Electronic cigarettes: a new social practice and the challenge of tobacco control policies / Cigarros eletrônicos: uma nova prática social e o desafio das Políticas de controle do tabagismo

O tabagismo é uma doença crônica e é considerado um grave problema de saúde pública e tem sido alvo ao longo do tempo de muitas ações preventivas e de promoção à saúde. O produto do tabaco mais consumido entre adultos e jovens é o cigarro convencional, entretanto, o consumo de tabaco sem fumaça ou outros produtos do tabaco fumado, como os cigarros eletrônicos, tem sido observado de forma crescente no mundo. Os dispositivos eletrônicos para fumar (DEF), que têm despertado cada vez mais a atenção de consumidores jovens, envolvem diferentes equipamentos e tecnologias. Fundamentado no princípio da precaução, desde 2009, o Brasil proibiu a comercialização, importação e propaganda de todos os tipos de DEF que oferecessem a substituição de cigarro, cigarrilha, charuto, cachimbo e similares ou que objetivem alternativa ao tratamento do tabagismo, por meio da RDC n 46, de 28 de agosto de 2009. Mesmo proibido no Brasil, evidencia-se o uso dos cigarros eletrônicos como uma alternativa, revelando um novo desafio a ser enfrentado pelas políticas de controle do tabagismo. As lacunas de conhecimento inerentes a uma prática social nova, bem como da necessidade de construção de referenciais que contribuam para a melhor tomada de decisões, seja no âmbito da intervenção profissional ou da gestão das políticas públicas, com vistas a proteger a saúde da população, por si só já torna relevante a ampliação de conhecimentos acerca desta temática. Contudo, é necessário a compreensão de que as ações de prevenção, promoção e controle devem ser compreendidas de forma transversal e interdisciplinar, a fim de que se possa refletir sobre os processos que envolvem aspectos políticos, socioeconômicos e culturais que interagem diretamente com o processo saúde-doença. Deste modo, com base na problemática apresentada e considerando a relevância da temática em questão, como campo pouco enfrentado deste âmbito, destaca-se que a ampliação de investigações e o aprofundamento de discussões sobre ela, possibilitarão uma melhor compreensão e visibilidade do problema

Smoking is a chronic disease and is considered a serious public health problem and has been the target of many preventive and health promotion actions over time. The most consumed tobacco product among adults and young people is the conventional cigarette, however, the consumption of smokeless tobacco or other smoked tobacco products, such as electronic cigarettes, has been observed on an increasing basis in the world. Electronic smoking devices (EFD), which have increasingly attracted the attention of young consumers, involve different equipment and technologies. Based on the precautionary principle, since 2009, Brazil has prohibited the sale, importation and advertising of all types of DEF that offer the replacement of cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, pipes and the like or that aim at an alternative to the treatment of smoking, through RDC n 46, of August 28, 2009. Even though it is prohibited in Brazil, the use of electronic cigarettes as an alternative is evident, revealing a new challenge to be faced by tobacco control policies. The knowledge gaps inherent to a new social practice, as well as the need to build references that contribute to better decision-making, whether in the scope of professional intervention or the management of public policies, with a view to protecting the health of the population, for itself already makes the expansion of knowledge about this theme relevant. However, it is necessary to understand that prevention, promotion and control actions must be understood in a transversal and interdisciplinary way, so that one can reflect on the processes that involve political, socioeconomic and cultural aspects that interact directly with the health process -illness. Thus, based on the problem presented and considering the relevance of the issue in question, as a field little faced in this area, it is emphasized that the expansion of investigations and the deepening of discussions about it, will allow a better understanding and visibility of the problem.

Estudio cualitativo del uso de los cigarrillos electrónicos en los estudiantes universitarios / Qualitative Study of E-Cigarette Use in College Students

Objetivos: El propósito de esta investigación fue determinar el nivel de conocimiento, creencias, percepción y practicas asociadas al consumo de cigarrillos electrónicos en los estudiantes universitarios (UASD), recinto Santiago, República Dominicana. Cada estudiante firmó un consentimiento informado certificando que éste respondió cada pregunta realizada por el entrevistador de manera voluntaria. El método de recolección de los datos fue mediante entrevistas, las cuales fueron grabadas por los entrevistadores. La muestra fue de 53 entrevistas, 48 individuales y 5 grupos focales, la misma se tomó hasta alcanzar el punto de saturación de cada pregunta, es decir cuando todas las respuestas se tornaron repetitivas. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio cualitativo de tipo fenomenológico y de fuentes primarias en el período mayo-agosto del año 2019 en la universidad privada Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) y la universidad pública Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo. (UASD), campus Santiago, República Dominicana. El método de recolección de datos se realizó a través de entrevistas, las cuales fueron grabadas por los entrevistadores. Cada estudiante entrevistado firmó un consentimiento informado certificando que respondió voluntariamente a cada pregunta formulada por el entrevistador. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 53 entrevistas, 48 personas y cinco grupos focales. Las entrevistas se realizaron hasta llegar al punto de saturación de cada pregunta, que es cuando todas las respuestas se volvieron repetitivas. Resultados: El conocimiento que tiene los estudiantes universitarios sobre cigarrillo electrónico (CE), es pobre, desde su funcionamiento, partes, sustancias e incluso las posibles complicaciones que puede traer a la salud, tanto en la Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) como en la Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD), pero es más notable en la universidad pública. Por otro lado, muchos perciben el CE, como una alternativa del uso de tabaco, que posee diversidad de sabores, olor agradable, atractivo, práctico y capaz de ofrecer relajación. En cuanto a la actitud hacia el dispositivo, en PUCMM exhibe un mayor nivel de rechazo con respecto al uso. Es importante mencionar, que mayoría de los entrevistados son o alguna vez fueron usuarios de este, no obstante, no lo recomiendan en gran medida, ya que asumen que puede causar daño y ser adictivo, aunque en menor medida al cigarrillo convencional. La población más susceptible a su uso, son los jóvenes y el sexo masculino, aunque las féminas se han ido sumando de manera significativa. De igual modo, se logró apreciar las grandes influencias que mueven a los jóvenes a su consumo, incluyendo, las redes sociales, familia, amigos, en general el entorno en que se rodean. Conclusión: Concluimos que los estudiantes universitarios carecen de conocimiento con respecto al cigarrillo electrónico, tanto en el funcionamiento, sustancias y complicaciones para la salud. Muchos observan al cigarrillo electrónico como un dispositivo para fumar con un olor agradable, por lo cual puede ser muy atractivo para los usuarios. Se logró apreciar el importante papel que juegan las influencias sociales para el uso del dispositivo, promovido por las redes sociales y relaciones cercanas. Otro problema en la sociedad actual es el uso de CE en menores de edad. Según los resultados existe una gran necesidad de intervención y educación, principalmente en los jóvenes.

