Intensive Longitudinal Study of the Relationship Between Cigalike E-cigarette Use and Cigarette Smoking Among Adult Cigarette Smokers Without Immediate Plans to Quit Smoking

Introduction: This study examined the association between the introduction of an e-cigarette and subsequent change in cigarette smoking among smokers who were not immediately interested in quitting. Aims and Methods: The Moment Study was a 21-day intensive longitudinal study with an online follow-up survey at 30 days. After observing baseline cigarette smoking for 1 week, participants received 10 cigalike e-cigarettes on study days 6 and 13. Participants reported cigarettes per day, e-cigarette puffs per day, and e-cigarette satisfaction using text-message-based surveys. Results: The sample of 96 daily smokers was majority female (53.1%), African American (67.7%), and non-Hispanic (95.8%). When e-cigarettes were provided (day 6), average cigarettes per day dropped by 1.82 cigarettes (p<.0001). The within-person e-cigarette puff effect on daily cigarette smoking was significantly negative (beta = -0.023; p = .005); a participant who consumed 100 more e-cigarette puffs in a day than usual for that person was expected to smoke 2.3 fewer cigarettes that day, but this was only true for non-menthol smokers (p = .006). Smokers older than 45 and those who started smoking at a younger age rated e-cigarettes as less satisfying (ps < .05). Participants with greater than the median reported satisfaction were 6.5 times more likely to use an e-cigarette at follow-up. Conclusions: Giving e-cigarettes to smokers who did not intend to quit reduced their cigarette smoking on days when they used e-cigarette more frequently, but this relationship did not hold for menthol smokers. Satisfaction with e-cigarette use was predictive of continued use 30 days later.

Automated summary

Providing e-cigarettes to smokers who did not intend to quit reduced their cigarette smoking when using the e-cigarette more frequently, but this effect did not hold for menthol smokers. Older smokers and those who started smoking at a younger age rated e-cigarettes as less satisfying. Participants with higher satisfaction levels were more likely to continue using e-cigarettes at the 30-day follow-up.