scholarly journals Electronic Cigarette–Related Contents on Instagram: Observational Study and Exploratory Analysis

10.2196/21963 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. e21963
Author(s):  
Yankun Gao ◽  
Zidian Xie ◽  
Li Sun ◽  
Chenliang Xu ◽  
Dongmei Li
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Electronic Cigarettes ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Message Delivery ◽  
Delivery Methods ◽  
The Public ◽  
Popular Image ◽  
Image Type

Background Instagram is a popular social networking platform for users to upload pictures sharing their experiences. Instagram has been widely used by vaping companies and stores to promote electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), as well as by public health entities to communicate the risks of e-cigarette use (vaping) to the public. Objective We aimed to characterize current vaping-related content on Instagram through descriptive analyses. Methods From Instagram, 42,951 posts were collected using vaping-related hashtags in November 2019. The posts were grouped as (1) pro-vaping, (2) vaping warning, (3) neutral to vaping, and (4) not related to vaping based on the attitudes to vaping expressed within the posts. From these Instagram posts and the corresponding 18,786 unique Instagram user accounts, 200 pro-vaping and 200 vaping-warning posts as well as 200 pro-vaping and 200 vaping-warning user accounts were randomly selected for hand coding. Furthermore, follower counts and media counts of the Instagram user accounts as well as the “like” counts and hashtags of the posts were compared between pro-vaping and vaping-warning groups. Results There were more posts in the pro-vaping group (41,412 posts) than there were in the vaping-warning group (1539 posts). The majority of pro-vaping images were product display images (163/200, 81.5%), and the most popular image type in vaping-warning posts was educational (95/200, 47.5%). The highest proportion of pro-vaping user account type was vaping store (110/189, 58.1%), and the store account type had the highest mean number of posts (10.33 posts/account). The top 3 vaping-warning user account types were personal (79/155, 51%), vaping-warning community (37/155, 23.9%), and community (35/155, 22.6%), of which the vaping-warning community had the highest mean number of posts (3.68 posts/account). Pro-vaping user accounts had more followers (median 850) and media (median 232) than vaping-warning user accounts had (follower count: median 191; media count: 92). Pro-vaping posts had more “likes” (median 22) and hashtags (mean 20.39) than vaping-warning posts had (“like” count: median 12; hashtags: mean 7.16). Conclusions Instagram is dominated by pro-vaping content, and pro-vaping posts and user accounts seem to have more user engagement than vaping-warning accounts have. These results highlight the importance of regulating e-cigarette posts on social media and the urgency of identifying effective communication content and message delivery methods with the public about the health effects of e-cigarettes to ameliorate the epidemic of vaping in youth.

scholarly journals Electronic Cigarette–Related Contents on Instagram: Observational Study and Exploratory Analysis (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yankun Gao ◽  
Zidian Xie ◽  
Li Sun ◽  
Chenliang Xu ◽  
Dongmei Li
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Electronic Cigarettes ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Message Delivery ◽  
Delivery Methods ◽  
The Public ◽  
Popular Image ◽  
Image Type