Objective: The purpose of this research was to determine the level of knowledge, beliefs, perception, and practices associated with consuming electronic cigarettes among university students. Materials and methods: A qualitative study of phenome-nological type and from primary sources was carried out in the period of May-August of the year 2019 at the private university Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Mae-stra (PUCMM) and the public university Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD), Santiago campus, Dominican Republic. The data collection method was done through interviews, which the interviewers recorded. Each student interviewed signed an informed consent cer-tifying that they answered voluntarily each question asked by the interviewer. The sample consisted of 53 interviews, 48 individuals, and five focus groups. Interviews were done until reaching the saturation point of each question, which is when all the answers became repetitive. Results: University students' knowledge regarding elec-tronic cigarettes (EC) is poor. Knowledge regarding its mechanism, parts, substances, and possible complications to one's health, is scarce both in PUCMM and the UASD, but this is more notable at the public university. Addition-ally, many perceive EC as an alternative to tobacco use, the former, as per our study population, having a variety of fla-vors, a pleasant smell, being attractive, practical, and capa-ble of offering relaxation. Regarding the attitude towards the device, PUCMM exhibits a higher level of rejection regarding its use. It is essential to mention that most inter-viewees were once users of EC. However, they do not rec-ommend it to a great extent since they assume that it can cause harm and be addictive, although to a lesser extent than conventional cigarettes. The population most suscep-tible to its use are young people, including minors and the male gender, although females have been significantly increasing its use. Similarly, it was possible to appreciate the influences that greatly evoke the younger population's consumption, including social networks, family, friends, and the surrounding environment. Conclusion: We concluded that university students have insufficient knowledge regarding electronic cigarettes, both in their mechanism, substances, and health compli-cations. Most see electronic cigarettes as smoking devices with a pleasant smell, which can be very attractive to users. It was possible to observe the critical role played by social influences on the use of the device, promoted by social networks and close relationships. Another problem in cur-rent society is the use of CE in minors. According to the results, there is a great need for intervention and educa-tion, mainly among the younger generation.

A qualitative study of user experience， knowledge and attitude of e-cigarette use in Shanghai / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveTo understand the experience， knowledge and attitudes of e-cigarette users in Shanghai， and to provide evidence for the development of intervention programs for e-cigarette use. MethodsThe Respondent-Driven Sampling （RDS） method was used to recruit 40 e-cigarette users for qualitative interviews from November 2020 to February 2021. NVivo （11.0） software was used to code interview records， and the thematic pattern and relationship analysis were conducted. ResultsIn terms of the reasons and user experience of e-cigarette use， most respondents used e-cigarettes for the first time after recommendation of friends； The reasons for the current use of e-cigarettes focus on the subjective feelings generated by the use of e-cigarettes （easy to use， replacing traditional tobacco， and having many flavors）. Compared with traditional tobacco use， respondents said e-cigarettes tasted good and had no physical impact （they could be used all the time without making them uncomfortable）. In terms of the awareness of e-cigarette use related knowledge， the respondents' opinions on whether e-cigarettes caused health risks were mostly based on their own experience of using them， and they said it was difficult to identify real information online. As for whether they were interested in relevant knowledge， most respondents said they wanted to learn about the professional knowledge related to e-cigarettes. Regarding the attitude related to the use of e-cigarettes， most respondents believed that e-cigarettes are addictive， e-cigarettes are not a safe alternative to traditional tobacco， ande-cigarettes couldn't help them quit smoking. Three out of ten respondents said they supported including e-cigarettes in the Regulation on Smoking Control in Public. ConclusionThere are certain characteristics of e-cigarette users' feelings， related knowledge and attitude towards e-cigarette use that should be targeted to carry out publicity， education and intervention.

