Date of Publication

1-20-2016

Abstract

Introduction: Despite a decline in youth smoking rates over the past decade, thirteen percent of Vermont high school students still smoke (Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey, YRBS, 2013). Smoking and nicotine exposure at an early age can have detrimental effects on brain development and lead to long term, sustained tobacco use (Arrazola et. al 2015). It was our goal to characterize the barriers to cessation for these adolescents. Some important factors suggested by the literature include living with someone who smokes (50% of VT teen smokers report a parent or guardian who smokes) and having a close friend who smokes (70% of VT teen smokers) (American Lung Association 2015). Nationally, while teen smoking rates continue to decline, the decrease is being offset by a significant increase in electronic vapor products (e-cigs) (12% increase from 2011-2014) (Arrazola et. al 2015). The 2013 Vermont YRBS data may therefore be misleading, and not capture this increase in tobacco and e-cig use. Therefore, we were particularly interested in further characterizing the link, if any, between e-cig use and smoking initiation or successful smoking cessation.

Advisor(s)

David Kaminsky, MD, University of Vermont College of Medicine

Rebecca Ryan, American Lung Association

Agency

American Lung Association

Subjects

Access to Health Services, Tobacco Use, Adolescent Health, Health-Related Quality of Life & Well-Being

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License

Vermont Adolescent Perception of Barriers to Smoking and Cessation
COinS