BACKGROUND Instagram is a popular social networking platform for users to upload pictures sharing their experiences. Instagram has been widely used by vaping companies and stores to promote electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), as well as by public health entities to communicate the risks of e-cigarette use (vaping) to the public. OBJECTIVE We aimed to characterize current vaping-related content on Instagram through descriptive analyses. METHODS From Instagram, 42,951 posts were collected using vaping-related hashtags in November 2019. The posts were grouped as (1) pro-vaping, (2) vaping warning, (3) neutral to vaping, and (4) not related to vaping based on the attitudes to vaping expressed within the posts. From these Instagram posts and the corresponding 18,786 unique Instagram user accounts, 200 pro-vaping and 200 vaping-warning posts as well as 200 pro-vaping and 200 vaping-warning user accounts were randomly selected for hand coding. Furthermore, follower counts and media counts of the Instagram user accounts as well as the “like” counts and hashtags of the posts were compared between pro-vaping and vaping-warning groups. RESULTS There were more posts in the pro-vaping group (41,412 posts) than there were in the vaping-warning group (1539 posts). The majority of pro-vaping images were product display images (163/200, 81.5%), and the most popular image type in vaping-warning posts was educational (95/200, 47.5%). The highest proportion of pro-vaping user account type was vaping store (110/189, 58.1%), and the store account type had the highest mean number of posts (10.33 posts/account). The top 3 vaping-warning user account types were personal (79/155, 51%), vaping-warning community (37/155, 23.9%), and community (35/155, 22.6%), of which the vaping-warning community had the highest mean number of posts (3.68 posts/account). Pro-vaping user accounts had more followers (median 850) and media (median 232) than vaping-warning user accounts had (follower count: median 191; media count: 92). Pro-vaping posts had more “likes” (median 22) and hashtags (mean 20.39) than vaping-warning posts had (“like” count: median 12; hashtags: mean 7.16). CONCLUSIONS Instagram is dominated by pro-vaping content, and pro-vaping posts and user accounts seem to have more user engagement than vaping-warning accounts have. These results highlight the importance of regulating e-cigarette posts on social media and the urgency of identifying effective communication content and message delivery methods with the public about the health effects of e-cigarettes to ameliorate the epidemic of vaping in youth.

scholarly journals Biomarkers of Exposure for Dual Use of Electronic Cigarettes and Combustible Cigarettes: Nicotelline, NNAL, and Total Nicotine Equivalents

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 1107-1113
Author(s):  
Peyton Jacob ◽  
Gideon St. Helen ◽  
Lisa Yu ◽  
Natalie Nardone ◽  
Christopher Havel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Half Life ◽  
Electronic Cigarettes ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Tobacco Exposure ◽  
Sample Collection ◽  
Dual Use ◽  
Biomarkers Of Exposure ◽  
Urine Concentrations

Abstract Introduction Dual use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and combustible cigarettes is a major public health issue. It is generally accepted that exclusive e-cigarette use is less harmful than exclusive combustible cigarette use, but most e-cigarette users continue to smoke combustible cigarettes as well. To what extent the use of e-cigarettes reduces harm in people who continue to smoke combustible cigarettes has been debated. The aim of this study was to explore the utility of biomarkers as measures of dual use. Methods In two human studies of participants who used e-cigarettes only or both combustible cigarettes and e-cigarettes, we measured urine concentrations of the metabolites of nicotine (total nicotine equivalents) as well as two biomarkers of tobacco exposure: 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), a tobacco-specific carcinogen metabolite, and nicotelline, a tobacco alkaloid not found in significant concentrations in e-cigarette products. Results The presence of nicotine metabolites indicates either e-cigarette or combustible cigarette use. Nicotelline (half-life of 2–3 hours) indicates recent combustible cigarette use and NNAL (half-life of 10 days or more), indicates combustible cigarette use occurring within several weeks prior to sample collection. Conclusions Nicotelline and NNAL are useful biomarkers for combustible tobacco use in users e-cigarettes. The application of these biomarkers provides a tool to help assess whether, or to what extent, dual use of e-cigarettes and combustible cigarettes reduces harm compared to sole use of combustible cigarettes. These biomarkers can also verify exclusive use of e-cigarettes over short (24 hour) or long (several week) time periods. Implications:  To what extent dual use of e-cigarettes and combustible cigarettes reduce harm compared to smoking combustible cigarettes only is of considerable public health interest. We show that the levels of the minor tobacco alkaloid nicotelline and the nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) are extremely low in electronic cigarette fluids. The urine biomarkers nicotelline and the NNK metabolite 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) are indicative of cigarette smoking and can be used to assess recent and past smoking in dual users.

scholarly journals Electronic cigarettes: an aid in smoking cessation, or a new health hazard?

