The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) is the largest survey of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drug use among 15-16 year old students in 35 European countries. It is coordinated by the Institute of Clinical Physiology of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR-Ifc). Using standardized methods since 1999, this survey is able to assess changes in young people's habits and has recently garnered interest from the World Health Organization.
Data shows that traditional tobacco cigarette use is declining among adolescents, possibly due to prevention and comparison policies implemented in many countries. However, concerning data about electronic cigarette use has emerged as a worrying trend. In response, the epidemiology and health services research department of CNR-Ifc conducted a study titled "Electronic Cigarette Use and Conventional Smoking Among European Students: Results From the 2019 ESPAD Survey," published in the journal Addiction, to analyze how tobacco control policies impact these habits.
In 2019, a study of approximately 100,000 ESPAD students found that 40.6% had tried traditional cigarettes at least once, with 19.3% currently being smokers. The percentage of smokers varied from 5.1% in Iceland to 32.4% in Italy. On the other hand, 37.8% of students reported trying e-cigarettes, with 12.4% currently using them (13.4% in Italy). According to the study's author, Sonia Cerrai, it can be assumed that young people's attitudes towards new smoking habits will continue to grow, due to the ease of access and perception of low risk.
In the ten countries analyzed, the use of electronic cigarettes has surpassed traditional smoking," stated Cerrai. "While electronic cigarettes may not necessarily contain nicotine, these tech products that are highly attractive to young people and very young individuals are frequently used in conjunction with traditional cigarettes, with usage ranging from 2% in Cyprus to 15% in Monaco (8.9% in Italy) within the sample.
However, implementing tobacco control policies by the government can also contribute to preventing smoking. "In this analysis, we used the Tobacco Control Scale index, which scores policies based on the measures taken," explained Cerrai. "We also considered some specific factors in our analysis: price increases showed a clear association with decreased use of two smoking methods. More spending on information campaigns and cessation programs only correlated with traditional smoking, while measures to prohibit the promotion and advertising of electronic devices were stricter.
According to researchers, the marketing for new devices emphasizes safety by reducing the risks associated with tobacco smoke exposure. However, this complete change in consumption patterns could lead to distractions for young people, who are also familiar with prevention initiatives and programs implemented in the past 20 years.
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