Adults often view vaping or e-cigarettes as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes or cigars. Many turn to e-cigarettes as a means of reducing their tobacco consumption or quitting smoking altogether. However, it’s important to note that e-cigarettes are not a healthy alternative for anyone, as they still pose significant health risks and concerns. Some adults use e-cigarettes in an attempt to quit smoking. Despite this, no e-cigarette has been approved by the FDA for smoking cessation. While e-cigarettes might offer potential benefits for adult smokers who are not pregnant—if used as a complete substitute for all smoked tobacco products—they are not without their dangers.
Moreover, most adults who use e-cigarettes express a desire to quit. According to a study conducted from 2016 to 2018, 60.1% of adults who currently used e-cigarettes reported plans to stop using them in the future. This indicates a widespread recognition among users that e-cigarettes are not the safe alternative they might have initially believed.
Factors Associated With Adult Tobacco Product Use
Some factors associated with adults tobacco product use include:
- The tobacco industry uses tailored marketing and advertising to target some groups and communities.
- Tobacco companies use flavors to entice specific groups of people to try tobacco products.
- The pressures of discrimination, poverty, and other social conditions can increase commercial tobacco use and make health problems worse
- Some groups of people encounter barriers to health care and treatment for tobacco use and dependence
The prevalence of e-cigarette usage varies among adult groups, with some using them at higher rates. For example:
- More men than women report current e-cigarette use.
- A higher percentage of 18–24 year-olds use e-cigarettes than adults in other age groups. As age increases, use of e-cigarettes decreases.
- E-cigarette use is higher among adults who have less education or lower incomes, or who do not have health insurance.
- E-cigarette use is higher among adults who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual than adults who identify as heterosexual.
- E-cigarette use is higher among adults who report serious psychological distress than those who do not.
While some adults turn to e-cigarettes as an alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes or cigars, it is crucial to recognize that these devices are not a healthy substitute. The perception of e-cigarettes as a safer option is misleading, as they still pose significant health risks and have not been approved by the FDA for smoking cessation. Additionally, while e-cigarettes may seem like a temporary solution for reducing tobacco consumption, most users eventually express a desire to quit due to the associated health concerns. Instead of relying on e-cigarettes, individuals looking to quit smoking should consider FDA-approved cessation methods and seek professional support to ensure a healthier and more effective path to quitting tobacco use altogether.
*By increasing the reach and accessibility of smoking cessation messages, the Tips® campaign addresses health disparities and aims to promote health equity.*
Reference: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/e-cigarettes/adults.html
