According to vapingpost, a new study published recently by the public health department of BMC in Scotland shows that although adult smokers from economically disadvantaged families are less likely to quit smoking, the scope of this inequality has narrowed among non-smokers, indicating that e-cigarettes may help this group quit smoking.
Led by the MRC / CSO Department of social and public health sciences at the University of Glasgow, the study reemphasizes e-cigarettes as an effective tool for quitting smoking and their potential to expand or reduce socio-economic health inequalities.
The researchers analyzed data from nearly 40000 young people and adults in 2015-2017 from the British family longitudinal research understanding Association and found that, like smoking, children aged 10-15 from vulnerable families were also at higher risk of using e-cigarettes.
On the other hand, electronic cigarettes are still rarely used in this age group, and only 3% of them use electronic cigarettes. At the same time, among more than 18000 adults (over 16 years old) who have ever smoked, the number of smokers in disadvantaged families is smaller, but the difference is smaller among adults who smoke.
Lead study author Michael Green says it’s important to distinguish between people who used to smoke and people who didn’t. “It’s important to know if someone is smoking, because smoking in a non-smoking population can be a problem, while smoking in smokers and former smokers is more desirable because it can lead to people giving up smoking.”
“Inequalities in e-cigarettes among young people who have never smoked need to be constantly monitored, but there are good reasons not to panic. Smoking is still very rare among young people in the UK, so any impact is limited. In addition, some children who use electronic cigarettes may try to replace traditional cigarettes, which may be much more harmful. ” Green added.
Green also pointed out that adult smokers with an advantageous background are likely to succeed in quitting smoking, but this inequality is smaller among smokers. “Our findings suggest that e-cigarettes may be helping disadvantaged smokers quit smoking. This can have a significant impact on health inequality, because quitting smoking is very good for people’s health. “
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