E-<strong>cigarettes</strong>: <strong>an</strong> <strong>evidence</strong> <strong>update</strong>ASH Smokefree GB (adult <strong>an</strong>d youth) surveysAdult: ASH has conducted cross-sectional internet surveys of adults (aged 18 <strong>an</strong>dover) in Great Britain (GB) since 2007. These surveys cover a wide r<strong>an</strong>ge of tobaccocontrol policies <strong>an</strong>d smoking behaviour <strong>an</strong>d are carried out on ~12,000 adults eachyear. Questions on EC were included first in 2010, with new EC questions added ineach subsequent survey (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015).Youth: ASH has conducted cross-sectional surveys of British youth (aged 11-18)three times to date (2013, 2014, 2015). Younger particip<strong>an</strong>ts are recruited, online,through the adult YouGov particip<strong>an</strong>ts with older particip<strong>an</strong>ts contacted directly. It hasbeen used to give a more contempor<strong>an</strong>eous <strong>an</strong>d comprehensive snapshot of youthattitudes towards smoking <strong>an</strong>d their behaviours (<strong>an</strong>d includes a breakdown of trial <strong>an</strong>dmore prolonged use of EC) th<strong>an</strong> UK Government national surveys have been able to.Internet Cohort GB survey (King’s College London, University College London)A unique longitudinal internet survey of smokers <strong>an</strong>d recent ex-smokers in GB (aged 16<strong>an</strong>d over) surveyed first in 2012 <strong>an</strong>d then again in December 2013 <strong>an</strong>d 2014. Of the5,000 respondents in the initial sample, 1,031 respondents (20.7%) used EC at all at thetime of the survey in 2012. The prevalence of past-year smoking in this baseline samplewas similar to that identified through the STS (which, as stated above, recruitedrepresentative samples of the population in Engl<strong>an</strong>d), over a comparable period.In 2013, 2,182 of the 5,000 were followed up <strong>an</strong>d in 2014, 1,519 were followed up. ECuse was 32.8% (n=717) in 2013 <strong>an</strong>d 33.2% (n=505) in 2014. The study sample wasrecruited from <strong>an</strong> online p<strong>an</strong>el m<strong>an</strong>aged <strong>by</strong> Ipsos MORI who were invited <strong>by</strong> email toparticipate in <strong>an</strong> online study <strong>an</strong>d were screened for smoking status. The surveyincluded questions on smoking <strong>an</strong>d quitting behaviour <strong>an</strong>d stress <strong>an</strong>d general health aswell as detailed questions on EC usage.ASH GB Smokers’ survey 2014This is <strong>an</strong> online survey carried out <strong>by</strong> YouGov for ASH specifically to assess moredetailed attitudinal measures concerning nicotine containing products. The 2014 surveyinvolved 1,203 adult smokers <strong>an</strong>d recent ex-smokers selected from the ASH Smokefreeadult survey to have roughly equal numbers of smokers who had (n=510) <strong>an</strong>d had not(n=470) tried EC <strong>an</strong>d a smaller number of ex-smokers who had tried EC (n=223).ITC Policy Evaluation projectA longitudinal cohort survey of smokers <strong>an</strong>d recent ex-smokers (aged 18 <strong>an</strong>d over),surveyed <strong>by</strong> telephone <strong>an</strong>d internet. The ITC UK survey started in 2002 <strong>an</strong>d surveys18
E-<strong>cigarettes</strong>: <strong>an</strong> <strong>evidence</strong> <strong>update</strong>have been conducted approximately <strong>an</strong>nually since that time. Probability samplingmethods are utilised through telephone surveys using r<strong>an</strong>dom digit dialling, but in morerecent survey waves particip<strong>an</strong>ts could opt to complete surveys on the internet. The ITCUK study benefits from parallel cohort surveys in Australia, C<strong>an</strong>ada <strong>an</strong>d the UnitedStates, enabling comparisons across countries with different tobacco <strong>an</strong>d EC policies.Each wave of the survey includes approximately 1,500 UK respondents. EC questionswere added to the last three waves. Data from the last wave (in 2014) were notavailable for inclusion in this <strong>report</strong>, but published papers from earlier waves areincluded. More details of the methodology are available at www.itcproject.org19
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