Project description:PurposeThis study aimed to assess whether youth cigarette and electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use are associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms, testing, and diagnosis.MethodsAn online national survey of adolescents and young adults (n = 4,351) aged 13-24 years was conducted in May 2020. Multivariable logistic regression assessed relationships among COVID-19-related symptoms, testing, and diagnosis and cigarettes only, e-cigarettes only and dual use, sociodemographic factors, obesity, and complying with shelter-in-place.ResultsCOVID-19 diagnosis was five times more likely among ever-users of e-cigarettes only (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.82-13.96), seven times more likely among ever-dual-users (95% CI: 1.98-24.55), and 6.8 times more likely among past 30-day dual-users (95% CI: 2.40-19.55). Testing was nine times more likely among past 30-day dual-users (95% CI: 5.43-15.47) and 2.6 times more likely among past 30-day e-cigarette only users (95% CI: 1.33-4.87). Symptoms were 4.7 times more likely among past 30-day dual-users (95% CI: 3.07-7.16).ConclusionsCOVID-19 is associated with youth use of e-cigarettes only and dual use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes, suggesting the need for screening and education.
Project description:OBJECTIVES:Few studies have examined the prevalence of electronic cigarette use among the inpatient population regardless of the patients' cessation goals. The objectives of this study were to examine the prevalence of electronic cigarette use among counseled tobacco users admitted to 2 academic hospitals. METHODS:Cross-sectional data of hospitalized adult tobacco users who were admitted between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015 and who received bedside tobacco cessation counseling from a tobacco treatment service counselor were examined. Demographic and smoking history items were compared as a function of electronic cigarette use using chi-square and independent t tests. Logistic regression was used to test independent associations with electronic cigarette use. RESULTS:Of 2194 hospitalized tobacco users counseled, 22% had used an electronic cigarette. Most of these patients used electronic cigarettes to quit or reduce use of combustible cigarettes. Adjusted odds of electronic cigarette use were higher for females (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.60 for male patients, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47-0.76), younger patients (AOR 0.98 for older patients, 95% CI 0.97-0.99), and individuals who initiated tobacco use earlier in life (AOR 0.97 for later smoking initiation, 95% CI 0.95-0.99). CONCLUSIONS:Screening hospitalized cigarette smokers for electronic cigarette use offers an opportunity to counsel all patients on evidence-based quit aids. Young, female patients are most likely to use electronic cigarettes and may benefit most from directed discussions about electronic cigarette use and Federal Drug Administration-approved cessation methods during smoking cessation counseling.
Project description:IntroductionThe severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, gains entry into the host cell when its Spike protein is cleaved by host proteases TMPRSS2 and furin, thereby markedly increasing viral affinity for its receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2). In rodent and diseased human lungs, tobacco cigarette (TCIG) smoke increases ACE2, but the effect of electronic cigarette vaping (ECIG) is unknown. It is unknown whether nicotine (in both TCIGs and ECIGs) or non-nicotine constituents unique to TCIG smoke increase expression of key proteins in COVID-19 pathogenesis.MethodsImmune (CD45+) cells collected before the pandemic in otherwise healthy young people, including TCIG smokers (n = 9), ECIG vapers (n = 12), or nonsmokers (NS) (n = 12), were studied. Using flow cytometry, expression of key proteins in COVID-19 pathogenesis were compared among these groups.ResultsTCIG smokers and ECIG vapers had similar smoking or vaping burdens as indicated by similar plasma cotinine levels. TCIG smokers compared with NS had a significantly increased percentage of cells that were positive for ACE2 (10-fold, p < .001), TMPRSS2 (5-fold, p < .001), and ADAM17 (2.5-fold, p < .001). Additionally, the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) consistently showed greater mean ACE2 (2.2-fold, p < .001), TMPRSS2 (1.5-fold, p < .001), furin (1.1-fold, p < .05), and ADAM17 (2-fold, p < .001) in TCIG smokers compared with NS. In ECIG vapers, furin MFI was increased (1.15-fold, p < .05) and TMPRSS2 MFI tended to be increased (1.1-fold, p = .077) compared with NS.ConclusionsThe finding that key instigators of COVID-19 infection are lower in ECIG vapers compared with TCIG smokers is intriguing and warrants additional investigation to determine if switching to ECIGs is an effective harm reduction strategy. However, the trend toward increased proteases in ECIG vapers remains concerning.Implications(1) This is the first human study to report a marked increase in proteins critical for COVID-19 infection, including ACE2, TMPRSS2, and ADAM17, in immune cells from healthy tobacco cigarette smokers without lung disease compared with e-cigarette vapers and nonsmokers. (2) These findings warrant additional investigation to determine whether switching to electronic cigarettes may be an effective harm reduction strategy in smokers addicted to nicotine who are unable or unwilling to quit. (3) The increase in proteases in electronic cigarette vapers remains concerning.