Attempts to e cigarettes use and associated factors among junior middle school students from grade 1 to 4 in Macao / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand the current status and influencing factors of attempts to e cigarettes use among Macao teenager, and to provide evidence for strategies to prevent and control the use of e cigarettes among teenager.@*Methods@#Research data was 2 683 valid questionnaires collected from the "Macao Youth Tobacco Use Survey 2021", representing 19 480 teenagers from grade 1 to 4 in junior middle schools in Macao after sample weighting. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the factors that may influencing attempts to e cigarettes use.@*Results@#The total percent of attempt using e cigarettes was 11.3%(95% C =10.2%-12.6%), and male(12.1%) was higher than female(10.5%), the difference was statistically significant ( χ 2= 11.01 , P <0.01). Older adolescents (14-16, ≥17 years old), having more pocket money per week, believing e cigarettes to be less harmful, having been taught about the hazards of e cigarettes within 12 months, definitely believing that e cigarettes maked teenager more attractive, having been exposed to second hand smoke at home within 7 days, having seen tobacco advertisements on the Internet within 30 days, smoking by either parent, smoking among best friends were positively associated with attempts to e cigarettes use ( OR=1.48, 3.01, 1.79, 1.34, 1.67, 1.27, 1.33, 1.34, 1.58, 3.53, P <0.01).@*Conclusion@#Attempts to e cigarettes use is common among Macao teenagers, and there are many complex influencing factors. It is recommended to strengthen whole society cooperation and promote the prevention and control of teenager s use of e cigarettes through more targeted comprehensive measures.

Cognition of e-cigarettes and its influencing factors among secondary school personnel in Shanghai / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveTo investigate the cognition of e-cigarette compositions and hazards and its influencing factors among secondary school personnel （junior， senior and vocational high school） in Shanghai， so as to provide ideas for improving the cognition level of e-cigarettes among the school personnel and tobacco control efforts on campus in the future. MethodsA multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method was used to conduct an anonymous online questionnaire survey among 1 767 secondary school personnel in Shanghai. ResultsThe proportion of school staff who had used e-cigarettes was 3.79%. The participants who were not sure whether the e-cigarette smoke was “mainly water vapor （incorrect）” and whether the e-cigarette smoke “contained nicotine （correct）” and “contained formaldehyde （correct）” accounted for 62.71%， 54.44% and 61.91%， respectively. Among them， 68.48%， 55.46% and 50.37%， respectively， agreed that e-cigarettes would be “addictive”， “harmful” and “that second-hand smoke was harmful”. Binary logistic regression analysis showed the following risk factors for the low level of school personnel’s awareness of e-cigarette compositions： age ≥40 years （OR=1.65， 95%CI： 1.32‒2.06）， working in junior high school （OR=1.37， 95%CI： 1.09‒1.73）， educational attainment level as junior college or below （OR=1.67， 95%CI： 1.02‒2.74）， and not having participated in tobacco control education activities （OR=1.37， 95%CI： 1.08‒1.73）. Meanwhile， working in junior （OR=1.43， 95%CI： 1.12‒1.83） or senior （OR=1.44， 95%CI： 1.08‒1.92） high school， educational attainment level as junior college or below（OR=2.10， 95%CI： 1.24‒3.56）， having used e-cigarettes （OR=2.98， 95%CI： 1.63‒5.42）， not having participated in tobacco control education activities （OR=1.49， 95%CI： 1.16‒1.92） and low level of awareness of e-cigarette compositions （OR=4.24， 95%CI： 3.44‒5.23） were risk factors for the low level of school personnel’s awareness of e-cigarette hazards. ConclusionsThe level of e-cigarette awareness among school personnel in Shanghai is low， especially those who are older， had low educational attainment level and had used e-cigarettes. In the future， tobacco control education for school personnel should be strengthened to improve their cognition and ability of tobacco control on campus.

Vaping and e-cigarettes: a new public health concern / Монголын Анагаах Ухаан

@#Electronic cigarettes are handheld electronic vaping devices which produce an aerosol by heating an e-liquid. The e-liquid typically contains humectants and flavorings, with or without nicotine; once vaporized by the atomizer, the aerosol (vapor) provides a sensation like tobacco also smoking the heating process can lead to the generation of new decomposition compounds that may be hazardous. Heavy metals, organic compounds, and particles smaller than PM2.5 were found on the puff of the electronic cigarette, also in 2012 International agency research cancer, introduced PM2.5 human carcinogen substance. Therefore, e-cigarette liquid products should be subjected to regulatory control to ensure consistent nicotine delivery. Global youth tobacco survey Mongolia 2019 asked about e-cigarette use status and 3.5% (95% CI: 2.6-4.6) of students currently used electronic cigarettes while one in ten students (10.1%, 95% CI: 8.3-12.2) had ever used electronic cigarettes. E-cigarette advertising is on television and radio in many countries that have long banned similar advertising for cigarettes and other tobacco products and may be indirectly promoting smoking conventional cigarettes. Smoke-free policies protect nonsmokers from exposure to toxins and encourage smoking cessation. Introducing e-cigarettes into clean air environments may result in population harm if use of the product reinforces the act of smoking as socially acceptable or if use undermines the benefits of smoke-free policies.

