:Government Regulation; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects; D012307:Risk Factors; D012449:Safety; D066262:Social Norms; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine
keywords: Adolescent health; Adolescent perceptions; Adolescent substance use; E-cigarettes; Public health