Adding Vaping Restrictions to Smoke-Free Air Laws: Associations with Conventional and Electronic Cigarette Use.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS\nTo reduce electronic cigarette use, some U.S. states and localities have added vaping restrictions to established smoke-free indoor air laws. Yet, if smokers use e-cigarettes to quit, such restrictions could have the unintended effect of attenuating the original smoke-free air policy s effects on smoking. This study estimated changes in current smoking, past-year smoking cessation, and recent vaping following the introduction of smoke- and vape-free air laws.\n\n\nDESIGN\nObservational study of nationally representative data from the 2014-2018 National Health Interview Survey.\n\n\nSETTING\nUnited States.\n\n\nPARTICIPANTS/CASES\n87,334 18 to 54 year-olds.\n\n\nMEASUREMENTS\nMultivariable linear regressions estimated the association between increased exposure to smoke- and vape-free worksite and restaurant laws and self-reported current smoking and recent vaping among emerging adults (ages 18 to 25), as well as past-12-month smoking cessation among prime age adults (ages 26 to 54). All regressions adjusted for respondent sociodemographics and other tobacco control policies, along with state and year fixed effects.\n\n\nFINDINGS\nSmoke-free worksite laws were associated with significant reductions in the likelihood of current smoking ( β ̂ =-0.050, 95%CI: -0.098, -0.002, p=0.038) and recent vaping ( β ̂ =-0.040, 95%CI: -0.072, -0.007, p=0.013), as well as increases in the likelihood of smoking cessation ( β ̂ =0.026, 95%CI: 0.000, 0.052, p=0.046). Adding vaping restrictions to smoke-free worksite laws did not yield further reductions in recent vaping ( β ̂ =0.008, 95%CI: -0.021,0.036, p=0.568) and counteracted over half of the estimated association with current smoking relative to smoke-free policies alone ( β ̂ =0.030, 95%CI: -0.028,0.088, p=0.301).\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nUnited States smoke-free worksite laws appear be associated with reductions in both current smoking and recent vaping as well as increases in smoking cessation. However, adding vaping restrictions to smoke-free worksite laws does not appear to be associated with a reduction in recent vaping among emerging adults and may attenuate the policy s impact on current smoking in this age group, though the latter result was not statistically significant.