TY - JOUR
T1 - Electronic cigarette use among Italian smokers
T2 - patterns, settings, and adverse events
AU - Gallus, Silvano
AU - Borroni, Elisa
AU - Liu, Xiaoqiu
AU - Carrozzi, Laura
AU - Dalla Pietra, Gianfranco
AU - Eslami Varzaneh, Shokoofe
AU - Harari, Sergio
AU - Inciso, Giovanni
AU - Martucci, Paola
AU - Papale, Maria
AU - Pistelli, Francesco
AU - Polla, Biagio
AU - Polo, Maria Francesca
AU - Principe, Rosastella
AU - Pulerà, Nolita
AU - Raschi, Stefania
AU - Sarzani, Riccardo
AU - Serafini, Antonella
AU - Odone, Anna
AU - van den Brandt, Piet
AU - Lugo, Alessandra
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: S.G. was partially funded by the Italian League Against Cancer (LILT, Milan).
Publisher Copyright:
© Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori 2020.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/6/1
Y1 - 2020/6/1
N2 - Objective: Information is scanty on the patterns and settings of electronic cigarette use and on its possible adverse events. To fill the knowledge gap on these issues, we conducted a survey among ever-smokers attending smoking cessation services (SCS) in Italy. Methods: In 2016–2018, we enrolled 395 ever-smokers aged ⩾18 years who were current or former electronic cigarette users in 12 SCS from northern, central, and southern Italy. Results: In all, 12.4% of ever smokers were regular, 9.4% occasional, and 78.2% past users of electronic cigarettes. Of all users, 93.8% consumed electronic cigarettes with nicotine, 95.9% used refillable devices, and 76.6% purchased electronic cigarette devices or liquids in vape shops. The mean duration of use was 3.7 months and the mean number of puffs per day was 86. Among users, 71.5% used electronic cigarettes in at least 1 smoke-free indoor environment, 53.7% in workplaces, 49.5% in restaurants and bars, 33.5% in train/metro stations or airports, and 18.4% in public transports. The use of electronic cigarettes in smoke-free environments significantly decreased with age and increased with duration of use and nicotine dependence. In our sample, 47.1% reported at least 1 adverse event attributable to electronic cigarette use: 19.5% dry cough, 12.0% dry mouth, 7.6% throat or mouth irritation, and 6.8% sore throat. Conclusion: In Italy, most conventional cigarette smokers use electronic cigarettes where smoking conventional cigarettes is prohibited. About half of users reported 1 or more symptoms attributable to electronic cigarettes, despite the relatively short duration of use.
AB - Objective: Information is scanty on the patterns and settings of electronic cigarette use and on its possible adverse events. To fill the knowledge gap on these issues, we conducted a survey among ever-smokers attending smoking cessation services (SCS) in Italy. Methods: In 2016–2018, we enrolled 395 ever-smokers aged ⩾18 years who were current or former electronic cigarette users in 12 SCS from northern, central, and southern Italy. Results: In all, 12.4% of ever smokers were regular, 9.4% occasional, and 78.2% past users of electronic cigarettes. Of all users, 93.8% consumed electronic cigarettes with nicotine, 95.9% used refillable devices, and 76.6% purchased electronic cigarette devices or liquids in vape shops. The mean duration of use was 3.7 months and the mean number of puffs per day was 86. Among users, 71.5% used electronic cigarettes in at least 1 smoke-free indoor environment, 53.7% in workplaces, 49.5% in restaurants and bars, 33.5% in train/metro stations or airports, and 18.4% in public transports. The use of electronic cigarettes in smoke-free environments significantly decreased with age and increased with duration of use and nicotine dependence. In our sample, 47.1% reported at least 1 adverse event attributable to electronic cigarette use: 19.5% dry cough, 12.0% dry mouth, 7.6% throat or mouth irritation, and 6.8% sore throat. Conclusion: In Italy, most conventional cigarette smokers use electronic cigarettes where smoking conventional cigarettes is prohibited. About half of users reported 1 or more symptoms attributable to electronic cigarettes, despite the relatively short duration of use.
KW - adverse events
KW - E-cigarettes
KW - Italy
KW - patterns of use
KW - survey
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U2 - 10.1177/0300891620915784
DO - 10.1177/0300891620915784
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85084830147
VL - 106
SP - 229
EP - 240
JO - Tumori
JF - Tumori
SN - 0300-8916
IS - 3
ER -