Yong Hua-Hie, Borland Ron, Balmford James, Hitchman Sara C, Cummings K Michael, Driezen Pete, Thompson Mary E
Nigel Gray Fellowship Group, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Australia;
Nigel Gray Fellowship Group, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.
Nicotine Tob Res. 2017 Feb;19(2):258-263. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntw137. Epub 2016 May 17.
The rapid rise in electronic cigarettes (ECs) globally has stimulated much debate about the relative risk and public health impact of this new emerging product category as compared to conventional cigarettes. The sale and marketing of ECs containing nicotine are banned in many countries (eg, Australia) but are allowed in others (eg, United Kingdom). This study examined prevalence and correlates of the belief that ECs are a lot less harmful than conventional cigarettes under the different regulatory environments in Australia (ie, more restrictive) and the United Kingdom (ie, less restrictive).
Australian and UK data from the 2013 survey of the International Tobacco Control Four-Country project were analyzed.
More UK than Australian respondents (58.5% vs. 35.2%) believed that ECs are a lot less harmful than conventional cigarettes but more respondents in Australia than in the United Kingdom selected "Don't Know" (36.5% vs. 17.1%). The proportion that responded "A little less, equally or more harmful" did not differ between countries. Correlates of the belief that ECs are "A lot less harmful" differed between countries, while correlates of "Don't Know" response did not differ.
Consistent with the less restrictive regulatory environment affecting the sale and marketing of ECs, smokers and recent ex-smokers in the United Kingdom were more likely to believe ECs were less harmful relative to conventional cigarettes compared to those in Australia.
What this study adds: Among smokers and ex-smokers, this study found that the belief that ECs are (a lot) less harmful than conventional cigarettes was considerably higher in the United Kingdom than in Australia in 2013. The finding is consistent with the less restrictive regulatory environment for ECs in the United Kingdom, suggesting that the regulatory framework for ECs adopted by a country can affect smokers' perceptions about the relative harmfulness of ECs, the group that stands to gain the most from having an accurate belief about the relative harms of ECs.
电子烟在全球范围内迅速兴起，引发了诸多关于这一新兴产品类别与传统香烟相比的相对风险及对公众健康影响的争论。许多国家（如澳大利亚）禁止销售和营销含尼古丁的电子烟，但其他一些国家（如英国）则允许。本研究考察了在澳大利亚（即限制更严格）和英国（即限制较宽松）不同监管环境下，认为电子烟比传统香烟危害小得多这一观念的流行程度及其相关因素。
对国际烟草控制四国项目2013年调查中的澳大利亚和英国数据进行分析。
认为电子烟比传统香烟危害小得多的英国受访者多于澳大利亚受访者（58.5%对35.2%），但选择“不知道”的澳大利亚受访者多于英国受访者（36.5%对17.1%）。回答“危害小一点、一样或更大”的比例在两国之间没有差异。认为电子烟“危害小得多”这一观念的相关因素在两国之间有所不同，而“不知道”这一回答的相关因素则没有差异。
与影响电子烟销售和营销的限制较宽松的监管环境一致，与澳大利亚吸烟者和近期戒烟者相比，英国的吸烟者和近期戒烟者更有可能认为电子烟相对于传统香烟危害较小。
本研究的新增内容：在吸烟者和戒烟者中，本研究发现2013年认为电子烟比传统香烟（危害）小得多的观念在英国比在澳大利亚更为普遍。这一发现与英国对电子烟限制较宽松的监管环境一致，表明一个国家采用的电子烟监管框架会影响吸烟者对电子烟相对危害的认知，而这一群体最有可能从对电子烟相对危害的准确认知中获益。
