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“Essentially, All Models Are Wrong, but Some Are Useful”: A Preliminary Conceptual Model of Co-occurring E-cig and Alcohol Use

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

As prevalence rates of electronic cigarette (e-cig) use increase, researchers and clinicians should not only be paying careful attention to the direct health effects of e-cigs, but also the potential impact e-cigs may have on alcohol use behaviors. We review the current state of the literature and propose a conceptual model for the relationship between e-cig and alcohol use, including important consequences, mechanisms, and moderators of this relationship.

Recent Findings

The model is based in emerging literature examining the direct relationship between e-cig and alcohol use, as well as indirect evidence concerning potential mechanisms from research on cigarette and alcohol use. Overall, research indicates a robust relationship between e-cig and alcohol use.

Summary

We suggest that a relationship between e-cig use and alcohol use could be particularly problematic, especially for adolescents and for those with or at risk for alcohol use disorders. We hope the presented conceptual model can stimulate research in this area. We make research recommendations, including the need for more methodological rigor, including improved measurement of e-cig use, and expanding research to longitudinal and experimental designs.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the cooperative collaboration of the impulsivity neuroscience lab at IUPUI for their constructive commentary and contributions to the study and manuscript compilation. The preparation of this manuscript was supported in part by an F31 grant to Alexandra Hershberger (F31 AA024682) under the mentorship of Melissa A. Cyders. Box GEP, Draper NR. Empirical Model-Building and Response Surfaces. New York: John Wiley & Sons; 1987.

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  1. Indiana University Purdue University, 402 North Blackford Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Alexandra Hershberger & Melissa A. Cyders

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  1. Alexandra Hershberger
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Correspondence to Alexandra Hershberger.

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Conflict of Interest

Ms. Alexandra Hershberger reports grants from NIAAA (F31 AA024682), during the conduct of the study. Dr. Melissa Cyders declares that she has no conflicts of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Alcohol

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Hershberger, A., Cyders, M.A. “Essentially, All Models Are Wrong, but Some Are Useful”: A Preliminary Conceptual Model of Co-occurring E-cig and Alcohol Use. Curr Addict Rep 4, 200–208 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-017-0148-9

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