Cigarrillo electrónico: ¿otra herramienta para ayudar a dejar de fumar o una nueva estrategia para promover la adicción a la nicotina? / Electronic cigarette: another tool to help quit smoking or a new strategy to promote nicotine addiction?

Los autores de este artículo describen las principales características del cigarrillo electrónico y sus componentes, anali-zan la controversia sobre su potencial uso como terapia de sustitución del tabaco y describen las experiencias regulato-rias de Argentina y de otros países. (AU)

The authors of this article describe the main features of electronic cigarettes and its components, analyze the controversy about its potential use as tobacco substitution therapy, and summarize the regulatory experiences in Argentina and other countries. (AU)

Quit history, intentions to quit, and reasons for considering quitting among tobacco users in India: Findings from the Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation India Wave 1 Survey.

BACKGROUND: Global Adult Tobacco Survey India 2009–2010 revealed that more than one‑third (35%) of adults in India use tobacco in some form: 21% use smokeless tobacco, 9% smoke, and 5% are mixed users (they smoke and use smokeless tobacco), and the quit rate is very low. In an effort to decrease prevalence of tobacco use, it is thus important to understand the factors that are related to intention to quit among Indian tobacco users. Research has shown consistently that intention to quit is a strong predictor of future quitting. The present study reports the factors encouraging quitting tobacco products in India. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Cross‑sectional data from Wave 1 of the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation India Survey conducted in four cities and surrounding rural areas (i.e. Mumbai [Maharashtra], Patna [Bihar], Indore [Madhya Pradesh], and Kolkata [West Bengal]) between August 2010 and December 2011 were analyzed. A total of 8051 tobacco users (15+ years) were randomly sampled from 8586 households: 1255 smokers, 5991 smokeless users, and 805 mixed (smoke and smokeless) users. Validated, standardized questions were asked about current tobacco use, intention to quit, and factors encouraging quitting. RESULTS: Overall, 19.6% of tobacco users intended to quit. Smokers had less intention to quit as compared to smokeless tobacco users whereas mixed users had more intention to quit (odds ratio [OR] =1.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.12–1.97) compared to smokeless tobacco users. Highly educated people were more likely to report intention to quit (OR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.09–3.02) compared to less educated. Advice by doctors to quit tobacco had a strong impact on intention to quit (OR = 1.68, CI = 1.29–2.15). Tobacco users who were exposed to antitobacco messages at work places (OR = 1.74, CI = 1.23–2.46), at restaurants (OR = 1.65, CI = 1.12–2.43), bars (OR = 1.81, CI = 1.07–3.06), on public transportation (OR = 2.14, CI = 1.49–3.08) and on tobacco packages (OR = 1.77, CI = 1.29–2.14) also expressed greater intention to quit tobacco use. CONCLUSION: Around one‑fifth of tobacco users in India intended to quit tobacco use. Higher education, doctor’s advice, and antitobacco messages were positively associated with users’ intention to quit tobacco.