E-cigarette use in South Korean children - a new study

Tuesday, 26 November 2013 15:34

E-cigarette use by South Korean children - a new study

By Dr Farsalinos

A new study was published by a South Korean group of researchers, evaluating cigarette and e-cigarette use in students aged 13-18 years. A large sample of more than 70,000 students participated, providing valuable information about tobacco habits and e-cigarette penetration.

According to the published results, 85.5% of 13 year-old and 66.5% of 18 year-old students had never used tobacco or e-cigarette. In 18 year-old students, 16.9% were smoking cigarettes while 5.9% were using e-cigarettes; 85% of them (5% of total population) where dual users. So, only 0.9% of 18 year-old students were using e-cigarettes alone. From the total population, only 0.6% of those who were not smoking cigarettes AT THE TIME OF THE SURVEY (this is very important) were using e-cigarettes. However, they did not mention how many of them were former smokers (who were probably using the e-cigarettes as substitutes to smoking). From the group of smokers who reported trying to quit in the past 12 months, 40% used e-cigarettes. Smokers were 66.5 times more likely to use e-cigarettes compared to never-smokers. Former smokers were 7 times more likely to be e-cigarette users (this probably explains that a significant proportion of the 0.6% of e-cigarette users were former smokers), and were 8 times more likely to have used an e-cigarette in the past (compared to never smokers).

What are the conclusions of this study? That e-cigarettes are becoming a new epidemic of nicotine addiction in children.

Why are you laughing? You don’t believe that this is the conclusion? It was made by a famous professor of a famous university. I quote: “We are witnessing the beginning of a new phase of the nicotine epidemic and a new route to nicotine addiction for kids,” according to senior author Stanton A. Glantz, PhD, UCSF professor of medicine and director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at UCSF.

Since I am not a professor, therefore I am not that clever, could someone explain to me how this conclusion was made? How can we support that 0.6% of e-cigarette use in non-smokers is a new epidemic but the 18.3% of ever tobacco cigarette use or the 12.2% of current tobacco cigarette use is not a problem? If you have the answer, please inform me…