Cannabis Use Was Strongly Associated With Having Tried E-Cigarettes Among French College Students
Among 1,134 French college students, cannabis use was one of the strongest predictors of ever trying e-cigarettes (2.44 times higher odds), and nearly half of e-cigarette experimenters had never smoked conventional cigarettes.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
In a survey of 1,134 French college students, 23% had ever used e-cigarettes and 5.7% were current users. Three findings stand out.
First, cannabis use was strongly associated with ever trying e-cigarettes (AOR = 2.44), alongside cigarette smoking (AOR = 3.97) and occasional binge drinking (AOR = 1.83).
Second, nearly half (45.8%) of those who had ever tried e-cigarettes had never smoked conventional cigarettes, challenging the assumption that e-cigarettes are primarily used by smokers trying to quit.
Third, the profile of ever-users differed sharply from current users. Ever-users showed a pattern of sensation-seeking and experimentation with multiple substances. Current users were almost exclusively smokers using e-cigarettes as a cessation tool (AOR = 14.53 for current smoking).
Key Numbers
1,134 students, mean age 20.8. E-cigarette ever use: 23%. Current use: 5.7%. Combined cigarette + e-cigarette use: 14.5%. 45.8% of e-cigarette experimenters never smoked. Cannabis use AOR for ever e-cigarette use: 2.44.
How They Did This
Multi-center cross-sectional study conducted on two major campuses in France between October 2014 and February 2015. 1,134 students completed anonymous questionnaires about e-cigarette use, conventional smoking, alcohol, cannabis, sports, and eating disorders.
Why This Research Matters
The strong association between cannabis use and e-cigarette experimentation suggests these behaviors cluster together in a broader pattern of substance exploration. This has implications for prevention: programs targeting e-cigarette use may need to address cannabis and other substance use simultaneously.
The Bigger Picture
The clustering of cannabis, alcohol, and e-cigarette use among college students reflects a broader pattern of substance experimentation during young adulthood. Understanding which substances predict initiation of others can help design more comprehensive prevention strategies.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot establish whether cannabis use led to e-cigarette experimentation or vice versa. French college students may have different substance use patterns than students in other countries. Self-reported data may underestimate substance use. The study predates the widespread adoption of pod-based e-cigarettes.
Questions This Raises
- ?Do cannabis users try e-cigarettes as an alternative delivery method for cannabis, or are both driven by a common trait like novelty seeking?
- ?Would addressing cannabis use reduce e-cigarette initiation?
- ?Has the relationship changed since pod-based e-cigarettes became dominant?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Cannabis use increased odds of e-cigarette experimentation 2.44x among college students.
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate evidence from a multi-center cross-sectional study with a reasonable sample size, though the design cannot establish causation.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2016. The e-cigarette landscape has changed dramatically since this study, with pod-based systems now dominant.
- Original Title:
- Patterns of electronic cigarette use in current and ever users among college students in France: a cross-sectional study.
- Published In:
- BMJ open, 6(5), e011344 (2016)
- Authors:
- Tavolacci, Marie-Pierre, Vasiliu, Anca, Romo, Lucia(2), Kotbagi, Gayatri, Kern, Laurence, Ladner, Joël
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01279
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Are cannabis users more likely to try e-cigarettes?
In this study, yes. Cannabis use was associated with 2.44 times higher odds of having tried e-cigarettes. This likely reflects a broader pattern of substance experimentation rather than a direct causal relationship.
Do most e-cigarette users already smoke?
Not necessarily. Nearly half (45.8%) of students who had tried e-cigarettes had never smoked conventional cigarettes. However, current ongoing e-cigarette users were mostly smokers using them as cessation aids.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01279APA
Tavolacci, Marie-Pierre; Vasiliu, Anca; Romo, Lucia; Kotbagi, Gayatri; Kern, Laurence; Ladner, Joël. (2016). Patterns of electronic cigarette use in current and ever users among college students in France: a cross-sectional study.. BMJ open, 6(5), e011344. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011344
MLA
Tavolacci, Marie-Pierre, et al. "Patterns of electronic cigarette use in current and ever users among college students in France: a cross-sectional study.." BMJ open, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011344
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Patterns of electronic cigarette use in current and ever use..." RTHC-01279. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/tavolacci-2016-patterns-of-electronic-cigarette
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.