E-cigarettes are relatively new and no long-term studies of the health effects of using e-cigarettes or secondhand exposure to e-cigarettes have yet been conducted. Healthcare providers may not be aware of the patterns of use of e-cigarettes or of their health risks. They also may not be thinking about e-cigarettes when they take a smoking history.
• Assess whether patients are using e-cigarettes. • Describe the health effects of e-cigarettes. • Identify groups of patients at particular risk from the adverse health effects of e-cigarettes. • Answer challenging questions that patients may ask about e-cigarettes.