Does Intent Matter? The progression from e-cigarettes to cigarettes

The relationship between e-cigarette use and traditional cigarette smoking is ill-defined thanks to the relatively new yet expanding demographic of e-cigarette users. This is especially true of adolescents, which account for a significant percentage of e-cigarette users who progress to cigarette use.

Researchers recently conducted a study to investigate the potential correlation between e-cigarette use and the progression to cigarette smoking with an interesting question in mind—does the intention to smoke play a role in said progression? Read on to discover what they learned.

The Study

Data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study was used to create a cohort that represented the United States. This data was collected in 2014-2015 (wave 2) and 2015-2016 (wave 3), then analyzed in 2019.

Researchers were investigating the number of adolescents in various categories (never smoked cigarettes, never used an e-cigarette, and so on) that had the intention to smoke, followed by their progression to smoking traditional smoking. Those who had no intention to smoke were also noted to create a proper comparison.

Findings

Data from wave 2 showed that of adolescents who had never smoked, 12.8% intended to smoke and 8.5% had used e-cigarettes. When updated at wave 3, the data showed that 3.2% had smoked cigarettes. The use of e-cigarettes and the intention to smoke were both linked to cigarette smoking, with a significant association between using e-cigarettes and an intention to smoke. However, there was little difference in outcome (smoking cigarettes) between those who intended to smoke and used e-cigarettes and those who intended to smoke but did not use e-cigarettes.

However, in adolescents who did not intend to smoke, e-cigarette use drastically increased the likelihood of smoking. In fact, e-cigarette users without the intention to smoke were more than four times more likely to use cigarettes than their non-e-cigarette using counterparts.

What it Means

The study established a significant link between e-cigarette use and a progression to cigarette use among adolescents who had no intention of smoking. The root cause of this progression is unknown but could be due to e-cigarettes creating the intention to smoke or a nicotine addiction that leads to smoking. A combination of the two possibilities is likely.

Equipped with this knowledge, further studies can be conducted. The information discovered here can also be used to create more effective education regarding the topics of e-cigarette use, cigarette smoking, and nicotine.