Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30690624›Full record

ArticleNicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco2020

Awareness of Changes in E-cigarette Regulations and Behavior Before and After Implementation: A Longitudinal Survey of Smokers, Ex-smokers, and Vapers in the United Kingdom.

Hyun S Lee, Samara Wilson, Timea Partos, Ann McNeill, Leonie S Brose

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Awareness of and support for banning e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products among Mexicans who smoke.Revista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Trends in US E-cigarette Sales and Prices by Nicotine Strength, Overall and by Product and Flavor Type, 2017-2022.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco · 2023
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Hyun S LeeGKT School of Medical Education, King's College London, London, UK.
Samara WilsonAddictions, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Timea PartosAddictions, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Ann McNeillAddictions, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Leonie S BroseAddictions, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.

Funding

British Heart FoundationCancer Research UK 21496Cancer Research UK A19748Cancer Research UK A21496Cancer Research UK C57277/A23884Department of HealthMedical Research Council MR/K023195/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionIn line with the European Union's Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), new regulations for electronic cigarettes implemented in the United Kingdom between May 2016 and May 2017 included limiting refills to 10 mL, tank and cartridge sizes to 2 mL, and nicotine concentrations to 20 mg/mL.

aimsTo investigate the (1) awareness of new regulations, (2) product use before and after implementation, and (3) association between use of compliant products and subsequent smoking.

methodsA UK online longitudinal survey of smokers, ex-smokers, and vapers was conducted between May and June 2016 (wave 4) and September 2017 (wave 5).The following methods were used: (1) to assess awareness of changes, proportions were calculated by smoking and vaping status (n = 1606). (2) Comparison of refill volume, tank and cartridge volumes, nicotine concentration at waves 4 and 5 (n = 199-388) was conducted. (3) Association was studied between number of TPD-compliant products used at wave 4 and smoking at wave 5, adjusted for wave 4 vaping status, age, gender, income, urges to smoke, and device type (n = 480).

resultsAwareness of regulations was highest for refill volume (10.1%; 37.4% among exclusive vapers) and nicotine concentration (9.5%; 27.3%). Higher proportions used TPD-compliant refill volumes (60.0%-73.7%, χ2(1) = 10.9, p = .001) and nicotine concentrations (89.2%-93.9%, χ2(1) = 7.41, p = .007) in wave 5 than wave 4, with little change for tank or cartridge volumes (77.1-75.5%, χ2(1) = 0.38, p = .540). The likelihood of smoking was similar for those using no or one TPD-compliant products as it was for those using two (OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.47-2.59) or three (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 0.69-3.55).

conclusionSeveral months after full implementation, awareness of new regulations was low and most vapers used TPD-compliant products. Use of compliant products was not associated with subsequent smoking. IMPLICATIONS: Using a longitudinal survey at the beginning and a few months after the end of the transition period for implementation of new regulation on electronic cigarettes, this is the first study to assess awareness of regulation and use of compliant products. After full implementation, awareness of changes was low overall (smokers, ex-smokers, and vapers combined) although higher among those who vaped. Nevertheless, most vapers (74%-94%) used products that were compliant with the new regulations and the use of products compliant with incoming regulations did not predict whether they were smoking cigarettes after implementation.

Indexed as

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHealth Plan ImplementationConsumer BehaviorElectronic Nicotine Delivery SystemsEx-SmokersFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedSmokersSmoking CessationTobacco ProductsTobacco SmokingUnited KingdomVaping

Identifiers

PMID30690624
PMCPMC7171274

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.