Abstract
The use of electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes is strongly on the rise. The literature confirms that in the process of quitting smoking using an electronic device dispensing nicotine should be a transitional stage before the complete cessation of smoking. The aim of the present study was to assess the popularity of e-cigarettes, the underlying reasons for use of such nicotine products, and the level of awareness of health hazards associated with e-cigarettes. The study is of a survey type. The material consisted of data collected from an anonymous survey distributed among 46 female and 23 male users of e-cigarettes in 2015. We used a questionnaire of our own design. The findings demonstrate that the main reason for a recourse to e-cigarettes is a desire to use fashionable technological innovations, and the conviction that such cigarettes are less harmful than the traditional tobacco products. Some respondents used e-cigarettes to quit smoking; others to minimize the harmful effects of smoking. Most respondents acquired information about e-cigarettes from friends or from the Internet. There was a high awareness of the chemical composition of substances contained in e-cigarettes. An interest in e-cigarettes is caused by an increased knowledge on the negative effects of traditional smoking. Currently, the e-cigarettes remains a technological novelty, so that the exact health effects of their long-term use are open to conjecture.
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Daniluk, A., Gawlikowska-Sroka, A., Stępien-Słodkowska, M., Dzięciołowska-Baran, E., Michnik, K. (2017). Electronic Cigarettes and Awareness of Their Health Effects. In: Pokorski, M. (eds) Current Concepts in Medical Research and Practice. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology(), vol 1039. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/5584_2017_83
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/5584_2017_83
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