Global research trends and visual analysis of e-cigarette in public health : 2010-2020 / 环境与职业医学

Background In recent years, due to the increasing number of e-cigarette users, the health problems caused by e-cigarettes are attracting people's attention. Objective This study is designed to analyze the characteristics of e-cigarette-related research literature, research trends, and its toxicity from 2010 to 2020 through bibliometric analysis to provide a reference for studies related to the health effects of e-cigarettes. Methods The studies related to e-cigarettes in the Web of Science were retrieved, and the functions of "Creating citation report" and "Analyzing retrieval results" provided by Web of Science were used to conduct statistical analysis on publication time, literature type, publication source, country/region, research interests, research institution, etc. With the help of the knowledge function of CiteSpace V5.7, author collaboration, organization cooperation, keyword co-occurrence and keyword emergence, and reference co-citation were visualized. Results A total of 3094 studies related to health risks of e-cigarettes (public health) wereretrieved from 2010 to 2020, and the number of articles published between 2018 and 2020 accounted for 54.7% of total number. The top research institutions were from the United States (68.0%), the United Kingdom (7.6%), and Canada (6.1%). The most published author is King BA (67). The journal that published the most relevant studies was Nicotine Tobacco Research (536). The hot topics of e-cigarette research included "socioeconomic patterning," "multiple healthy behaviors," "expressive suppression emotion regulation strategies," "smoking cessation intervention studies" and "computer-delivered brief intervention". The burst intensity of keywords "cigarette smoking" was the highest, reaching 24.2. Between 2010 and 2020, the keywords "Nicotine dependence" and "Disease" emerged for the longest period of five years. "Policy" was the latest high-frequency word. The literature "Levels of selected carcinogens and toxicants in vapour from electronic cigarettes" was cited for the highest frequency, totaling 266 times. Conclusion The number of articles published has notably increased in 2018-2020, suggesting that researchers are paying attention to the health risks of e-cigarettes worldwide. The United States leads the world in the research of e-cigarette health risks. The future research direction will be focused on e-cigarette policy.

Electronic cigarette use among junior high school students of health promotion schools in Xihu District / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use and its influencing factors among junior high school students of health promotion schools in Xihu District, Hangzhou City, so as to provide insights into school-based tobacco control.@*Methods@#Grade 1 to 3 junior high school students of health promotion schools in Xihu District were recruited using a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method from September to December, 2021. The participants' demographic features, e-cigarette use and exposure to tobacco advertising were collected using the Chinese version of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, and the factors affecting the intention to use e-cigarettes were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model.@*Results@#The 1 677 respondents included 875 boys (52.18%) and 802 girls (47.82%), and grade 1 to 3 junior high school students consisted of 33.93%, 35.00% and 31.07% of all respondents, respectively. There were 1 461 students that had heard of e-cigarettes (87.12%), 101 students with intention to use e-cigarettes (6.02%), and 24 current users (1.43%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified living in rural areas (OR=2.364, 95%CI: 1.442-3.875), having close friends that were smokers (OR=5.614, 95%CI: 3.404-9.258), having seen smoking via TV, video or movie in the past 30 days (OR=2.106, 95%CI: 1.259-3.523), having received free tobacco products (OR=3.887, 95%CI: 1.172-12.894), considering e-cigarettes as nicotine-free (OR=208.442, 95%CI: 55.713-779.856), and considering smoking making comfortable at party (OR=4.534, 95%CI: 1.853-11.090) as factors affecting intention to use e-cigarettes. There were 38.04% (638/1 677) of junior high school students with exposure to advertisements for e-cigarettes and related products, and stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, grocery, e-cigarette experience stores or offline retail stores were the primary places to contact e-cigarettes and related products.@*Conclusions@#The percentage of intention to use e-cigarettes was low among junior high school students of health promotion schools in Xihu District in 2021, and their intention to use e-cigarettes was mainly affected by close friends' smoking status and personal recognition.

A cross-secitonal study on electronic cigarette use among adolescentsin Haidian District / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among adolescents in Haidian District, Beijing, so as to provide insights into tobacco control among adolescents.@*Methods@#The students in junior high school, high school and vocational high school were recruited from Haidian District using the stratified cluster random sampling method in October of 2019, and subjects' demographic features and use of e-cigarettes were collected using the Questionnaire for Survey on Tobacco Prevalence among Adolescents in China in 2019. The factors affecting e-cigarette use were identified among adolescents using the multivariable logistic regression analysis.@*Results@#A total of 658 adolescents were investigated, including 315 junior high school students ( 47.87% ), 221 high school students ( 33.59% ), and 122 vocational high school students ( 18.54% ), and there were 261 boys ( 39.66% ), and 397 girls ( 60.34% ). There were 605 students that had heard of electronic cigarettes ( 91.95% ), 63 students that had used e-cigarettes (9.57%), and 23 students with current use of e-cigarettes ( 3.50% ), and there were 39 students that had never used electronic cigarettes but had a tendency of use in the future ( 6.55% ). Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified parental smoking ( OR=2.408, 95%CI: 1.179-4.916 ), close friends' smoking ( OR=3.597, 95%CI: 1.715-7.544 ) and cigarette smoking ( OR=23.029, 95%CI: 11.092-47.812 ) as factors affecting e-cigarette use among adolescents.@*Conclusions@#The prevalence of electronic cigarette uses is 9.57% among adolescents in Haidian District, Beijing. Parental smoking, peer smoking and use of cigarettes may facilitate the use of e-cigarettes among adolescents.

