Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use has grown rapidly in parts of the world, the United Kingdom and United States in particular.1,2 In Australia, evidence is lacking regarding how widely e-cigarettes are used, for what purpose and by whom. There is vigorous debate over the harms and benefits of e-cigarettes, including whether they are the next big thing in smoking cessation or whether they will act as a gateway to tobacco smoking.3,4 The first step towards being able to answer these important questions is to understand the profile and prevalence of e-cigarette users.
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- 1. Action on Smoking and Health. Use of electronic cigarettes (vapourisers) among adults in Great Britain. http://www.ash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_891.pdf (accessed May 2015).
- 2. King B, Patel R, Nguyen K, Dube S. Trends in awareness and use of electronic cigarettes among US adults, 2010-2013. Nicotine Tob Res 2014; 17.
- 3. McRobbie H, Bullen C, Hartmann-Boyce J, Hajek P. Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation and reduction. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2014; (12): CD010216. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub2.
- 4. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. National Drug Strategy Household Survey detailed report 2013. Canberra: AIHW, 2014. (Drug statistics series no. 28 Cat. No. PHE 183.) http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=60129549848 (accessed Jul 2015).
- 5. NSW Ministry of Health. New South Wales Population Health Surveys. http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/surveys/adult/pages/default.aspx (accessed May 2015).
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