Lifetime use of non-nicotine drugs in electronic cigarette devices among a sample of individuals in substance use disorder treatment

Carmen L Masson; Noah R Gubner; Neal Benowitz; Sindhushree Hosakote; Thao Le; Joseph R Guydish

doi:10.1016/j.abrep.2022.100465

Lifetime use of non-nicotine drugs in electronic cigarette devices among a sample of individuals in substance use disorder treatment

Addict Behav Rep. 2022 Oct 26:16:100465. doi: 10.1016/j.abrep.2022.100465. eCollection 2022 Dec.

Authors

Carmen L Masson¹, Noah R Gubner², Neal Benowitz³, Sindhushree Hosakote⁴, Thao Le⁴, Joseph R Guydish^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, CA, USA.
² University of Washington, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Evidence Based Practice Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.
³ Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
⁴ Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California San Francisco, CA, USA.

Abstract

Background: Limited data are available on other substance use in e-cigarettes (OSUE). The aim of this research was to determine the prevalence and predictors of OSUE among a sample of individuals in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment.

Methods: In 2019, we surveyed 553 individuals from 18 residential SUD treatment programs in California, USA. Individuals reporting any lifetime use of an e-cigarette containing nicotine (n = 279) were asked about ever use of drugs other than nicotine in their e-cigarette. Those who reported use of non-nicotine drugs in their e-cigarette also reported what psychoactive drugs were used.

Results: Among all the participants, 25 % (n = 139) . reported ever engaging in OSUE. The most common drugs used in vaping devices were marijuana/THC/hash, (70.5 %, n = 98) and amphetamines/methamphetamine (51.1 %, n = 71). Among those who had engaged in OSUE, 44.6 % (n = 62) had vaped drugs for which they sought treatment. Older persons (OR = 0.93, CI 0.91, 0.95) and African Americans (OR = 0.48, CI 0.24, 0.94) were less likely to have ever engaged in OSUE, while persons in treatment for opioid use were more likely (OR = 1.71, CI 1.08, 2.71).

Conclusion: Among a sample of clients in SUD treatment, about 25% had ever engaged in OSUE, with THC/marijuana and amphetamines most commonly reported. Further research is needed to evaluate the OSUE to understand the reasons for use and implications among persons enrolled in SUD treatment.

Keywords: Drug use; E-cigarettes; Electronic cigarettes; Electronic nicotine delivery system; Substance use disorder treatment; Vaping.