Project description:It is unknown whether use of e-cigarettes increases susceptibility to COVID-19. In a large clinical sample of young adults, we evaluated whether current or ever e-cigarette use was associated with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed COVID-19. To address the confounding of combustible smoking, the sample was restricted to never smokers. This retrospective cohort study analyzed data from the electronic health records of 74,853 young adults (aged 18-35 years), without a history of cigarette smoking, who were screened for e-cigarette use (current, former, never) in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) healthcare system from 3/5/2020 (baseline) to 11/30/2020 (pre-vaccine). COVID-19 risk was estimated in time-to-event analyses using multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression models, adjusted for socio-demographics and medical comorbidities. E-cigarette status in the cohort was: 1.6% current, 1.2% former, and 97.2% never. During follow-up, 1965 (2.6%) patients acquired COVID-19. We did not find evidence that current (vs never) e-cigarette use was associated with risk of COVID-19 (aHR = 1.12 95%CI:0.77-1.62). However, we did find suggestive evidence that former (versus never) e-cigarette use may be associated with greater risk of COVID-19 (aHR = 1.39 95%CI:0.98-1.96). While e-cigarette use is associated with health risks for young adults, results from this study suggest that current use of e-cigarettes may not increase susceptibility for COVID-19 among young adults who have never smoked cigarettes.
Project description:Prevalent electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use in schools may undermine tobacco denormalisation, and thus increase tobacco use in students. We investigated the associations of school-level e-cigarette use prevalence with student-level intention and behaviours related to e-cigarettes, cigarettes, and other tobacco products. In a 2014-15 school-based cross-sectional survey of 41035 secondary school students (grade 7-12; age 11-18 years) in Hong Kong, information was collected on the use of e-cigarettes, cigarettes, and non-cigarette tobacco products (NCTPs), susceptibility to e-cigarette and cigarette use, intention to quit cigarette smoking, and sociodemographic characteristics. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of e-cigarette use susceptibility in relation to high (vs low) school-level e-cigarette use prevalence was 1.40 (95% CI 1.05-1.87) in never e-cigarette users. The AORs of cigarette smoking susceptibility in relation to medium and high (vs low) school-level e-cigarette use prevalence were 1.24 (1.01-1.52) and 1.34 (1.02-1.75), respectively, in never cigarette smokers. School-level e-cigarette use prevalence was associated with ever and past 30-day cigarette smoking, but not with intention to quit (in past 30-day cigarette smokers) or past 30-day NCTP use. The findings highlight the importance of strictly banning e-cigarettes in schools, and add to the evidence that prevalent e-cigarette use in adolescents may increase cigarette smoking prevalence.
Project description:Combustible tobacco users appear to be at greater risk for serious complications from COVID-19. This study examined cigar smokers' perceived risk of COVID-19, quit intentions, and behaviors during the current pandemic. We conducted an online study between 23 April 2020 to 7 May 2020, as part of an ongoing study examining perceptions of different health effects of cigars. All participants used cigars in the past 30 days (n = 777). Three-quarters of the sample (76.0%) perceived they had a higher risk of complications from COVID-19 compared to non-smokers. The majority of participants (70.8%) intended to quit in the next six months due to COVID-19, and almost half of the sample (46.5%) reported making a quit attempt since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Far more participants reported increasing their tobacco use since COVID-19 started (40.9%) vs. decreasing their tobacco use (17.8%). Black or African American participants, participants who reported using a quitline, and participants with higher COVID-19 risk perceptions had higher intentions to quit using tobacco due to COVID-19, and higher odds of making a quit attempt since COVID-19 started. More research is needed to understand how tobacco users are perceiving COVID-19 risks and changing their tobacco use behaviors.
