Call for papers on disposable e-cigarettes

E-cigarettes have loomed large in tobacco control, regulatory science, addiction research and policy debates over the last decade. Early e-cigarettes were disposable devices that closely resembled cigarettes (widely described as cigalikes) and were relatively poor at delivering nicotine [1, 2]. Subsequent generations of e-cigarettes were developed that were rechargeable and included refillable tanks or replaceable cartridges or (later) pods [3], and typically delivered nicotine increasingly more effectively than earlier devices [4, 5]. Research established that nicotine e-cigarettes are more effective for smoking cessation than nicotine replacement therapy [6], less harmful than cigarettes [7] and principally attracted people who had previously smoked cigarettes regularly, or were likely to have done so in the future [8].

Since around 2021, a new form of disposable e-cigarettes has become popular in many countries. These disposable devices typically deliver nicotine more effectively by using a similar technology to pod devices and including a relatively high-strength nicotine salt e-liquid (20 mg/ml), are sold cheaply (for as little as £2.99 in the UK), and under a variety of brand names (e.g., ‘Crystal Bar’, ‘Elf Bar’, ‘Lost Mary’). From 2021 to 2022, use of disposable e-cigarettes rose sharply in Great Britain as these new products rapidly became popular among younger people (<25 year-olds) [9, 10]. Similar trends have been observed elsewhere, including among US, Australian and New Zealand youth [11-16]. The speed and extent of the increase in use of disposable e-cigarettes suggests a sizeable proportion of the youth population who were likely to have never smoked may now have been attracted to use these products.

From a public health point of view, the aim is to maximise the opportunity e-cigarettes present to help people to quit smoking, while minimising the risks of e-cigarettes being used by large numbers of young people who have never smoked. There is an urgent need for new research to estimate their likely public health impact of disposable e-cigarettes and to inform appropriate regulation.

Guest Editors:

Jamie Brown, University College London Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, UK – [email protected]

Suzanne Colby, Brown University School of Public Health, USA – [email protected]

Natalie Walker, University of Auckland National Institute for Health Innovation, New Zealand – [email protected]

Please direct any general enquiries to Molly Jarvis, Editorial Manager and Commissioning Editor – [email protected]

Deadline for submissions: 31 December 2023.