Awareness of changes in e-cigarette regulations and behaviour before and after implementation: A longitudinal survey of smokers, ex-smokers and vapers in the United Kingdom
Menée au Royaume-Uni par enquête en ligne auprès de fumeurs, d'anciens fumeurs ou d'utilisateurs de la cigarette électronique, cette étude analyse les effets des réglementations mises en place entre 2016 et 2017 pour la cigarette électronique sur leurs comportements tabagiques
Introduction : In line with the European Union’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), new regulations for e-cigarettes implemented in the UK between May 2016 and May 2017 included limiting refills to 10ml, tanks/cartridges to 2ml and nicotine concentrations to 20mg/ml.
Aims: To investigate: 1) awareness of new regulations; 2) product use before and after implementation; 3) association between use of compliant products and subsequent smoking.
Methods : UK online longitudinal survey of smokers, ex-smokers and vapers, May/June 2016 (wave 4) and September 2017 (wave 5).
Proportion aware by smoking and vaping status, n=1,606
Comparison of refill volume, tanks/cartridges volume, nicotine concentration at wave 4 and 5 (n: 199 to 388)
Association between number of TPD-compliant products used at wave 4 and smoking at wave 5, adjusted for wave 4 vaping status, age, gender, income, urges to smoke, device type (n=480)
Results : Awareness of regulations was highest for refill volume (10.1%; 37.4% among exclusive vapers) and nicotine concentration (9.5%; 27.3%). Higher proportions used TPD-compliant refill volumes (60.0% to 73.7%,
χ2(1)=10.9, p=0.001) and nicotine concentrations (89.2% to 93.9%, χ2(1)=7.41, p=0.007) in wave 5 than wave 4, with little change for cartridge/tank volume (77.1% to 75.5%, χ2(1)=0.38, p=0.540). The likelihood of smoking was similar for those using no or one TPD-compliant products as it was for those using two (OR=1.10; 95% CI: 0.47-2.59) or three (OR 1.56, 95% CI: 0.69-3.55).
Conclusion
: Se
veral months after full implementation, awareness of new regulations was low and most vapers used TPD-compliant products. Use of compliant products was not associated with subsequent smoking.
Implications
:
Using a longitudinal survey at the beginning and a few months after the end of the transition period for implementation of new regulation on e-cigarettes, this is the first study to assess awareness of regulation and use of compliant products. After full implementation, awareness of changes was low overall (smokers, ex-smokers and vapers combined) although higher among those who vaped. Nevertheless, most vapers (74% - 94%) used products that were compliant with the new regulations and the use of products compliant with incoming regulations did not predict whether they were smoking cigarettes after implementation.
Nicotine & Tobacco Research , résumé, 2018