Three in five Australian young adults who currently use e-cigarettes are likely to initiate tobacco cigarette smoking in the next six months, new research led by Curtin University has found.<\/p>\n
The research, published in the International Journal of Drug Policy<\/em> and funded by Healthway, examined whether people who have never smoked and currently use or have previously used e-cigarettes are more susceptible to smoking tobacco cigarettes.<\/p>\n Lead author Dr Michelle Jongenelis, from the School of Psychology at Curtin University, said recent calls to relax current Australian regulations related to e-cigarettes could result in an increase in the use of conventional cigarettes, especially among young adults.<\/p>\n \u201cTobacco smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable illness and premature death globally, and the introduction of smoking via the use of electronic cigarettes is a considerable threat to tobacco control. Although e-cigarettes are less harmful than conventional cigarettes, they still contain a number of harmful substances that should be avoided,\u201d Dr Jongenelis said.<\/p>\n \u201cTo assist in guiding the development of policy in Australia, our study examined whether e-cigarettes serve as a gateway product to conventional smoking and contribute to the development of a new population of cigarette smokers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe found that young Australian adults who had never smoked, but were either currently or had previously used e-cigarettes, were significantly more curious about trying a tobacco cigarette, more willing to smoke, and reported a greater intention of smoking in the next six months compared to those who had never used an e-cigarette.\u201d<\/p>\n The research also found that one in five people who had tried an e-cigarette, even just one or two puffs, and three in five current users reported that they would probably or definitely smoke a tobacco cigarette in the future.<\/p>\n Dr Jongenelis explained that e-cigarette advocates have suggested that deregulating the devices could facilitate higher rates of smoking cessation, but there is insufficient evidence to prove this.<\/p>\n \u201cOur findings suggest that until there is more evidence available, protecting adolescents and young adults from the harms associated with e-cigarette use should be a public health priority,\u201d Dr Jongenelis said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis study shows there is a need to carefully ensure that e-cigarettes do not undermine decades of effective tobacco control efforts that have produced a substantial decrease in smoking prevalence rates globally.\u201d<\/p>\n The research was co-authored by researchers from the School of Psychology at Curtin University, Cancer Council WA, and The University of Western Australia.<\/p>\n