Correction published on 27 April 2015,
see
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2015, 12(5), 4631-4637.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2014, 11(11), 11691-11704; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph111111691
Awareness, Trial, and Current Use of Electronic Cigarettes in 10 Countries: Findings from the ITC Project
Shannon Gravely 1, Geoffrey T. Fong 1,2,*, K. Michael Cummings 3, Mi Yan 1, Anne C. K. Quah 1, Ron Borland 4, Hua-Hie Yong 4, Sara C. Hitchman 5, Ann McNeill 5
, David Hammond 6, James F. Thrasher 7,8, Marc C. Willemsen 9, Hong Gwan Seo 10, Yuan Jiang 11, Tania Cavalcante 12, Cristina Perez 12, Maizurah Omar 13 and Karin Hummel 9
, David Hammond 6, James F. Thrasher 7,8, Marc C. Willemsen 9, Hong Gwan Seo 10, Yuan Jiang 11, Tania Cavalcante 12, Cristina Perez 12, Maizurah Omar 13 and Karin Hummel 9
1
Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
2
Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, MaRS Center, West Tower, 661 University Avenue, Suite 510, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A3, Canada
3
Medical University of South Carolina, 171 Ashley Ave, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
4
The Cancer Council Victoria, 615 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia
5
King's College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK
6
School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
7
Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Colombia, SC 29208, USA
8
Mexican Institute of Public Health, Universidad N. 655 Colonia Stana Maria Ahuacatitlan, Cerrada Los Pinos y Caminera C.P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Mor, Mexico
9
Maastricht University (CAPHRI), P. Debyeplein 1, 6229 HA Maastricht, the Netherlands
10
National Cancer Center of Korea, 323 Ilsan-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si Gyeonggi-do, 410-769, Korea
11
China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 155 Changbai Road Changping District, Beijing 102206, China
12
National Cancer Institute of Brazil, Praca Cruz Vermelha, 23, Centro, 20230-130, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
13
University Sains Malaysia, Jalan Sungai Dua, 11800 Georgetown, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 5 June 2014 / Revised: 24 October 2014 / Accepted: 28 October 2014 / Published: 13 November 2014
Abstract
Background: In recent years, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have generated considerable interest and debate on the implications for tobacco control and public health. Although the rapid growth of e-cigarettes is global, at present, little is known about awareness and use. This paper presents self-reported awareness, trial and current use of e-cigarettes in 10 countries surveyed between 2009 and 2013; for six of these countries, we present the first data on e-cigarettes from probability samples of adult smokers. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of probability samples of adult (≥ 18 years) current and former smokers participating in the International Tobacco Control (ITC) surveys from 10 countries. Surveys were administered either via phone, face-to-face interviews, or the web. Survey questions included sociodemographic and smoking-related variables, and questions about e-cigarette awareness, trial and current use. Results: There was considerable cross-country variation by year of data collection and for awareness of e-cigarettes (Netherlands (2013: 88%), Republic of Korea (2010: 79%), United States (2010: 73%), Australia (2013: 66%), Malaysia (2011: 62%), United Kingdom (2010: 54%), Canada (2010: 40%), Brazil (2013: 35%), Mexico (2012: 34%), and China (2009: 31%)), in self-reports of ever having tried e-cigarettes (Australia, (20%), Malaysia (19%), Netherlands (18%), United States (15%), Republic of Korea (11%), United Kingdom (10%), Mexico (4%), Canada (4%), Brazil (3%), and China (2%)), and in current use (Malaysia (14%), Republic of Korea (7%), Australia (7%), United States (6%), United Kingdom (4%), Netherlands (3%), Canada (1%), and China (0.05%)). Conclusions: The cross-country variability in awareness, trial, and current use of e-cigarettes is likely due to a confluence of country-specific market factors, tobacco control policies and regulations (e.g., the legal status of e-cigarettes and nicotine), and the survey timing along the trajectory of e-cigarette awareness and trial/use in each country. These ITC results constitute an important snapshot of an early stage of what appears to be a rapid progression of global e-cigarette use. View Full-TextKeywords:
e-cigarette; electronic cigarette; nicotine; smoking; international
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).
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Gravely, S.; Fong, G.T.; Cummings, K.M.; Yan, M.; Quah, A.C.K.; Borland, R.; Yong, H.-H.; Hitchman, S.C.; McNeill, A.; Hammond, D.; Thrasher, J.F.; Willemsen, M.C.; Seo, H.G.; Jiang, Y.; Cavalcante, T.; Perez, C.; Omar, M.; Hummel, K. Awareness, Trial, and Current Use of Electronic Cigarettes in 10 Countries: Findings from the ITC Project. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2014, 11, 11691-11704.
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