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UK Study: Risk Perceptions of Vaping Are Directly Related to E-Cig Use

A recent UK study exploring the relationship between a decrease in the belief that e-cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes and the prevalence of e-cigarette use, found that e-cig used decreased accordingly.

Diane Caruana

July 15, 2020

The study titled, “Association between changes in harm perceptions and e-cigarette use among current tobacco smokers in England: a time series analysis,” reviewed data collected from 16,567 current smokers aged 16 and above. A time series analysis was used to explore the relationship between opinions about the relative safety of e-cigarettes and the prevalence of vaping. Results were stratified by age, sex and social grade and also adjusted for cigarette smoking prevalence, past year quit attempts and changes in anti-tobacco advertising spending.

The researchers identified a 1% decrease in the prevalence of smokers who believed that e-cigarettes are safer than regular cigarettes, and this was associated with a 0.48% decrease in e-cig use.

After compiling the required data, the researchers identified a 1% decrease in the prevalence of smokers who believed that e-cigarettes are less harmful than regular cigarettes, and this was associated with a 0.48% decrease in e-cigarette use among smokers. Interestingly, there was no significant association between this belief and the use of e-cigarettes in 16 to 24 year olds, and in women.

“For every 1% decrease in the mean prevalence of current tobacco smokers who endorsed the belief that e-cigarettes are less harmful than combustible cigarettes, the mean prevalence of e-cigarette use decreased by 0.48% (βadj = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.25–0.71, p < .001). Marginal age and sex differences were observed, whereby significant associations were observed in older (but not in young) adults and in men (but not in women). No differences by social grade were detected,” reads the study Abstract.

The number of misinformed US adults keeps growing

Meanwhile, a recent US study unsurprisingly indicated that the number of misinformed US adults who believe that vaping is more dangerous than smoking, is actually is growing. Titled, “Changing Perceptions of Harm of e-Cigarette vs Cigarette Use Among Adults in 2 US National Surveys From 2012 to 2017”, the study analyzed how perceptions about e-cigarettes have changed over the years. The researchers looked at data from 2 nationally representative multiyear cross-sectional surveys of US adults.

Sadly, the findings indicated that the proportion who perceived e-cigarettes to be as harmful as or more harmful than cigarettes increased substantially from 2012 to 2017. “The proportion of adults who perceived e-cigarettes as less harmful than cigarettes decreased from 39.4% in 2012 to 33.9% in 2017 in TPRPS and decreased from 50.7% in 2012 to 34.5% in 2017 in HINTS,” read the study Abstract.

“During the same period, the proportion of adults who perceived e-cigarettes to be as harmful as cigarettes increased from 11.5% in 2012 to 36.4% in 2017 (TPRPS) and from 46.4% in 2012 to 55.6% in 2017 (HINTS). Those who perceived e-cigarettes to be more harmful than cigarettes increased from 1.3% in 2012 to 4.3% in 2017 (TPRPS) and from 2.8% in 2012 to 9.9% in 2017 (HINTS).”