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Updated: Oct 1, 2025

Methods to Evaluate Cytotoxicity and Immunosuppression of Combustible Tobacco Product Preparations
Published on: January 10, 2015
Tobacco Product Use and Functionally Important Respiratory Symptoms Among US Adolescents/Young Adults
Susanne Tanski1, Michael J Halenar2, Kathryn C Edwards2
1Geisel School of Medicine (S Tanski, J Emond, M Brunette, and J Sargent), Hanover, NH; The C. Everett Koop Institute at Dartmouth (S Tanski, J Emond, S Woloshin, M Brunette, L Schwartz, and J Sargent), Lebanon, NH.
Objective:
The relation between respiratory symptoms and the range of tobacco product use among US adolescents/young adults is not yet clear. This cross-sectional analysis examines tobacco product use and respiratory symptoms in a nationally representative sample of 21,057 adolescents/young adults aged 12-24 years from Wave 4 (2016-17) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study.
Methods:
Presence of functionally important respiratory symptoms was defined by questions regarding wheezing and nighttime cough at a cutoff score associated with poorer functional health status. Past-30-day tobacco use was analyzed 2 ways: never-tobacco users (reference) versus combustible users, noncombustible-only users, and former users; or frequency of use of cigarettes and/or e-cigarettes. Weighted Poisson regression adjusted for past-30-day marijuana use, secondhand smoke exposure, and asthma.
Results:
Functionally important respiratory symptoms were present in 10.0% overall: 13.8% of combustible users, 9.0% of noncombustible users, 8.2% of noncurrent users and 9.7% of never users. Functionally important respiratory symptoms were associated with combustible tobacco use (relative risk [RR] = 1.52[95% CI 1.29, 1.80]), marijuana use (RR = 1.54[1.34, 1.77]) and secondhand smoke exposure (RR = 1.04[1.03, 1.05]). Higher cigarette smoking frequency was also associated with functionally important respiratory symptoms for frequency categories >14 days/month (eg, RR = 1.93[1.50, 2.49] for 15-29 days/month). Frequency of e-cigarette use was not associated with functionally important respiratory symptoms.
Conclusions:
During 2016-17, smoking cigarettes, marijuana use, and secondhand smoke exposure were cross-sectionally associated with functionally important respiratory symptoms in adolescents/young adults. Risk increased with increased frequency of cigarette use but not e-cigarette use. Given changes to contemporary e-cigarettes and use, findings may not generalize to newer products.
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