Electronic cigarette use among 14- to 17-year-olds in Europe

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Health
• Tobacco Control

Background:

• Limited comparative studies exist on adolescent e-cigarette use across different countries.
• This study investigates e-cigarette and conventional cigarette use patterns among adolescents in seven European Union (EU) countries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare adolescent e-cigarette and conventional cigarette ever-use, dual-use, and e-liquid content across seven EU countries.
• To identify social correlates associated with different patterns of substance use.
• To inform tobacco control policies regarding adolescent vaping.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the SILNE-R study, surveying 12,167 adolescents aged 14-17 in six EU countries.
• Employed school surveys to measure e-cigarette and conventional cigarette ever-use, dual-use, e-liquid type, and social correlates.
• Analyzed data using cross-tabulations and multinomial logistic regression.

Main Results:

• E-cigarette ever-use prevalence varied significantly, from 23% in Hanover (Germany) to 50% in Latina (Italy).
• Nicotine e-liquid use was more common among frequent users. Social factors like low academic achievement and parental smoking were associated with all use categories, while peer smoking showed the strongest association with dual-use (OR 34.29).
• Boys exhibited higher odds for exclusive e-cigarette and dual-use compared to girls.

Conclusions:

• Adolescent e-cigarette use shows considerable geographical variation within the EU.
• E-cigarettes appear to be complementary to, rather than substitutes for, conventional cigarettes.
• While existing tobacco control policies may influence e-cigarette use, specific regulations are crucial to prevent nicotine addiction among adolescents.