- Title
- Alcohol and other drug health-care providers and their client's perceptions of e-cigarette use, safety and harm reduction
- Creator
- Skelton, Eliza; Guillaumier, Ashleigh; Tzelepis, Flora; Walsberger, Scott; Paul, Christine L.; Dunlop, Adrian J.; Palazzi, Kerrin; Bonevski, Billie
- Relation
- Drug and Alcohol Review Vol. 40, Issue 6, p. 998-1002
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/dar.13276
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2021
- Description
- Introduction: E-cigarettes containing nicotine may potentially assist cessation in a heavily nicotine-dependent population with high relapse and tobacco-related burden. This study aims to determine alcohol and other drug (AOD) health-care provider and client awareness, use and attitudes regarding harm reduction and safety of e-cigarettes. Methods: The study was part of a larger cluster randomised controlled trial with 32 Australian AOD services. At a post-intervention survey conducted October 2016, health-care providers were asked whether they believed e-cigarettes could help smokers quit tobacco, whether they believe e-cigarettes are safer than tobacco smoking and whether they would recommend e-cigarettes to clients who are interested in quitting smoking. At the 6-month follow-up survey conducted January 2015–March 2016, AOD clients were asked about their e-cigarette knowledge, ever use, current use, reasons for use and place of purchase. Results: One hundred and eighty health-care providers and 427 AOD clients responded. A minority of health-care providers agreed with the statements that e-cigarettes could help smokers quit tobacco (30%), while just under one-third (25%) agreed that e-cigarettes were safer than tobacco smoking. However, only 19% would recommend e-cigarettes. Most AOD clients (93%) reported awareness of e-cigarettes, 39% reported ever use; however, only 7% reported current use. Of those reporting ever use, 52% used a nicotine e-cigarette. The most common reasons for e-cigarette use were ‘wanted to try’ (72%) and ‘help cut down smoking’ (70%). Discussion and Conclusions: Both AOD health-care providers and clients are aware of e-cigarettes but are cautious in using and recommending their use.
- Subject
- tobacco smoking; e-cigarette; alcohol and other drug; smoking cessation; quit support
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1436983
- Identifier
- uon:40198
- Identifier
- ISSN:0959-5236
- Language
- eng
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