Ping Du1, Tongyao Fan2, Jessica Yingst3, Susan Veldheer3, Shari Hrabovsky3, Chen Chen2, Jonathan Foulds4. 1. Department of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania; Department of Public Health Sciences, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania. Electronic address: pud15@psu.edu. 2. Department of Public Health Sciences, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania. 3. Penn State Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania. 4. Department of Public Health Sciences, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania; Penn State Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Little is known about the effects of long-term e-cigarette use, particularly the risks of relapse to cigarette smoking or increased dependence. METHODS: In a 2012-2014 baseline online e-cigarette survey, 1,863 respondents consented to participate in future research. A follow-up online survey was conducted in 2017-2018 to assess changes in e-cigarette use behaviors and e-cigarette-related dependence. For both surveys, exclusive e-cigarette use was defined as only using e-cigarettes in the past 7 days, and poly use was defined as using both e-cigarettes and other tobacco or nicotine products in the past 7 days. The Penn State Electronic Cigarette Dependence Index (PSECDI) score was calculated for each study subject and was used to evaluate e-cigarette dependence. Paired t-tests or Pearson correlation coefficients were used to examine changes in e-cigarette use behaviors or PSECDI scores between baseline and follow-up. Baseline and follow-up survey data were analyzed in January 2019. RESULTS: A total of 494 subjects provided complete data on both surveys. At baseline, 402 subjects (81.4%) were exclusive e-cigarette users, and 71 subjects (14.4%) were poly users. Among baseline exclusive e-cigarette users, the majority (88.3%) continued using e-cigarettes exclusively, but 37 users (9.2%) became poly users and 1 returned to cigarette smoking at follow-up. Among baseline poly users, 60.6% became exclusive e-cigarette users at follow-up. The mean PSECDI score remained similar over time (8.4 at baseline vs 8.3 at follow-up). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that the risk of relapse to cigarette smoking is low, and e-cigarette-related dependence remains stable in long-term e-cigarette users.
INTRODUCTION: Little is known about the effects of long-term e-cigarette use, particularly the risks of relapse to cigarette smoking or increased dependence. METHODS: In a 2012-2014 baseline online e-cigarette survey, 1,863 respondents consented to participate in future research. A follow-up online survey was conducted in 2017-2018 to assess changes in e-cigarette use behaviors and e-cigarette-related dependence. For both surveys, exclusive e-cigarette use was defined as only using e-cigarettes in the past 7 days, and poly use was defined as using both e-cigarettes and other tobacco or nicotine products in the past 7 days. The Penn State Electronic Cigarette Dependence Index (PSECDI) score was calculated for each study subject and was used to evaluate e-cigarette dependence. Paired t-tests or Pearson correlation coefficients were used to examine changes in e-cigarette use behaviors or PSECDI scores between baseline and follow-up. Baseline and follow-up survey data were analyzed in January 2019. RESULTS: A total of 494 subjects provided complete data on both surveys. At baseline, 402 subjects (81.4%) were exclusive e-cigarette users, and 71 subjects (14.4%) were poly users. Among baseline exclusive e-cigarette users, the majority (88.3%) continued using e-cigarettes exclusively, but 37 users (9.2%) became poly users and 1 returned to cigarette smoking at follow-up. Among baseline poly users, 60.6% became exclusive e-cigarette users at follow-up. The mean PSECDI score remained similar over time (8.4 at baseline vs 8.3 at follow-up). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that the risk of relapse to cigarette smoking is low, and e-cigarette-related dependence remains stable in long-term e-cigarette users.