@article {Agaku464, author = {Israel Agaku and Catherine O Egbe and Olalekan Ayo-Yusuf}, title = {Associations between electronic cigarette use and quitting behaviours among South African adult smokers}, volume = {31}, number = {3}, pages = {464--472}, year = {2022}, doi = {10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-056102}, publisher = {BMJ Publishing Group Ltd}, abstract = {Background The South African Medicines Control Council classifies e-cigarettes as Schedule 3 substances and requires them to be dispensed only within pharmacies. e-Cigarettes are however ubiquitous and are marketed as cessation aids. We investigated the relationship between e-cigarette use and smoking cessation among South African adult smokers.Methods Data came from a 2018 web survey of South African adults aged >=18 years (n=18 208). Cessation-related attitudes and behaviours were assessed. Using multivariable logistic regression, we measured the association between e-cigarette use and cessation behaviours among ever-established combustible tobacco smokers who tried to quit.Findings Among current combustible smokers, more e-cigarette ever versus never users believed e-cigarettes could assist smokers to completely quit (35.5\% vs 20.4\%) or cut down (51.7\% vs 26.5\%) (all p\<0.05). Among ever-established smokers, the odds of sustained quitting at the 12-month mark were lower among those who used e-cigarettes once off/rarely (adjusted OR (AOR)=0.20, 95\% CI=0.16{\textendash}0.24), former e-cigarette users (AOR=0.30, 95\% CI=0.24{\textendash}0.38) and current e-cigarette users (AOR=0.23, 95\% CI=0.18{\textendash}0.29), compared with never e-cigarette users. Among ever-established smokers who had ever tried to quit, 53.6\% relapsed into smoking after quitting for any length of time. The odds of relapsing among ever-established smokers who had made a quit attempt and had a quit intention were higher among those who used e-cigarettes once off/rarely (AOR=2.66; 95\% CI=2.31{\textendash}3.08), former e-cigarette users (AOR=1.41; 95\% CI=1.18{\textendash}1.69) and current e-cigarette users (AOR=1.85; 95\% CI=1.55{\textendash}2.22) than never e-cigarette users.Conclusion e-Cigarette use depressed long-term cessation. These findings can inform restrictions on unsubstantiated claims of e-cigarettes as cessation aids within South Africa.Requests should be directed to the corresponding and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.}, issn = {0964-4563}, URL = {https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/31/3/464}, eprint = {https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/31/3/464.full.pdf}, journal = {Tobacco Control} }