How Widespread is the Use of E-Cigarettes Among Adults in the United States Who Have Never Smoked? A Tale of Three Studies
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21645406 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Neil Mckeganey (Centre for Substance Use Research, corresponding author), Andrea Patton (Centre for Substance Use Research), Dylan Grier (Centre for Substance Use Research), Khushneet Sandhu (Centre for Substance Use Research), G A Barnard (British Columbia Centre on Substance Use), Gabe Barnard (Centre for Substance Use Research) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 61 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 345-356 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-23 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Substance Use & Misuse (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1082-6084 • E-ISSN: 1532-2491 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10826084.2025.2560668 |
| PMID | 40996699 |
| OpenAlex | W4414508236 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 25 |
Background Whilst e-cigarettes are a less harmful means of consuming nicotine than combustible cigarettes, concerns have been expressed about their use by adults who have never smoked (ANS). It is important to quantify the prevalence of e-cigarette use and to understand patterns of use among ANS to effectively guide public health policy and regulatory decisions.Methods The prevalence and patterns of e-cigarette use among ANS were estimated drawing upon data from three national studies in the United States; Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (n = 29,780); the Tobacco Product Prevalence Study (n = 6,428); and the National Health Interview Survey (n = 27,651).Results An estimated 5.0 million (5.5%) to 18.6 million (11.1%) ANS have tried e-cigarettes and most of this use is experimental. An estimated 1.5 million (1.6%) to 4.8 million (2.9%) ANS currently use e-cigarettes, and current use is primarily infrequent. However, an estimated 0.5 million (0.5%) to 2.2 million (1.3%) ANS use e-cigarettes frequently. Prevalence of e-cigarette use is highest among younger (18–24 years) ANS.Conclusions E-cigarettes are intended to be used by adults who are currently smoking combustible cigarettes as a means of quitting combustible cigarette use or substantially reducing the number of cigarettes smoked.Therefore ANS are an unintended user population. The public health impact associated with e-cigarette use by ANS depends on whether these adults are using e-cigarettes to displace combustible cigarette use (harm avoidance) or whether they would otherwise not have initiated nicotine use if e-cigarettes were not available (harm exposure)
Cigarette smoking · Nicotine · Occupational safety and health · Poison control · Public health · Suicide prevention · Tobacco use · Unintended consequences · Carcinogens and Genotoxicity Assessment · Smoking Behavior and Cessation · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
A Randomized Trial of E-Cigarettes versus Nicotine-Replacement Therapy
The Science of Web Surveys
Factors Associated with E-Cigarette Use in U.S. Young Adult Never Smokers of Conventional Cigarettes
Socioeconomic patterning of vaping by smoking status among UK adults and youth
Long-term e-cigarette use and smoking cessation
Design and methods of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (Path) Study
Visual Context Effects in Web Surveys
| Highly cited | No |
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