Effect of acute exposure to electronic cigarette on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and pulmonary surfactant protein in mice / 预防医学

Objective@#To assess the effects of acute exposure to electronic cigarette ( e-cigarette ) on leukocyte and total protein levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid ( BALF ) and pulmonary surfactant protein expression in a mouse model, so as to provide insights into the elucidation of the mechanism underlying the damages to the respiratory system caused by e-cigarette.@*Methods@#Twenty-one C57BL/6N female mice were randomly divided into the blank control group, the solvent control group and the nicotine group. Mice in the solvent control group and the nicotine group were exposed to the solvent aerosol or e-cigarette aerosol containing 25 mg/mL nicotine for 3 hours daily, while mice in the blank control group were bred in clean air. Following 3-day exposure, mouse BALF and lung specimens were collected. The cell morphology was observed using microscopy following Wright-Giemsa staining and the leukocyte count was estimated in BALF, while the total protein expression was quantified using bicinchoninic acid ( BCA ) assay. In addition, the mRNA expression of pulmonary surfactant protein genes was detected in mouse lung specimens using quantitative real-time PCR ( qPCR ) assay.@*Results@#All mice in three groups grew well without obvious abnormality or death seen. Wright-Giemsa staining showed a higher number of mononuclear macrophages in mouse BALF in the nicotine group than in the blank control group and the solvent control group. The leukocyte counts were ( 2.00±0.77 )×107, ( 1.79±0.99 )×107 and ( 4.00±1.35 )×107 cells/L ( F=9.199, P=0.002 ), and the total protein levels were ( 0.16±0.03 ), ( 0.12±0.02 ) and ( 0.16±0.04 ) mg/mL in mouse BALF in the blank control group, solvent control group and nicotine group ( F=3.610, P=0.048 ), and the relative mRNA expression of pulmonary surfactant protein B (SP-B) and SP-D was 1.00±0.14, 0.82±0.12 and 0.74±0.07 ( F=5.491, P=0.028 ), and 1.00±0.06, 0.90±0.02 and 0.71±0.15 in mouse lung specimens, respectively ( F=10.460, P=0.005 ). The leukocyte count was significantly higher in the nicotine group than in the blank control group and solvent control group (P=0.007, 0.003), and the total protein content was higher in the nicotine group than in the solvent control group ( P=0.060 ), while the relative SP-B mRNA expression was lower in the nicotine group than in the blank control group ( P=0.025 ), and the relative SP-D mRNA expression was lower in the nicotine group than in the blank control group and solvent control group ( P=0.004, 0.041 ).@*Conclusion@#Acute exposure to e-cigarette results in elevated intrapulmonary inflammatory responses, pulmonary capillary barrier impairment and reduced pulmonary surfactant protein expression.

The correlation between electronic cigarette use and environmental exposure to electronic cigarette among residents in Guangzhou City / 预防医学

Objective@#To evaluate the correlation between electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use and environmental e-cigarette exposure among residents living in Guangzhou City, so as to provide the evidence for the development of the e-cigarette control policy.@*Methods@#Permanent university students living in Guangzhou City were recruited as investigators from July to October 2021, and the permanent adult residents in communities where the university students lived were randomly selected as participants. Subjects' demographic features, e-cigarette use, passive viewing of e-cigarette use and exposure to e-cigarette advertising were collected using both online and offline questionnaire surveys, and the association of e-cigarette use with passive viewing of e-cigarette use and exposure to e-cigarette advertising were examined using a multivariable logistic regression model.@*Results@# A total of 948 questionnaires were allocated, and 874 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 92.19%. The respondents had a mean age of ( 34.96±13.76 ) years. There were 420 men ( 48.05% ), and 426 married residents ( 48.80% ). The prevalence of e-cigarette use was 14.99%, and the rate of e-cigarette use was 23.81% in men and 6.83% in women. In addition, 27.27% of respondents at ages of 35 to 44 years used e-cigarette, 479 respondents viewed e-cigarette advertising ( 54.81% ) and 510 respondents had at least once passive viewing of e-cigarette use ( 58.35% ). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that a higher frequency of exposure to e-cigarette advertising ( OR: 3.064-5.784, 95%CI: 1.683-12.620 ) and a higher frequency of passive viewing of e-cigarette use ( OR: 2.182-2.349, 95%CI: 1.094-4.526 ) led to a higher rate of e-cigarette use.@*Conclusions@#E-cigarette use is affected by passive viewing of e-cigarette use and exposure to e-cigarette advertising among community residents in Guangzhou City. Supervision and restriction is recommended for e-cigarette advertising, marketing, and use in public places.

Current status of cigarette and electronic cigarette use among adults in Zhejiang Province / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate the prevalence of cigarette and electronic cigarette ( e-cigarette ) use among adults in Zhejiang Province, so as to provide insights into tobacco control. @*Methods @#Thirty study sites were randomly sampled from Zhejiang Province in 2020 using a multi-stage stratified random sampling method, and permanent residents at ages of 15 to 69 years were selected as study subjects. A questionnaire was designed based on the questionnaire for the China Adult Tobacco Survey to collect subjects' demographic characteristics, cigarette and e-cigarette use, smoking cessation and exposure to secondhand smoke ( SHS ). The weighted prevalence of smoking, current smoking, current e-cigarette smoking, smoking cessation and exposure to SHS was estimated based on the Seventh National Population Census in 2020.@*Results @#A total of 19 200 questionnaires were recovered, and 19 180 were valid, with an effective recovery rate of 99.90%. The respondents had a mean age of ( 50.30±12.90 ) years, with a male to female ratio of 1∶1.06 and an urban/rural population ratio of 1∶1.31. Among all the respondents, there were 6 033 smokers ( 31.45% ), 4 163 current smokers ( 21.70% ), 201 current e-cigarette users ( 1.05% ), 146 cigarette and e-cigarette dual users ( 0.76% ), 1 870 respondents quitting smoking ( 31.00% of smokers ) and 7 189 respondents with exposure to SHS ( 47.87% of non-smokers ). The weighted prevalence of smoking, current e-cigarette use, cigarette and e-cigarette dual uses, smoking cessation and exposure to SHS was 20.49%, 1.34%, 0.94%, 29.56% and 49.53% in Zhejiang Province, respectively, and the prevalence of current smoking, current e-cigarette use, cigarette and e-cigarette dual uses and exposure to SHS was 40.39%, 2.39%, 1.86% and 55.31% among males and 0.35%, 0.28%, <0.01% and 46.02% among females, respectively. The highest prevalence of current smoking was seen among respondents at ages of 55 to 64 years ( 24.24% ), while the highest prevalence of current e-cigarette use and cigarette and e-cigarette dual uses was seen in adults at ages of 25 to 34 years ( 2.18% and 1.58% ).@*Conclusions @#The prevalence of current e-cigarette use was higher among adults in Zhejiang Province in 2020 than the nationwide level in China. The prevalence of cigarette use was lower among adults in Zhejiang Province in 2020 than the nationwide level in China; however, improving the management of tobacco control in public places and the capacity building of smoking cessation services is still required to reduce the use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes.

