Environmental Public Health Journal 2017 | BCIT Institutional Repository

Environmental Public Health Journal 2017

Electronic cigarettes
Background: Electronic cigarettes are a widely-used, yet still emerging technology. As such, there is relatively little data regarding the reasons why people take up their use. Many claim to use them as a smoking-cessation method. Concern exists that experimentation in non-smokers may lead to nicotine addiction and subsequent smoking. The purpose of this study was to determine the primary reasons for the commencement of electronic cigarette use, and to suggest way in which these findings could affect current policies and regulations pertaining to electronic cigarettes. Methods: A survey examining electronic cigarette use was prepared. The survey contained questions respecting primary motivation for use, frequency of use, present and former smoking status as well as agreement with common perception about electronic cigarettes. Basic demographic information was also collected. The survey was posted to “www.reddit.com” and was accessible to users who used electronic cigarettes themselves via the “/r/electronic_cigarettes” sub-Reddit for a period of five days. Once responses were collected, Chi-square tests of independence were run to determine if any associations existed. Responses were also compared to previous studies of a similar nature to see if any similarities existed. Results: In total, 155 responses were received. The majority of the respondents were males (89.7%) between the ages of 19 and 28 (47.7%). 30.32% listed their occupation as “student”, and almost three-quarters of the respondents had some post-secondary experience. 78.1% of respondents were former smokers, and 61.3% identified their primary reason for electronic cigarette use as “to quit smoking.” Chi-squared tests for association between responses yielded statistically-significant associations between being a previous smoker and believing that electronic-cigarettes are healthier than conventional cigarettes, and between gender (specifically being male) and reasons for electronic cigarette use (specifically “to quit smoking”). However, the latter result was possibly skewed by a higher response rate from males as opposed to females. Conclusion: The high proportion of previous smokers among electronic cigarette users suggested that quitting smoking was the most common reason individuals take up electronic cigarette usage. It is therefore suggested that studies be done to determine if their use is less harmful than that of conventional cigarettes, and that existing legislation regarding their use in public be modified in light of this evidence. It is also suggested that they be given consideration as a legitimate means of smoking cessation., Peer-reviewed article, Published., Project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Technology in Environmental Health, British Columbia Institute of Technology, 2017., Peer reviewed
Presence of nicotine in marketed nicotine-free e-liquids for electronic cigarettes
Background and Purpose: Ever since the electronic cigarette made its debut in the market, it has been garnering great popularity due to public perception of it being a safer alternative to conventional cigarette. As a result, aside from being utilized in tobacco cessation programs, susceptible populations such as teenagers are slowly adopting this new trend of recreational E-cigarette smoking or “vaping”. The literature review conducted suggests that not only do different E-cigarette models exhibit different delivery efficiencies regarding percentage nicotine vapourization, there are discrepancies between what is labelled by the manufacturer and the actual nicotine content in the electronic cigarette liquids. This has serious public health implications because nicotine is the active chemical component in inducing addiction in cigarettes. As a result, recreational electronic cigarette users such as teenagers, may unknowingly become exposed to improper levels of nicotine, leading to a higher probability of nicotine dependence or switching to conventional smoking. The purpose of this study was to determine whether presence of nicotine can be detected in marketed nicotine-free electronic cigarette liquids. Methods: The nicotine content in electronic cigarette liquids was isolated and determined using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry. Descriptive and inferential statistics was conducted using NCSS11 to see if there was a statistically significant difference between the labelled concentration of 0 mg in marketed “nicotine-free” electronic cigarettes from two popular brands, VapeWild and Mt Baker Vapour, to determine whether one brand has better quality control for nicotine content in nicotine-free E-liquids compared to the other brand. Results: Based on the analyzed E-liquid samples from the two brands, no nicotine was detected. Conclusion: E-cigarettes can be putatively considered as a safer alternative to conventional cigarettes because nicotine levels can be pre-determined and limited with a high degree of confidence., Peer-reviewed article, Published., Project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Technology in Environmental Health, British Columbia Institute of Technology, 2017., Peer reviewed, Electronic cigarette, E-liquids, Nicotine, Accurate labelling, Addiction