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
OBJECTIVES: 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. METHOD: 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. RESULTS: 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. CONCLUSIONS: 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