Electronic cigarette use among adolescents in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate the status of electronic cigarette use among adolescents in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and to provide evidence for tobacco control in adolescents. @*Methods@# Based on the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Epidemic Monitoring Program, multistage proportional sampling method was used to select middle school students from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. A questionnaire revised by Chinese CDC was used to collect the general information, the cognition and use of electronic cigarettes, and the access to advertising of electronic cigarettes and related products.@*Results@#Totally 9 019 questionnaires were distributed, 8 401 valid ones were recovered, and the response rate was 93.2%. The rates of electronic cigarette use and attempt among students were 4.3% and 13.4%. The rates of electronic cigarette use and attempt in male students were 7.7% and 22.9%, which were higher than that in female students (0.8% and 3.8%, P<0.05) . The rates of electronic cigarette use and attempt varied in different schools ( P<0.05 ), which were higher in vocational high school students ( 11.5% and 26.8% ). Among 246 students who used electronic cigarettes, 30.1% did not thought electronic cigarettes contained nicotine, while 60.2% did not know whether electronic cigarettes contain nicotine. In the past 30 days, 27.0% of the students had seen the advertisements of electronic cigarettes and related products, mainly through TV, store, supermarket, convenience store, grocery store, electronic cigarette experience store or retail store.@*Conclusions@#The rates of electronic cigarette use and attempt among adolescents in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region are 4.3% and 13.4%. Boys and vocational high school students have higher rates. Students generally know electronic cigarette and have more access to it.

El cigarrillo electrónico: un problema de salud pública emergente / The electronic cigarette: an emerging public health problem

RESUMEN Desde el 2004 se dispone del cigarrillo electrónico (CE), dispositivo que calienta nicotina y la administra formando parte de un vapor. Presentamos una revisión narrativa del CE y su efecto en la salud. Su uso es para dejar de fumar, en lo que la evidencia es baja, terminando usándolo a la vez que el cigarrillo que no pudieron dejar. Además, los que nunca fumaron, principalmente adolescentes y jóvenes, se inician en su consumo. Su uso eleva en el aire los niveles de nicotina, partículas, compuestos orgánicos volátiles, hidrocarburos aromáticos policíclicos, carbonilos y metales como aluminio. In vitro el CE causa infla mación, estrés oxidativo y es tóxico para múltiples tipos de células, incluyendo células pulmonares, en doteliales y células madre. Produce incremento de la susceptibilidad a infecciones virales y bacterianas. Comparado con cigarrillos, el CE produce un número mayor y más intenso de genes suprimidos. A la broncoscopia las vías aéreas están friables y eritematosas, y el epitelio bronquial con expresión diferen ciada de proteínas. Se le ha asociado con tos, síntomas de bronquitis y con la epidemia de insuficiencia respiratoria por neumonitis que ha llevado a varias decenas de personas a la muerte. Por sus efectos dañinos el CE debería solo usarse por prescripción médica, como una medida para ayudar a dejar el tabaco, y estar prohibido su uso en interiores y ambientes públicos. Como no se han determinado los componentes del CE responsables de las muertes asociadas, su uso debería ser proscrito hasta que se conozcan cuáles son estos factores.

ABSTRACT Since 2004, the electronic cigarette (EC) is available, a device that heats nicotine and administers it as part of a vapor. We present a narrative review of the EC and its effect on health. Its use is to stop smoking, in which the evidence is low, and ends up being used at the same time as the cigarette they could not quit. In addition, those who never smoked, mainly teenagers and young people, begin consumption. Its use rais es the levels of nicotine, particles, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, carbo nyls and metals such as aluminum. In vitro, the EC causes inflammation, oxidative stress and is toxic to multiple cell types, including lung, endothelial and stem cells. Produces increased susceptibility to viral and bacterial infections. Compared to cigarettes, the EC produces a larger and more intense number of deleted genes. At bronchoscopy the airways are friable and erythematous, and the bronchial epithelium with a differentiated protein expression. It has been associated with cough, bronchitis symptoms and the respiratory failure by pneumonitis epidemic that has led several dozen people to death. Because of its harmful effects, the EC should only be used by medical prescription, as a measure to help quit tobacco, and its use in indoor and public environments be prohibited. As the EC components responsible for the associated deaths have not been determined, their use should be banned until these factors are known.

