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Electronic cigarettes: Ever use, current use and attitudes among alcohol and other drug clients
Author(s) -
Skelton Eliza,
Silberberg Louis,
Guillaumier Ashleigh,
Dunlop Adrian J.,
Wilkinson Ross B.,
Bonevski Billie
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
drug and alcohol review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.018
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1465-3362
pISSN - 0959-5236
DOI - 10.1111/dar.13005
Subject(s) - harm reduction , medicine , nicotine , smoking cessation , quit smoking , environmental health , tobacco harm reduction , drug , psychiatry , family medicine , tobacco use , public health , nursing , population , pathology
and Aims Electronic cigarettes (e‐cigarettes) are becoming popular and may be a potential harm reduction and quit smoking aid for people who use other drugs. Data on e‐cigarette use and perceptions among people who use drugs is limited. The current study examines tobacco smoking status, use and attitudes towards e‐cigarettes among people in drug and alcohol treatment. Design and Methods Data were collected through a standardised Patient Experience Tracking System device installed in the waiting room of six drug and alcohol clinical service programs located within one area health service in New South Wales, Australia during April to June 2017. Participants were clients of participating services aged 18 years and older. Results Five hundred and eleven participants completed the survey, 85% were current smokers, 9% were ex‐smokers and 6% were non‐smokers. Over half of all participants (53%) had tried e‐cigarettes in their lifetime, 26% reported current use and 77% of those were using them with nicotine. Just less than half of all participants believed that e‐cigarettes were helpful for quitting or cutting down smoking tobacco cigarettes (48%). More than half of all respondents (59%) believed that tobacco cigarettes were more harmful than e‐cigarettes (59%) and believed that e‐cigarettes were an acceptable quit smoking aid for patients of drug and alcohol services (64%). Discussion and Conclusions Most participants were current tobacco smokers and had tried an e‐cigarette though a minority were currently using e‐cigarettes. Participant attitudes were favourable towards the use of e‐cigarettes as quit smoking aids.