Attempt to quit smoking by electronic cigarette use among smoking adolescents in Korea

Abstract

Background: Adolescent smoking has remained a major challenge. With strengthening of tobacco control policy, smoking rates have consistently declined over the past decade. In contrast, the use of electronic cigarette increased because companies promoted the e-cigarette as smoking cessation aid. There is a controversy whether e-cigarettes have an effect on quitting smoking. This study examines whether e-cigarette is effective as a smoking cessation aid. Method(s): This study used Korea Youth Risk Behavior Webbased Surveys(KYRBS) in 2015 ~ 2016. For analysis, types of smokers were categorized into 2 groups; cigarette only user and dual user. Experience of attempting to quit smoking was used as the response variable. To examine the association between attempt to quit smoking and e-cigarette use among cigarette smoker, frequency analysis, Chi-square test and logistic regression were used. Result(s): The lower school performance, the higher the weekly allowance, the more alcohol they drink and stress perceived, the more smoking friends, the higher was the frequency of attempt to quit smoking among dual users. As the smoking amount increases, the proportion of attempt to smoking cessation increased among dual users. The association of smoking cessation among dual user versus cigarette only user by frequency was 2.30 (95% CI = 1.76-3.00) at 20-29 days. When smoking 6-9 amount a day, the association of attempt to smoking cessation was the highest(OR=2.04 95% CI = 1.90-2.64). Conclusion(s): As cigarette use increased, attempt to smoking cessation was also higher. Cigarette smoking days were higher in dual users even though they tried to quit smoking. It means e-cigarette actually works in synergy with the use of smoking conventional cigarettes and has little effect on smoking cessation. To prevent the spread of misguided cessation culture in social experience such as part-time work and smoking friends, proper education on smoking cessation is necessary.