Looking beyond cigarettes: Are Ontario adolescents with asthma less likely to smoke e-cigarettes, marijuana, waterpipes or tobacco cigarettes?

• Published in: Respiratory medicine Vol. 120; pp. 10 - 15
• Main Authors: Larsen, Kristian, Faulkner, Guy E.J, Boak, Angela, Hamilton, Hayley A, Mann, Robert E, Irving, Hyacinth M, To, Teresa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2016; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Alcohol; Asthma; Asthma - epidemiology; Canada - epidemiology; Child; Drug use; E-cigarettes; Electronic cigarettes; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems - statistics & numerical data; Female; Health Surveys; Hospitals; Humans; Male; Marijuana; Marijuana Smoking - epidemiology; Nicotiana - adverse effects; Ontario; Outcome Assessment, Health Care - methods; Pulmonary/Respiratory; Risk Factors; Schools; Smoking; Smoking - adverse effects; Smoking - epidemiology; Smoking Water Pipes - statistics & numerical data; Socioeconomic Factors; Students; Studies; Teenagers; Variables; Waterpipes; Young Adult; Canada; Ontario; Ontario Canada; Canada, Ontario; E-cigarettes; Marijuana; Waterpipes; Adolescents; Asthma; Smoking
• ISSN: 0954-6111; 1532-3064
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rmed.2016.09.013

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this paper is to examine whether high school students in Ontario with asthma smoke cigarettes, waterpipes, marijuana or e-cigarettes more or less than those without asthma. Methods The 2013 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey provides self-report data on tobacco cigarettes, waterpipes, marijuana and e-cigarette smoking and asthma rates from 109 high schools in Ontario, Canada. Individual and social characteristics were also collected. Multiple binary logistic regression models measures the association with the various types of smoking in relation to asthma. Results Adolescents with asthma have higher odds of smoking e-cigarettes or smoking any type including smoke either cigarettes, waterpipe, marijuana or e-cigarettes. Respondents of lower socio-economic status had a higher odds of smoking marijuana or any type. Boys were more likely to smoke waterpipes, e-cigarettes or any type, while students in higher grades had a higher odds of smoking cigarettes, waterpipes, marijuana or any type. Conclusions Results from this study suggest that adolescents with asthma have a higher odds of smoking e-cigarettes than those without asthma, but no relationship was found for cigarettes, waterpipes or marijuana. Findings present some new challenges as technology changes how adolescents can smoke. Public health campaigns should target adolescents, especially those with asthma, to raise their awareness of the risks of all types of smoking including e-cigarettes.