Project description:Background: The microbiome is increasingly being linked to cancer risk. Little is known about the lung and oral cavity microbiomes in healthy smokers (SM), and even less for electronic cigarette (EC) users, compared healthy never-smokers (NS). Methods: In a cross-sectional pilot study of SM (N=8), EC users (N=10) and NS (N=10) saliva and bronchoscopy-collected bronchoalveolar lavage samples were collected. Bacteria species were identified through metatranscriptome profiling by RNA-sequencing to study associations with the lung and oral microbiome. Pairwise comparisons and linear modeling was assessed with false discovery rates <0.1. Results: Total bacterial load was similar for the SM, EC users and NS, and there was no differences in the bacterial diversity across groups. In the lung, there were 44 bacterial species that were statistically significantly different for SM/NS, 80% of which were decreased in the SM. There were 12 bacterial species that were different for SM/EC users, all of which were decreased, 10 of which were also identified in the SM/NS comparison. The 2 bacterial species unique to SM/EC comparison were Neisseria sp. KEM232 and Curvibacter sp. AEP1-3. From the top 5 decreased species in SM/EC, 3 were also identified in the SM/NS comparison (Neisseria elongata, Neisseria sicca, and Haemophilus parainfluenzae) and 2 of these were unique to the SM/EC comparison (Neisseria zoodegmatis and Ottowia sp. oral taxon 894). There were 8 species increased in SM compared to NS, none of which are known to be clinically significant. In the oral microbiome, 152 bacteria species were differentially abundant for the SM/NS analysis, and only 17 for the EC/NS comparison, all which were also present in SM/NS comparisons. There were 21 bacteria that were differentially abundant in both the lung and oral cavity for SM and NS, 95% also were decreased in the SM. Conclusion: Smoking and EC use do not appear to materially affect the lung microbiome, although differences are noted of unclear clinical significance. Most differentially abundant bacteria decreased, which may be due to a toxic effect of cigarette smoke, including a change in humidity or heating. Given the low number of overlapping oral and lung microbes, the oral microbiome does not appear to be a good surrogate for smoking-related effects in the lung.
Project description:BackgroundThis systematic review of prospective longitudinal primary studies sought to determine whether electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use by teenagers who had never smoked conventional tobacco cigarettes (tobacco cigarettes) at baseline was associated with subsequently commencing tobacco cigarette smoking.MethodsThe review followed the principles of a systematic review and meta-analysis. A key word search identified peer-reviewed articles published between 1 January 2005 and 2 October 2019 from seven bibliographic databases and one search engine. Using pre-prepared inclusion/exclusion criteria two researchers independently screened abstracts, and subsequently, full text papers. Selected articles were quality assessed in duplicate. Data on study participants characteristics, exposure and outcome measures were recorded in an adapted Cochrane Data Extraction Form. Feasibility assessment was done to detect clinical heterogeneity and choose an approach to meta-analysis. Analysis comprised pairwise random effects meta-analyses, and sensitivity and subgroup analyses.ResultsFrom the 6619 studies identified, 14 one-off primary studies in 21 articles were suitable for inclusion. The participants ages ranged from 13 to 19 years and comprised teenagers based in Europe and North America. Nine of the 14 one-off studies, with follow-up periods between 4 and 24 months, met the criteria for inclusion in a meta-analysis of the association between ever use of e-cigarettes and subsequent initiation of tobacco cigarette use. Based on primary study adjusted odds ratios, our meta-analysis calculated a 4.06 (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.00-5.48, I2 68%, 9 primary studies) times higher odds of commencing tobacco cigarette smoking for teenagers who had ever used e-cigarettes at baseline, though the odds ratio were marginally lower (to 3.71 times odds, 95%CI: 2.83-4. 86, I2 35%, 4 primary studies) when only the four high-quality studies were analysed.ConclusionThe systematic review found that e-cigarette use was associated with commencement of tobacco cigarette smoking among teenagers in Europe and North America, identifying an important health-related harm. Given the availability and usage of e-cigarettes, this study provides added support for urgent response by policymakers to stop their use by teenagers to decrease direct harms in this susceptible population group, as well as to conserve achievements in diminishing tobacco cigarette initiation.
