Exploring E-cigarette Use Among U.S. Adults

October 13, 2020, by DCEG Staff

Neal Freedman, Ph.D., M.P.H., senior investigator in the Metabolic Epidemiology Branch, in collaboration with investigators in the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, explored the use of e-cigarettes by U.S. adults in the largest nationally representative tobacco use survey. The findings were published in JAMA Network Open October 13, 2020.

In this 2018-2019 cross-sectional survey, 2.3 percent of adults reported current vaping. Among e-cigarette users, 39 percent were current cigarette smokers, 38 percent were former smokers, and 23 percent had never smoked cigarettes. Among never smokers who vaped, most were under the age of 35 years old, while current and former smokers who use e-cigarettes tended to be older. 69 percent of those who use both cigarettes and e-cigarettes and 81 percent of former smokers who currently vape reported using e-cigarettes to help them quit smoking cigarettes.

While a cross-sectional study cannot determine whether vaping actually helps individuals quit smoking cigarettes, these findings inform public health actions and tobacco regulations by providing an overview of e-cigarette use among US adults.

Reference

Mayer M et al. Demographic Characteristics, Cigarette Smoking, and e-Cigarette Use Among US Adults. JAMA Netw Open 2020;3(10):e2020694. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.20694