HOW DO USERS PERCEIVE E-CIGARETTES – SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF SURVEY STUDIES.

Introduction and Objective Since 2004 when e-cigarettes had been invented, their sales increased rapidly. In 2014 over $6 billion were spent on electronic cigarettes, despite lack of evidence of their effectiveness in tobacco cessation. Patients around the world may be not aware of the fact that e-cigarettes are not an evidence-based treatment for nicotine addiction. The aim of this study was to search for opinions of e-cigarettes users in available survey-based studies in order to prove or reject this statement. Method Systematic review of PubMed database following the PRISMA guidelines. The database was searched using the following terms: "e-cigarette*", "electronic cigarette*", "nicotine delivery system*", “survey*” and “questionnaire*”. Comments and letters to the editor were excluded from the review. The studies were assessed against inclusion criteria. Results and Conclusions Nineteen publications (with a total number of 256.754 participants) were included in the review. Most of surveys participants confirmed that they used e-cigarettes to quit smoking. The major results of reviewed studies were: 1. respondents claimed that e-cigarettes were safer than regular cigarettes and perceived them as an effective method of smoking cessation; 2. e-cigarettes users report reduced urge to smoke regular cigarettes; 3. e-cigarettes flavours contribute to smoking cessation and do not attract young users to vaping; 4. non-smokers also use e-cigarettes. Patients perceive e-cigarettes as a method of smoking cessation, although evidence for that claim is currently missing. Surveys data confirm that e-cigarettes may be a new method for smoking cessation, however, at the same time they may attract young non-smokers to smoking.