10.2. SR 09-08-2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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E-cigarettes: an evidence update 33 School Children (HBSC) study and more than 9,000 participants aged 11–16 from 82 schools were included [18]. Overall, 12.3% had tried EC, 1.5% were monthly users, compared with 12.1% reporting ever having smoked and 5.4% current smokers (reported smoking less than once a week or more frequently). Whilst many experimental EC users had never smoked, most regular EC users had also smoked tobacco. The authors commented that “the very low prevalence of regular use…suggests that e- cigarettes are unlikely to be making a significant direct contribution to adolescent nicotine addiction”. Additionally, around 1,500 10 to 11-year olds were surveyed in Wales, from 75 schools in the CHETS Wales study [18, 19] (Table 2). Overall, 5.8% (n=87) had ever used an EC; most reported only using once (3.7%, n=55 overall) and only 2.1% (n=32) report ed using them more than once. Again, EC use was associated with smoking. Just under half (47.6%) of those who reported having used tobacco had ever used an EC compared with 5.3% of never smokers. Controlling for other variables associated with EC use, parental use of EC and peer smoking remained s ignificantly associated with having ever used an EC. Having ever used an EC was associated with weaker anti- smoking intentions. Parental EC use was not associated with weakened anti- smoking intentions whereas parental smoking was [19]. This study, published prior to the one above, concluded that EC represented a new form of experimentation with nicotine that was more common than tobacco usage. It also commented that the findings added “some tentative support for the hypothesis that use of e-cigarettes may increase children’s susceptibility to smoking”. However, as this was a cross-sectional survey, causal connections cannot be inferred. It is possible that children who had used EC would have smoked cigarettes in their absence and this could explain the relationship between intentions and EC usage (see below). An additional survey of schoolchildren has been carried out in England. Trading Standards in the North West of England have been running biennial surveys of schoolchildren since 2005. The 2013 findings on EC, smoking and alcohol were published [21]. The survey was not designed to be representative (no compliance or completion rates were collected) but instead “to provide a broad sample of students from a range of community types”. More than 100 schools participated and more than 16,000 participants aged 14–17 years of age were included in the analyses. It is important to acknowledge that the question about EC was “Have you ever bought or tried electronic cigarettes?”, and this study cannot therefore add to knowledge on current usage. Around one in five of the sample had accessed EC, with access being higher in those who had experience of smoking. Around 5% of those who had never smoked cigarettes reported accessing EC; around half of ex-smokers and over two thirds of regular smokers had accessed them. Parental smoking and alcohol use were also associated with EC access.