Nearly half of adult smokers in primary care also used cannabis or e-cigarettes
Among 601 adult cigarette smokers in primary care, over half also used cannabis, e-cigarettes, or both, but cessation counseling did not consistently account for poly-use.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
48.6% smoked cigarettes only. 30.4% also used cannabis. 10.5% also used e-cigarettes. 10.5% used all three products. Smoking behavior and motivation to quit did not differ between groups, but dual cigarette-e-cigarette users were more likely to receive complete cessation counseling.
Key Numbers
601 smokers studied. 48.6% cigarette-only. 30.4% cigarette + cannabis. 10.5% cigarette + e-cigarette. 10.5% all three. Mean age 50.8, 38.1% female.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional secondary analysis from a smoking cessation trial in 3 diverse primary care clinics in San Francisco (2014-2015). 601 current cigarette smokers reported on past 30-day cigarette and e-cigarette use and past 3-month cannabis use.
Why This Research Matters
Treating cigarette smoking without addressing concurrent cannabis or e-cigarette use may undermine cessation efforts. This study highlights how common poly-use is among smokers seeking primary care.
The Bigger Picture
Smoking cessation programs have traditionally focused on cigarettes alone. As cannabis and e-cigarette use become more common, providers need screening tools and guidelines that address multiple products simultaneously.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design from a single city (San Francisco) between 2014-2015. Self-reported substance use may undercount actual use. Cannabis and e-cigarette markets have changed significantly since data collection.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does concurrent cannabis use reduce the likelihood of successful cigarette cessation?
- ?How should cessation counseling be adapted for poly-users?
- ?Have these patterns changed since cannabis legalization in California?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 51.4% of smokers also used cannabis, e-cigarettes, or both
- Evidence Grade:
- Secondary analysis from a clinical trial in a single city. Useful prevalence data but limited generalizability.
- Study Age:
- 2020 publication using 2014-2015 data. Cannabis and e-cigarette use patterns may have shifted since data collection.
- Original Title:
- Patterns of cigarette, e-cigarette, and cannabis use among adult smokers in primary care 2014-2015.
- Published In:
- Addictive behaviors, 100, 106109 (2020)
- Authors:
- Thrul, Johannes(11), Vijayaraghavan, Maya, Kalkhoran, Sara, Satterfield, Jason M
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02880
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Were poly-users less motivated to quit smoking?
No. Smoking behavior and motivation to quit did not significantly differ between cigarette-only smokers and those who also used cannabis or e-cigarettes.
Did providers counsel poly-users differently?
Dual cigarette-e-cigarette users were more likely to receive all five cessation counseling steps (5As), but cannabis co-users were not counseled differently from cigarette-only smokers.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02880APA
Thrul, Johannes; Vijayaraghavan, Maya; Kalkhoran, Sara; Satterfield, Jason M. (2020). Patterns of cigarette, e-cigarette, and cannabis use among adult smokers in primary care 2014-2015.. Addictive behaviors, 100, 106109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.106109
MLA
Thrul, Johannes, et al. "Patterns of cigarette, e-cigarette, and cannabis use among adult smokers in primary care 2014-2015.." Addictive behaviors, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.106109
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Patterns of cigarette, e-cigarette, and cannabis use among a..." RTHC-02880. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/thrul-2020-patterns-of-cigarette-ecigarette
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.