Patterns, trends and determinants of e-cigarette use in 28 European Union Member States 2014–2017

Abstract

There is a lack of nationally representative data on regular e-cigarette use, as well as on the transition from experimentation to regular use. This study examines changes in these in Europe between 2014 and 2017. Data come from the 2014 (n = 27,801) and 2017 (n = 27,901) adult Special Eurobarometer for Tobacco Survey, providing nationally representative surveys of 28 EU member states. We defined regular use of e-cigarettes as daily or weekly use from a question on frequency of e-cigarette use. Among ever users of e-cigarettes we assessed socio-demographic correlates of becoming a regular user. 1.5% of the EU population were regular e-cigarette users in 2014, which had risen to 1.8% in 2017. In 2017 63 million Europeans aged 15 or older had ever used e-cigarettes (95% CI, 59.9 million-66.2 million), and 7.6 million (95% CI, 6.5million-8.9 million) were regular e-cigarette users. Among those who had ever used e-cigarettes, participants aged 15-24 years were less likely to be regular user than those aged ≥55 years (16.9% vs. 38.1%), as were never smokers compared with current and former smokers (12.8% vs. 27.0% vs. 41.3%). The proportion of adults who were regular e-cigarette users in 2017 ranged from 4.7% in the UK to 0.2% in Bulgaria. There have been slight rises in the proportion of people regularly using e-cigarettes in the EU, and this varies considerably between member states, indicating the role of the regional environment in supporting or deterring e-cigarette use.

Use of Electronic Cigarettes in European Populations: A Narrative Review

“…Overall, 22 studies were included in the review (Table 1). Of these, 4 of them included data from multiple countries [22][23][24][25], and 18 studies presented data from single countries [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43]. All included studies were either cross-sectional studies, or cross-sectional baseline findings of longitudinal studies.…”

In times of tobacco‐free nicotine consumption: The influence of nicotine on vascular calcification

“…14 Nevertheless, especially among younger adults flavoring and curiosity or experimentation seem to be reasons for E-Cig use, 11,15 even though they are less likely to become regular users than those aged over 55 years. 10 However, current prevalence of E-Cig use in the European Union is about 1.8%. 10 Taking into account the use as a cessation tool, the health safety of E-Cig is a topic of great interest.…”

“…10 However, current prevalence of E-Cig use in the European Union is about 1.8%. 10 Taking into account the use as a cessation tool, the health safety of E-Cig is a topic of great interest. Potential adverse effects of E-Cig on human health have been reviewed elsewhere, 16,17 here only the cardiovascular effects are summarized.…”

The Vaping Crises in the United States: A Regulatory Failure?

“…In the EU, adults over fifty are more likely to use e-cigarettes than teenagers, and although the overall consumption of e-cigarettes is rising (including for the category of adolescents), the surge is not as stark as in the US. 28 Restrictions on advertising have particularly affected the marketing potential of JUUL in the EU. JUUL is a pod-based e-cigarette which entered the US market in 2015, featuring a fashionable design, multiple sweet and attractive flavours, as well as sophisticated social media marketing campaigns.…”