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 175346581774496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Farsalinos
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Electronic Cigarettes ◽  
Health Hazard ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Smoking Reduction ◽  
The Public ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Patterns Of Use ◽  
Health Community ◽  
Never Smokers

The issue of electronic cigarettes is one of the most controversial topics in public health. There is intense debate and dividing opinions about their use patterns, health effects and association with smoking. This is expected since they were only recently introduced to the market and they refer to a harm-reduction approach and strategy that is not universally accepted for smoking and tobacco use in the public health community. Three main factors determine the public health impact of electronic cigarettes: (1) their safety/risk profile, both relative to smoking and in absolute terms; (2) their effectiveness for smoking reduction and cessation; (3) the patterns of use by different population subgroups, especially never-smokers, and adoption of use by youth. This analysis presents a brief overview of currently available evidence and gaps in research covering these three factors.

scholarly journals Online Information on Electronic Cigarettes: Comparative Study of Relevant Websites From Baidu and Google Search Engines

10.2196/14725 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. e14725
Author(s):  
Ting Chen ◽  
Sarah Gentry ◽  
Dechao Qiu ◽  
Yan Deng ◽  
Caitlin Notley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Search Engines ◽  
Electronic Cigarettes ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Web Based ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Cigarette Advertising ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Google Search

Background Online information on electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) may influence people’s perception and use of e-cigarettes. Websites with information on e-cigarettes in the Chinese language have not been systematically assessed. Objective The aim of this study was to assess and compare the types and credibility of Web-based information on e-cigarettes identified from Google (in English) and Baidu (in Chinese) search engines. Methods We used the keywords vaping or e-cigarettes to conduct a search on Google and the equivalent Chinese characters for Baidu. The first 50 unique and relevant websites from each of the two search engines were included in this analysis. The main characteristics of the websites, credibility of the websites, and claims made on the included websites were systematically assessed and compared. Results Compared with websites on Google, more websites on Baidu were owned by manufacturers or retailers (15/50, 30% vs 33/50, 66%; P<.001). None of the Baidu websites, compared to 24% (12/50) of Google websites, were provided by public or health professional institutions. The Baidu websites were more likely to contain e-cigarette advertising (P<.001) and less likely to provide information on health education (P<.001). The overall credibility of the included Baidu websites was lower than that of the Google websites (P<.001). An age restriction warning was shown on all advertising websites from Google (15/15) but only on 10 of the 33 (30%) advertising websites from Baidu (P<.001). Conflicting or unclear health and social claims were common on the included websites. Conclusions Although conflicting or unclear claims on e-cigarettes were common on websites from both Baidu and Google search engines, there was a lack of online information from public health authorities in China. Unbiased information and evidence-based recommendations on e-cigarettes should be provided by public health authorities to help the public make informed decisions regarding the use of e-cigarettes.

scholarly journals E-cigarette manufacturers’ compliance with clinical trial reporting expectations: a case series of registered trials by Juul Labs

2021 ◽  
pp. tobaccocontrol-2020-056221
Author(s):  
Nicholas J DeVito ◽  
Henry Drysdale ◽  
Martin McKee ◽  
Ben Goldacre
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Electronic Cigarettes ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Research Database ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Data ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Specific Outcome ◽  
Reporting Laws

BackgroundElectronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are a frequently debated topic in public health. It is essential that clinical trials examining e-cigarettes are fully and accurately reported, especially given long-standing concerns about tobacco industry research. We assess the reporting of clinical trials sponsored by Juul Labs, the largest e-cigarette company in the USA, against accepted reporting standards.MethodsWe searched ClinicalTrials.gov for all trials sponsored by Juul Labs and determined those with registry data consistent with coverage by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Amendments Act 2007 (FDAAA). For trials with a primary completion date more than 1 year earlier, we searched ClinicalTrials.gov, the academic literature and a Juul-funded research database (JLI Science) for results. For located results, we compared reported outcomes with registered outcomes in line with Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) reporting guidelines.ResultsWe located five registered trials sponsored by Juul Labs that appeared covered by the FDAAA 2007 in the public data. All five trials did not have results available on ClinicalTrials.gov. We found one publication and four poster presentations reporting results for four of the five covered trials outside of ClinicalTrials.gov. Of 61 specified outcomes, 28 were CONSORT compliant. Specific outcome reporting issues are detailed.DiscussionOur findings raise substantial concerns regarding these trials. Clinicians, public health professionals, and the public cannot make informed choices about the benefits or hazards of e-cigarettes if the results of clinical trials are not completely and transparently reported. Clarification and potential enforcement of reporting laws may be required.

