Preprint Brief Report Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Youth Access to Electronic Cigarettes in an Unrestricted Market: a Cross-Sectional Study from Poland

Lukasz Balwicki
* ORCID logo ,
Danielle Smith
,
Malgorzata Balwicka-Szczyrba
,
Michal Gawron PharmD
,
Andrzej Sobczak
,
Maciej L. Goniewicz
ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 1 June 2018 / Approved: 4 June 2018 / Online: 4 June 2018 (10:23:46 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Balwicki, L.; Smith, D.; Balwicka-Szczyrba, M.; Gawron, M.; Sobczak, A.; Goniewicz, M.L. Youth Access to Electronic Cigarettes in an Unrestricted Market: A Cross-Sectional Study from Poland. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 1465. Balwicki, L.; Smith, D.; Balwicka-Szczyrba, M.; Gawron, M.; Sobczak, A.; Goniewicz, M.L. Youth Access to Electronic Cigarettes in an Unrestricted Market: A Cross-Sectional Study from Poland. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 1465.

Abstract

Background: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among youth in Poland has become very popular. The aim of this study was to identify potential points of access to these products among students aged 16-17 before implementation of sales restrictions to minors in Poland in November 2016. Methods: A school-based, cross-sectional survey was administered in 2015-2016 in 21 secondary/technical schools across two regions of Poland. Analyses focused on 341 students aged 16-17 who reported past 30-day use of e-cigarettes. Pearson chi-square analyses were utilized to examine associations between access-related items, e-cigarette use, and demographics. Results: Among youth e-cigarette users, the most common access to their first e-cigarette was from a friend (38%), followed by purchasing from vape shops (26%). Similar patterns emerged when students were asked about the access to their currently used e-cigarette. Most youth reported no difficulty purchasing cartridges/e-liquid containing nicotine (90%); the majority of users (52%) reported buying such products in vape shops. Conclusions: Prior to implementing age-related sales restrictions, youth access to e-cigarettes and paraphernalia did not pose any significant barriers. Poland’s introduction of a new age limit on e-cigarette sales may help limit the number of youth who purchase e-cigarettes from vape shops.

Keywords

e-cigarette access; e-cigarette use; youth

Subject

Social Sciences, Behavior Sciences

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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