Electronic Cigarette Use and Quitting in Youth

A Pilot Study on Electronic Cigarette Use and Their Impact on Smoking and Quitting in Youth

A mixed method (longitudinal, trajectory and qualitative studies) to provide comprehensive evidence on the impact of e-cigarette use on smoking and quitting among smoking youth in Hong Kong.

Subjects are from a cohort of Youth Quitline callers and smoking youth (N=200) in Hong Kong. The longitudinal study will investigate the effects of baseline e-cigarette use on quitting (including relapse), nicotine addiction and intention to smoke at 12-month telephone follow-up. A qualitative study will be conducted on 10 ex- and 10 current smokers to supplement and facilitate interpretation of the quantitative findings.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Ethnic Chinese
2. Cantonese speakers
3. Smoke at least 1 cigarette in the past 30 days

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Psychologically or physically unable to communicate
2. Undergoing other smoking cessation programme