Project description:Cigarette smoking increases the risk of developing several systemic conditions including cancer, cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. Cigarette smoking is also detrimental to oral health as it increases the incidence and severity of oral cancer, periodontal diseases and peri-implantitis, as well as impacting negatively on the dental patients' response to therapy. Therefore, consideration of smoking behavior and recommendation of smoking cessation are important parts of dental treatment planning. However, cigarettes are no longer the most popular form of tobacco use among adolescents in the United States and globally. In recent years, tobacco smoking using a waterpipe ("hookah," "shisha") and use of electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) has increased significantly. Thus, dental clinicians likely will treat more patients who are waterpipe and/or ECIG users. Yet, the literature on the health effects of waterpipe and ECIGs use is sparse. Both waterpipe and ECIGs deliver the dependence-producing drug nicotine. Waterpipe tobacco smoking has been associated with periodontitis, dry socket, premalignant lesions, and oral and esophageal cancer. The health effects of long-term ECIG use are unknown. The purpose of this review is to inform healthcare professionals about waterpipes and ECIGs, highlight emerging evidence on the biological effects of these increasingly popular tobacco products, and introduce perspectives for dental patient management and future research.
Project description:ImportanceThe use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and other noncigarette tobacco products may increase the odds of cigarette initiation, even among low-risk youths.ObjectiveTo evaluate the associations of prior e-cigarette use and other tobacco product use with subsequent cigarette initiation within 2 years of follow-up.Design, setting, and participantsIn this prospective cohort study, data from waves 1 through 3 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (2013-2016) were used to assess youths aged 12 to 15 years who had never used cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or other tobacco products at wave 1. This was a nationally representative study of the US population. Data analysis was conducted in 2018.ExposuresFirst noncigarette tobacco product used (none, e-cigarette, or other tobacco product) between wave 1 and wave 3.Main outcomes and measuresEver cigarette use and current cigarette use at wave 3.ResultsIn the sample (N = 6123), respondents were 49.5% female; 54.1% non-Hispanic, white; and the mean (SD) age was 13.4 (1.2) years. Of these, 8.6% reported e-cigarettes as their first tobacco product, while 5.0% reported using another noncigarette product first; 3.3% reported using cigarettes first. Cigarette use at wave 3 was higher among prior e-cigarette users (20.5%) compared with youths with no prior tobacco use (3.8%). Prior e-cigarette use was associated with more than 4 times the odds of ever cigarette use (odds ratio, 4.09; 95% CI, 2.97-5.63) and nearly 3 times the odds of current cigarette use (odds ratio, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.60-4.73) compared with no prior tobacco use. Prior use of other tobacco products was similarly associated with subsequent ever cigarette use (OR, 3.84; 95% CI, 2.63-5.63) and current cigarette use (OR, 3.43; 95% CI, 1.88-6.26) compared with no prior tobacco use. The association of prior e-cigarette use with cigarette initiation was stronger among low-risk youths (OR, 8.57; 95% CI, 3.87-18.97), a pattern not seen for prior other product use. Over the 2 years between 2013 and 2014 and 2015 and 2016, 21.8% of new cigarette ever use (178 850 youths) and 15.3% of current cigarette use (43 446 youths) among US youths aged 12 to 15 years may be attributable to prior e-cigarette use.Conclusions and relevanceThis study's findings support the notion that e-cigarette use is associated with increased risk for cigarette initiation and use, particularly among low-risk youths. At the population level, the use of e-cigarettes may be a contributor to the initiation of cigarette smoking among youths.