TY - JOUR
T1 - Knowledge and beliefs about electronic cigarettes among quitline cessation staff
AU - Cummins, Sharon
AU - Leischow, Scott
AU - Bailey, Linda
AU - Bush, Terry
AU - Wassum, Ken
AU - Copeland, Lesley
AU - Zhu, Shu Hong
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding for this study was provided by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (grant number R01CA128638-01A11), and by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health under the State and Community Tobacco Control Initiative (grant number U01CA154280). Funders had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the paper for publication.
Funding Information:
NAQC (Linda Bailey) received an award from a Pfizer Independent Grants for Learning & Change; Scott Leischow received research support from McNeil Consumer and GSK (GlaxoSmithKlein). The remaining authors have no conflicts of interest to report.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Elsevier Ltd.
PY - 2016/9/1
Y1 - 2016/9/1
N2 - Introduction: Smokers are asking health practitioners for guidance about using e-cigarettes as an aid to quitting. Several studies have surveyed physicians. However, in North America many smokers seek help from telephone quitlines rather than physicians. The objective of the current study was to assess quitline counselors' perceptions of e-cigarettes and what they tell callers about these products. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey, conducted in 2014 with 418 quitline counselors in the U.S. and Canada, measured perceptions of e-cigarettes: (1) use as a quitting aid; (2) safety; (3) professional guidance given and organizational guidance received; (4) regulation. The response rate was 90.1%. Analyses included calculating standard errors and 95% confidence intervals around summary statistics. Results: Nearly 70% of counselors believed that e-cigarettes are not effective quitting aids. Most believed e-cigarettes are addictive (87%) and that secondhand exposure to vapor is harmful (71%). Counselors reported that callers ask for advice about e-cigarettes, but few counselors recommended e-cigarettes (4%). Counselors (97%) reported being instructed by quitline employers to explain to clients that e-cigarettes are not FDA-approved; 74% were told to recommend approved quitting aids instead. Most counselors (> 87%) believed e-cigarettes should be regulated like cigarettes in terms of advertising, taxation, access by minors, and use in public places. Conclusions: Quitline counselors view e-cigarettes as ineffective quitting aids, potentially dangerous, and in need of greater regulations. Counselors can influence how treatment seekers view e-cigarettes, therefore it is imperative that quitlines stay abreast of emerging data and communicate about these products in ways that best serve clients.
AB - Introduction: Smokers are asking health practitioners for guidance about using e-cigarettes as an aid to quitting. Several studies have surveyed physicians. However, in North America many smokers seek help from telephone quitlines rather than physicians. The objective of the current study was to assess quitline counselors' perceptions of e-cigarettes and what they tell callers about these products. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey, conducted in 2014 with 418 quitline counselors in the U.S. and Canada, measured perceptions of e-cigarettes: (1) use as a quitting aid; (2) safety; (3) professional guidance given and organizational guidance received; (4) regulation. The response rate was 90.1%. Analyses included calculating standard errors and 95% confidence intervals around summary statistics. Results: Nearly 70% of counselors believed that e-cigarettes are not effective quitting aids. Most believed e-cigarettes are addictive (87%) and that secondhand exposure to vapor is harmful (71%). Counselors reported that callers ask for advice about e-cigarettes, but few counselors recommended e-cigarettes (4%). Counselors (97%) reported being instructed by quitline employers to explain to clients that e-cigarettes are not FDA-approved; 74% were told to recommend approved quitting aids instead. Most counselors (> 87%) believed e-cigarettes should be regulated like cigarettes in terms of advertising, taxation, access by minors, and use in public places. Conclusions: Quitline counselors view e-cigarettes as ineffective quitting aids, potentially dangerous, and in need of greater regulations. Counselors can influence how treatment seekers view e-cigarettes, therefore it is imperative that quitlines stay abreast of emerging data and communicate about these products in ways that best serve clients.
KW - Electronic nicotine delivery device (ENDS)
KW - Information seeking behavior
KW - Public health
KW - Smoking cessation program
KW - Tobacco use cessation products
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U2 - 10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.03.031
DO - 10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.03.031
M3 - Article
C2 - 27100472
AN - SCOPUS:84963582684
SN - 0306-4603
VL - 60
SP - 78
EP - 83
JO - Addictive Behaviors
JF - Addictive Behaviors
ER -