Cigarrillo electrónico y otros sistemas electrónicos de liberación de nicotina: revisión de evidencias sobre un tema controversial / Electronic cigarette and other electronic nicotine delivery systems: a review of evidence on a controversial topic / Cigarro eletrônico e outros sistemas eletrônicos de liberação de nicotina: revisão de evidências sobre um tema controverso

Resumen: Introducción: los cigarrillos electrónicos (CE) son sistemas que liberan aerosol conteniendo nicotina y otras sustancias. Desde su aparición han generado una gran controversia en la comunidad científica dedicada al control de tabaco, existiendo evidencias que los posicionan como una alternativa de tratamiento para la cesación tabáquica y otros estudios que muestran sus daños a la salud, así como convertirlos en la puerta de entrada a los jóvenes a la adicción a nicotina. Objetivo: recopilar evidencia disponible sobre CE con referencia a componentes, riesgos para la salud, cesación de tabaquismo, impacto poblacional y aspectos normativos y regulatorios. Método: revisión narrativa. Se realizó búsqueda bibliográfica en bases PubMed, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Redalyc, SciELO, LiLACS, Dialnet, ScienceDirect, así como en documentos de la Organización Mundial de la Salud, sociedades científicas, sitios web dedicados a consumidores y legislación nacional e internacional. Resultados: se revisaron 130 documentos, de los cuales se toman los 63 más relevantes. Existen evidencias científicas sobre contenidos tóxicos y carcinógenos en líquidos y aerosoles de los CE, así como de daño a la salud cardiovascular y respiratoria. Se presentan estudios controversiales sobre su eficacia para dejar de fumar. Se presenta evidencia acerca de cómo los CE impactan negativamente en la iniciación de jóvenes al consumo y en la recaída de exfumadores. Se analiza la normativa nacional e internacional para regular los CE. Conclusiones: los profesionales de la salud no deben aconsejar el uso de CE, dado que no son seguros y exponen a los consumidores y a la población en general de los efectos deletéreos directos e indirectos de los CE.

Summary: Introduction: e-cigarettes are systems that produce and release aerosol that contains nicotine and other substances. They have been controversial in the scientific community that works on tobacco control ever since they were created. There is evidence suggesting they are an alternative therapy for tobacco cessation and other studies prove they are harmful to health, and they end up being the door that welcomes young people to the world of nicotine addiction. Objective: to collect evidence on e-cigarette in connection with: components, risks to the health, tobacco cessation, impact on the population and normative and regulatory aspects. Method: Review of the literature. Bibliographic search on PubMed, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Redalyc, Scielo, LiLACS, Dialnet, ScienceDirect, as well as in other documents of the World Health Organization, scientific societies, websites dedicated to consumers and the national and international laws. Results: 130 documents were reviewed, and the 63 most relevant ones served as the grounds for the study. There is scientific evidence on the toxic and carcinogenic content of liquids and aerosols of e-cigarettes, as well as on their negative effect on cardiovascular and respiratory health. We present controversial studies on its effectiveness to give up smoking, evidence on how e-cigarettes have a negative influence on the initiation of consumption by the young and on ex-smokers relapse. The study also analyses the national and international norms regulating e-cigarettes. Conclusions: health professionals must not recommend the use of e-cigarettes, since they are not safe and expose consumers and the general population to its direct and indirect harmful effects.

Resumo: Introdução: os cigarros eletrônicos (CE) são sistemas que liberam aerossol contendo nicotina e outras substâncias. Desde seu surgimento geraram uma grande controvérsia na comunidade científica dedicada ao controle do tabaco, existindo evidências que os colocam como uma alternativa de tratamento para a cessação do tabagismo e outros estudos que mostram seus danos à saúde, e como se transformam na porta de entrada dos jovens a adição a nicotina. Objetivo: recuperar a evidência disponível sobre CE com referência a: componentes, riscos para a saúde, cessação de tabagismo, impacto populacional e aspectos normativos e regulamentares. Método: revisão narrativa. Fez-se uma pesquisa bibliográfica nas bases PubMed, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Redalyc, Scielo, LiLACS, Dialnet, ScienceDirect, e também em publicações da Organização Mundial da Saúde, sociedades científicas, sites web dedicados a consumidores e legislação nacional e internacional. Resultados: foram selecionados os 63 documentos mais relevantes dos 130 recuperados. Existem evidências científicas sobre conteúdos tóxicos e carcinogênicos em líquidos e aerossóis dos CE e também dos danos à saúde cardiovascular e respiratória. Apresentam-se estudos controversos sobre sua eficácia para apoiar o abandono do hábito de fumar e evidência de como os CE têm um impacto negativo na iniciação de jovens ao consumo e na recaída de ex- fumantes. Faz-se uma análise das normas nacionais e internacionais para regular os CE. Conclusões: os profissionais de saúde não devem aconselhar o uso de CE por não ser seguros e por que expõem os consumidores e a população em geral aos efeitos deletérios diretos e indiretos de seu uso.

