Authors: (including presenting author): :
Wong TK, Lo CYJ, Luk MHM, Lai KPL, Chan PF, Wong KW, Chao DVK
Affiliation: :
Department of Family Medicine and Primary Health Care, Kowloon East Cluster
Introduction: :
Evidence of harm of smoking with ENDS is emerging despite the manufacturers’ claim as a healthier alternative to tobacco smoking. Proposed ban of sales in Hong Kong for such products is still pending. Prevalence of smoking with ENDS has been rising rapidly worldwide and in Hong Kong in recent years. Given no internationally accepted evidence-based guideline currently, we use a similar approach as tobacco smoking to help this group of clients quit, based on the similar nicotine addiction theory.
Objectives: :
To review the outcomes of smokers using ENDS attending our smoking cessation service.
Methodology: :
ENDS smokers could be referred by health care professionals when attending clinical services in our cluster or by self-referral to our smoking cessation centres. We offered them smoking cessation service by using similar approach as that for traditional tobacco smokers, i.e. counselling and pharmacotherapy as necessary, e.g. nicotine replacement therapy and oral drug Varenicline. The clinical data of patients recruited from 1st Oct 2017 to 31th Oct 2019 were analysed.
Result & Outcome: :
101 patients were recruited during the period with 89 (88.1%) male, and a mean age of 43.8 years. The majority used the Heat-Not-Burn type (57.4%) followed by electronic cigarette (liquid type) (22.8%), while the remaining (19.8%) used a mix of ENDS and traditional tobacco cigarette. The most commonly quoted reasons for using ENDS were for feeling of a healthier choice (26.1%), to help quit tobacco smoking (23.6%), and for enjoying the taste and smell of ENDS smoking (15.3%). For those who could set a quit date, the 7-days point abstinence rates at 1 month, 6 months and 12 months were 75.6% (31/41), 68.6% (24/35) and 52.4% (11/21) correspondingly. These were very comparable to those of our non-ENDS smokers [78.9% (966/1224) at 1 month, 69.5% (828/1192) at 6 months and 66.4% (773/1165) at 12 months according to 2018 data] without statistical significant difference (p>0.05, Chi-square). To conclude, we could effectively help smokers using ENDS to quit smoking using similar approach to that for tobacco users. Given the growing evidence of harm of ENDS smoking to health, ENDS smokers should be encouraged to attend smoking cessation service to enhance their successful rate of quitting.
