Abstract
Objective
To describe parental use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) to better understand the
safety risks posed to children.
Methods
Between June 24 and November 6, 2014, parents completed a self-administered paper
survey during an office visit to 15 pediatric practices in a Midwestern practice-based
research network. Attitudes towards and use of e-cigs are reported for those aware
of e-cigs before the survey.
Results
Ninety-five percent (628 of 658) of respondents were aware of e-cigs. Of these, 21.0%
(130 of 622) had tried e-cigs at least once, and 12.3% (77) reported e-cig use by
≥1 person in their household (4.0% exclusive e-cig use, 8.3% dual use with regular
cigarettes). An additional 17.3% (109) reported regular cigarette use. Most respondents
from e-cig-using homes did not think e-cigs were addictive (36.9% minimally or not
addictive, 25.0% did not know). While 73.7% believed that e-liquid was very dangerous
for children if they ingested it, only 31.2% believed skin contact to be very dangerous.
In 36.1% of e-cig-using homes, neither childproof caps nor locks were used to prevent
children's access to e-liquid. Only 15.3% reported their child's pediatrician was
aware of e-cig use in the home.
Conclusions
E-cig use occurred in 1 in 8 homes, often concurrently with regular cigarettes. Many
parents who used e-cigs were unaware of the potential health and safety hazards, including
nicotine poisoning for children, and many did not store e-liquid safely. Pediatricians
could provide education about e-cig associated safety hazards but are unaware of e-cig
use in their patient's homes.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 23, 2015
Accepted:
June 29,
2015
Received:
April 20,
2015
Footnotes
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
ScienceDirect
Access this article on ScienceDirectLinked Article
- Tobacco Exposure and Children: A Changing LandscapeAcademic PediatricsVol. 15Issue 6
- PreviewThree excellent articles in this month's issue of Academic Pediatrics highlight the constant challenge and ever-evolving landscape of tobacco control. We have made great strides since Dr Julius B. Richmond, in his tenure as Surgeon General, first recognized the impact that secondhand smoke (SHS) has on nonsmokers. In 1965, 42% of the US adult population smoked cigarettes, compared to 17.8% in 2013. However, as the prevalence decreases, we are seeing smaller declines in smoking rates each year, and many providers are finding that those who do smoke are harder to help to quit.
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