Cigarette Smoking in Men and Women and Electronic Cigarette Smoking in Men are Associated with Higher Risk of Elevated Cadmium Level in the Blood

Knowledge and Perception of Risks and Use of E-Cigarettes (Vaping) Among Adults in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia

Introduction: In the last decade, electronic cigarettes have emerged and spread over the world. Different generations varying in designs and features were developed. Objectives: The main objective of this study is to examine the level of awareness, knowledge, and perception about e-cigarettes and their use among the adults in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia aged 18 and above. We also examined the reasons e-cigarettes are used and whether adults who use e-cigarette were at risk of smoking conventional tobacco or e-cigarettes helped them quit smoking or not. Procedure/ method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted and data was obtained through an online questionnaire. Targeted people were aged 18 and above and lived in the eastern province. Data collected included demographics such as age, sex, income, etc. The questions tested their knowledge and awareness on electronic cigarettes regarding safety, usage, and whether it led to conventional cigarette use, or quitting of the same. Results: The total number of participants was 1080. The prevalence of vaping among participants was 33.6%. The most common age group of participants who did vaping was 18-24 years. 53.8% of participants believed that electronic cigarettes were not safer than nicotine products. 34.3% thought that electronic cigarettes were safer than regular cigarettes and tobacco products, whereas 46.6% of them thought that they are not safer. 46% believed that electronic cigarettes contained dangerous chemicals while 18.4% thought the opposite. 11.6% reported that they had been pushed into using traditional tobacco. 26.8% reported that they quit tobacco products after switching to electronic cigarettes, whilst 16.8% reported that they reduced the usage of tobacco products after the switch. Yet, 17.9% kept using traditional tobacco products in the same quantities after switching to electronic cigarettes. Conclusion: Vaping is increasingly used among adults and a significant amount of people are unaware of its risks. Even though it may help some people quit traditional smoking, its risks have been established and hence, awareness should be raised.

Investigación del grado de interés sobre el término "cigarrillo electrónico" en la Web / Investigation about the degree of interest of the term "electronic cigarette" on the Web

El cigarrillo electrónico introduce un fuerte debate en el mercado con respecto a su intencionalidad de uso. El objetivo del presente trabajo es describir el grado de interés del término "cigarrillo electrónico" y la intencionalidad de su búsqueda en la Web en la Argentina. La herramienta que utilizamos fue el software libre de Google Trends. Las búsquedas en internet por parte de los usuarios estarían relacionadas con el consumo y no con la cesación. La vigilancia de consultas en la Web puede ser una herramienta innovadora en el control del tabaco, especialmente respecto de los dispositivos electrónicos administradores de nicotina.

The electronic cigarette introduces a strong debate in the market regarding its intentionality of use. The objective of the present work is to describe the degree of interest of the term "electronic cigarette" and the intentionality of its search in the Web in Argentina. The tool that we used was the free software of Google Trends. Internet searches by users would be related to the consumption and not with the cessation. The monitoring of web queries can be an innovative tool in tobacco control, especially in respect to the nicotine delivery system.

Grado de conocimiento y uso del cigarrillo electrónico en pacientes fumadores / Degree of knowledge and use of the electronic cigarette in smokers

El cigarrillo electrónico (CE) es un dispositivo electrónico de entrega de nicotina, cuyo uso ­a pesar de la prohibición oficial por parte de ANMAT­ ha ido en aumento. Para saber el grado de conocimiento y de uso del cigarrillo electrónico ­por parte de la población fumadora ­ realizamos una encuesta a los pacientes que asistieron a los Consultorios de Cesación Tabáquica del Hospital General de Agudos "José M. Ramos Mejía" y del Hospital de Oncología "Marie Curie". La casi totalidad de los encuestados conocía su existencia. Menos de la mitad lo ha utilizado como método para dejar de fumar, pero solo un reducido porcentaje lo ha logrado.

The electronic cigarette is an electronic nicotine delivery device, whose use ­despite the prohibition­ by ANMAT has been increasing. In order to know the degree of knowledge and the use of electronic cigarettes by the smoking population, we conducted an inquest of patients who attended the Smoking Cessation Clinics of the General Acute Hospital "José M. Ramos Mejía" and the Oncology Hospital "Marie Curie". Almost all of the respondents knew of its existence. Less than half have used it as a method to stop smoking, but only a small percentage has achieved it.

Health Risk Assessment of Electronic Cigarette Use among Adults in Klang Valley, Malaysia

Abstract@#Introduction: The electronic cigarette (EC) usage has raised public health concerns; whether its advantages to smokers as a potential smoking cessation aid have outweighed its negative health impacts among EC users. This study aims to estimate health risks associated with chemical exposures to nicotine, propylene glycol (PG) and selected Tobacco-Specific Nitrosamines (TSNAs) namely 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and N’-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) in e-liquids locally-manufactured in Malaysia. Methods: The health risk assessment (HRA) was performed using established guideline by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The average daily dose (ADD) and lifetime average daily dose (LADD) were calculated using previously published data on chemical concentration of selected compounds and local EC usage topography data. Next, the non-carcinogenic risk (nicotine and PG) and carcinogenic risk (NNK and NNN) were calculated and denoted as total hazard quotient (HQT) and total lifetime cancer risk (LCRT) value, respectively. Results: For non-carcinogenic risk, the mean of HQT was 78.9 which falls under “unacceptable” risk as demonstrated by HQT value of more than 1. While for carcinogenic risk, the mean of total LCRT value was 1.54E-04 which may place EC users at risk of developing cancer resulted from exposure to selected TSNAs. Conclusion: Comprehensive HRA using currently available data of local EC usage topography and chemical evaluation of Malaysian-made e-liquids have revealed that the exposure to nicotine, PG and selected TSNAs are expected to be a significant health concern for local EC users. This finding supports the local health authority to issue a stringent health policy in considering EC as a tool for smoking cessation among heavy smokers.