Smokers’ use of e-cigarettes in situations where smoking is not permitted in England: quarterly trends 2011-2020 and associations with sociodemographic and smoking characteristics

Menée en Angleterre sur la période 2011-2020 par enquête auprès de 5 081 adultes fumeurs, cette étude analyse l'évolution de l'utilisation de la cigarette électronique dans des situations où il est interdit de fumer

Résumé en anglais

To examine how the proportion of dual users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes who use e-cigarettes in situations where smoking is not permitted has changed since e-cigarettes became popular in England, and to characterise those who do so.Data were from 5,081 adults in England who reported current smoking and current use of e-cigarettes (‘dual users’) participating in a nationally-representative monthly survey between April 2011 and February 2020. We modelled quarterly changes in prevalence of e-cigarette use in situations where smoking is not permitted and assessed multivariable associations with sociodemographic and smoking characteristics.Between 2011 and 2020, prevalence of e-cigarette use in situations where smoking is not permitted followed a positive cubic trend, with a decelerating increase from an estimated 52.5% of dual users in Q2-2011 to 72.7% in Q3-2014, followed by a small decline to 67.5% in 2018, and subsequent increase to 74.0% in 2020. Odds were higher among those who were from more disadvantaged social grades, reported stronger smoking urges, or had made a past-year quit attempt, and lower among those who were aged ≥65y (vs. 16-24y), from the south (vs. north) of England, reported currently cutting down on their cigarette consumption, or currently using NRT.In England, use of e-cigarettes in situations where smoking is not permitted is common among dual cigarette and e-cigarette users, has increased non-linearly since 2011, and is particularly prevalent among those who are younger, disadvantaged, more addicted, have recently failed to quit, and are not attempting to cut down.