AZHIN: DBH 9019: Intervention Design: E-Cigarettes

The Subject of E-Cigarettes

The use of e-cigarettes is a growing area of controversy and there are many mixed messages aimed at consumers. DBH 9019 asks you to pursue inquiry of the following:

What companies own the market share of ECIG sales?
What conclusions can you draw from this information about the use of ECIGs in smoking cessation?
Are ECIGs safer or healthier than conventional cigarettes?
What are the key points you would discuss with patients who ask you whether ecigarettes are safer/healthier than conventional cigarettes?
What precautions should your patients be taking?
What alternative smoking cessation resources would you provide if you are not recommending ECIGs?

What is an Electronic Cigarette?

An e-cigarette, or electronic cigarette, is a device used to simulate the experience of smoking, having a cartridge with a heater that vaporizes liquid nicotine instead of burning tobacco.

[e-cigarette. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved March 5, 2016, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/e-cigarette]

To find materials on this topic in the article databases, try the following search terms:

Electronic Cigarette
e-Cigarette
Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
Smoking Cessation
Nicotine

Background Information

Electronic cigarettes are battery-powered vaporizers meant to simulate smoking without the harmful effects of tobacco. Use the following sources to learn more about e-cigarettes.

Medline Plus: Electronic Cigarettes. Consumer-directed health information electronic cigarettes from the National Library of Medicine.
Where We Stand Now: E-Cigarettes. This article from CNN (January 25, 2016), lays out a timeline of important milestones for electronic cigarettes.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration The FDA reports on regulation and effects of electronic cigarettes.
Gale Opposing Viewpoints Database: Electronic cigarettes A collection of articles, pro and con, that discuss viewpoints, statistics, and health benefits/effects. This database is not a part of the CORE Library but is provided free of charge by most public libraries via their electronic resources. Please contact the CORE Librarian for help with accessing this database.

Statistics

MedlinePlus Health Statistics
From the National Library of Medicine, this website contains practical information and statistics about many health-related issues, including the risks of first- and second-hand smoking and trends in smoking cessation.
Opinion polls are a resource for gathering public response to various issues. Please note how the polls were conducted as this will provide a better understanding of the information presented.

Polling the Nations
Polling the Nations is a compilation of more than 14,000 surveys conducted by more than 700 polling organizations in the United States and more than 80 other countries from 1986 to the present.

Roper Center for Public Opinion Research
(Cornell University) - A search interface to the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, a non-profit education and research organization that studies politics, government, public institutions, international relations, business, social affairs, and consumer behavior. Includes sources from major broadcasting and news organizations.

Researching E-Cigarettes in CORE

PsycINFO Available in the CORE Library. Indexes scholarly psychology journals and other publications and contains information on electronic cigarettes from a variety of perspectives.
CINAHL Available in the CORE Library. This database of nursing specialties offers information on smoking cessation, electronic cigarettes, and the connection between mental health and use of alternative tobacco products.
Health Business Elite. Available in the CORE Library. This business-oriented database has profiles of companies who are in the e-cigarette business in addition to information on the regulation of e-cigarettes.

Who Profits?

Who Stands to Gain from the E-Cig Phenomenon?
Forbes.com: June 23, 2015
You may have to disable your ad blocker to access the article.
The Battle for the Electronic Cigarette Market
Vaping360.com: September 12, 2014
Stocks to Watch: E-Cigarettes
The Motley Fool: June 3, 2015
The Strange and Complicated History of Patenting the E-Cigarette
pointsadhsblog.wordpress.com: January 22, 2015
Good for background information; some useful infographics
E-Cigarettes Fire Up Investors, Regulators
Wall Street Journal: June 9, 2013
Infographic with major players in the market

Use of E-Cigs in Smoking Cessation

E-cigarette use likely leads to future cigarette use.
E-cigarette use likely leads to future cigarette use... [including commentary by Michael G. Burke]. (2016). Contemporary Pediatrics, 33(1), 13-13 1/2p
Are electronic nicotine delivery systems an effective smoking cessation tool?
Are electronic nicotine delivery systems an effective smoking cessation tool?. (2015). Canadian Journal of Respiratory Therapy, 51(4), 93-98 6p.
E-cigarettes: a viable option for smoking cessation?
Sergakis, G. (2015). E-cigarettes: A Viable Option for Smoking Cessation?. AARC Times, 39(8), 15-17 3p.
E-cigarettes: The primary care provider's response
Wilt, C. N., & Koo, L. W. (2015). E-cigarettes—The primary care provider's response. Clinical Advisor, 18(8), 28-33 6p.
E-cigarettes in smoking cessation: A randomised controlled trial.
Bullen, C., Howe, C., Laugesen, M., McRobbie, H., Parag, V., Williman, J.,Walker, N. (2013). Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation: a randomised
controlled trial. Lancet, 382(9905), 1629-1637.

Health Risks ... or Benefits?

New CDC study finds dramatic increase in e-cigarette-related calls to poison centers
American Lung Association: E-cigarettes and Lung Health
CDC: Key Facts about Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems
Electronic Smoking Devices and Secondhand Aerosol
Electronic nicotine delivery systems: A Policy Statement From the American Association for Cancer Research and the American Society of Clinical Oncology
E-cigarettes: a potential game-changer in getting people to stop smoking
Safety and effectiveness of e-cigarettes: a narrative review
Vaping and health: what do we know about electronic cigarettes?
E-cigarettes: The primary care provider's response.
more...less...
Although e-cigarettes may not be considered healthy, they may be the
lesser of two evils when compared with traditional tobacco cigarettes.

CDC: Smoking and Tobacco

Source: Smokerz Paradise

Internet Resources

In addition to the resources below, more information is available from the U.S. Government. Try a search at USA.gov, the government's official web portal.

American Cancer Society: Smoking/Tobacco
The American Cancer Society is a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. Try a search for electronic cigarettes here.
DrugFacts: Electronic Cigarettes (e-Cigarettes)
Overview information from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
FDA: Electronic Cigarettes (e-Cigarettes)
Short overview of e-cigarettes with information and links about FDA regulation and adverse effects.
Trends in Awareness and Use of Electronic Cigarettes among U.S. Adults, 2010-2013
Key findings from a study by CDC and Georgia State University researchers published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco, focusing on adult use of electronic cigarettes from 2010 to 2013.

Source: National Jewish Health

Thanks to the following for sharing portions of their LibGuides:

The University of Rhode Island: http://uri.libguides.com/ecigs

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: http://guides.library.illinois.edu/electroniccigarettes