scholarly journals Online Information on Electronic Cigarettes: Comparative Study of Relevant Websites From Baidu and Google Search Engines (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting Chen ◽  
Sarah Gentry ◽  
Dechao Qiu ◽  
Yan Deng ◽  
Caitlin Notley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Search Engines ◽  
Electronic Cigarettes ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Web Based ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Cigarette Advertising ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Google Search

BACKGROUND Online information on electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) may influence people’s perception and use of e-cigarettes. Websites with information on e-cigarettes in the Chinese language have not been systematically assessed. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess and compare the types and credibility of Web-based information on e-cigarettes identified from Google (in English) and Baidu (in Chinese) search engines. METHODS We used the keywords <i>vaping</i> or <i>e-cigarettes</i> to conduct a search on Google and the equivalent Chinese characters for Baidu. The first 50 unique and relevant websites from each of the two search engines were included in this analysis. The main characteristics of the websites, credibility of the websites, and claims made on the included websites were systematically assessed and compared. RESULTS Compared with websites on Google, more websites on Baidu were owned by manufacturers or retailers (15/50, 30% vs 33/50, 66%; <i>P</i>&lt;.001). None of the Baidu websites, compared to 24% (12/50) of Google websites, were provided by public or health professional institutions. The Baidu websites were more likely to contain e-cigarette advertising (<i>P</i>&lt;.001) and less likely to provide information on health education (<i>P</i>&lt;.001). The overall credibility of the included Baidu websites was lower than that of the Google websites (<i>P</i>&lt;.001). An age restriction warning was shown on all advertising websites from Google (15/15) but only on 10 of the 33 (30%) advertising websites from Baidu (<i>P</i>&lt;.001). Conflicting or unclear health and social claims were common on the included websites. CONCLUSIONS Although conflicting or unclear claims on e-cigarettes were common on websites from both Baidu and Google search engines, there was a lack of online information from public health authorities in China. Unbiased information and evidence-based recommendations on e-cigarettes should be provided by public health authorities to help the public make informed decisions regarding the use of e-cigarettes.

Electronic cigarettes in Italy: a tool for harm reduction or a gateway to smoking tobacco?

2019 ◽  
pp. tobaccocontrol-2018-054726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoqiu Liu ◽  
Alessandra Lugo ◽  
Enrico Davoli ◽  
Giuseppe Gorini ◽  
Roberta Pacifici ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
General Population ◽  
Tobacco Smoking ◽  
Multivariate Analyses ◽  
Electronic Cigarettes ◽  
Smoking Behaviour ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Stop Smoking

IntroductionMore than a decade after electronic cigarettes (e-cigarette) hit the European market, we are still debating whether they may help or hinder tobacco control. It is therefore useful to explore the potential net effect of e-cigarette use in the general population.MethodsWe annually conduct a face-to-face survey on smoking in Italy on a representative sample of the general population aged 15 years or over (52.4 million). A total of 15 406 subjects were interviewed in 2014–2018. We investigated the consequences of using e-cigarettes on tobacco smoking behaviour among ever and regular e-cigarette users.ResultsIn all, 5.7% of our sample reported ever e-cigarette use. Multivariate analyses showed more use by men, ex-smokers and current smokers. E-cigarette use decreased with age and increased with education and calendar year. Only 1.1% of subjects were regular e-cigarette users. This prevalence rose from 0.4% in 2014–2015 to 1.8% in 2016–2017 and was 1.3% in 2018. Among 522 ever users, 13.2% stopped smoking after trying e-cigarettes and 22.2% started smoking or relapsed after using e-cigarettes. The corresponding estimates among regular users were 24.7% and 28.0%, respectively.ConclusionsAmong Italian e-cigarette users, those (re)starting smoking after using e-cigarettes outnumber those who stop smoking after using e-cigarettes. From a public health point of view, e-cigarettes may have an unfavourable net effect. Consequently, if we are not able to prevent sales of e-cigarettes to non-smokers, this product will more likely stimulate smoking tobacco than reduce harm.

