INTRODUCTION

E-cigarettes (EC) appeared in 2004 and are currently used in most countries. In Argentina, the National Administration of Drugs, Foods and Medical Devices (ANMAT) banned its sale in 2011. The main objective of this paper was to report the prevalence of current consumption of traditional cigarettes and EC among adults and adolescents in Argentina.

METHODS

Adult data were obtained from the 2018 National Risk Factor Survey with national representativeness. Youth data came from the 2018 World Youth Tobacco Survey, which included 1845 students from public and private schools nationwide.

RESULTS

In adults, the prevalence of current consumption of traditional cigarettes was 22.2% and of EC was 1.1%. Among 13- to 15-year-olds, 18.0% reported using traditional cigarettes and 7.1% EC in the 30 days leading up to the survey. Overall, 14.4% had ever used an EC in their lifetime. Also, 75% knew what EC were and 42% believed they were less harmful than traditional cigarettes. The use of EC was also evident in young people who had never tried a regular cigarette.

DISCUSSION

Two national surveys in adults and young schoolchildren show that traditional cigarette use is high and that, despite the ban, EC are consumed by young people and adults. It is necessary to strengthen the control of existing law and to enforce the complete prohibition of all types of advertising, promotion, sponsorship and display of tobacco products, including EC.

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