scholarly journals Heat Not Burn Tobacco Product—A New Global Trend: Impact of Heat-Not-Burn Tobacco Products on Public Health, a Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Ratajczak ◽  
Piotr Jankowski ◽  
Piotr Strus ◽  
Wojciech Feleszko
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Tobacco Product ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Tobacco Products ◽  
The Public ◽  
Global Trend ◽  
Reduced Risk

Introduction: The use of heat-not-burn tobacco products (HnB) is being adopted increasingly as an alternative to smoking combusted products, primarily cigarettes. Substantial controversy has accompanied their marketing and use in the public health context. In this study, we aimed to consider the probable impacts of HnB tobacco products use on public health. Methods: In May 2019, we conducted a systematic review of 15 studies concerning awareness and use of IQOS (abbrv. I Quit Ordinary Smoking) selected from three databases: Cochrane, PubMed, and Embase regarding public health. Results: All key outcomes varied by smoking status: more young adults who were currently smoking reported being aware of, interested in trying, and prone to trying heat-not-burn tobacco products. Interest in trying HnB products was also present among non-smokers, which raises concerns regarding new smokers. Interestingly, susceptibility to trying IQOS (25.1%) was higher than for traditional cigarettes (19.3%), but lower than for e-cigarettes (29.1%). Conclusions: Present studies suggest that HnB tobacco products have the potential to be a reduced risk product for public health compared to conventional cigarettes, considering indirectly the potential effects on the chronic diseases which are traditionally linked to traditional cigarette use as well as second hand exposure, but further studies are needed to determine whether this potential is likely to be realized. The process of HnB tobacco products becoming increasingly popular is of a global scale. Only small differences between countries on different continents regarding popularity and use of HnB tobacco products have been reported.

scholarly journals Midwives' recommendation of electronic cigarettes as a smoking cessation strategy in pregnancy

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-44
Author(s):  
Amy Broadfield ◽  
Keivan Ahmadi ◽  
Helen Ayre
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Electronic Cigarettes ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Knowledge And Attitudes ◽  
Stop Smoking Services ◽  
Narrative Literature Review ◽  
In Pregnancy

Introduction Electronic cigarettes have been described as a public health crisis. Approximately 10.6% of pregnant women smoke conventional cigarettes at the time of delivery, but the prevalence of e-cigarette use during pregnancy is unknown. Objectives To assess the extent of midwives' current knowledge and attitudes on electronic cigarettes as a smoking cessation strategy during pregnancy. Methods Electronic databases were searched. These were supplemented by manual searches, which were completed to include reports from Public Health England and the Royal College of Midwives. Results A total of 22 papers were identified, reviewed and are presented as a narrative literature review. Topics such as epidemiology, organisational stances, opinions of smoking cessation in pregnancy and opinions from stop smoking services were explored. There have been conflicting ideas regarding the use of electronic cigarettes in pregnancy and women who have recently given birth. Conclusions Whilst the current literature regarding electronic cigarettes as a smoking cessation strategy during pregnancy is well explored, there is no literature that investigates the attitudes of midwives and how this may affect their recommendation of e-cigarettes. The results of this study could serve as a point of reference for future clinical research, as well as clinical practice, by bringing to light the knowledge and attitudes midwives have regarding electronic cigarette use in pregnancy, and may be able to suggest some changes to improve the current practices.

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