Across all analyses conducted in our study, having a
parent or guardian who smokes was one of the strongest
predictors of e-cigarette access. Associations between
parental and child smoking are widely reported [30], and
are thought to operate through both genetic and environmental
influences. Similar relationships may exist for
propensity to experiment with e-cigarettes. The Trading
Standards survey did not ask students whether or not
their parents used e-cigarettes, yet the availability of
e-cigarettes in the home may be an important consideration
for future interventions. Although the content of
e-cigarettes varies [31], single cartridges typically contain
several hundred ‘puffs’ and unguarded, could easily be
‘shared’ by children without the adult users’ knowledge.
The involvement of parents along with schools in work
to address e-cigarette use in children is likely to be particularly
important as their lack of smoke and odour
means that, unlike conventional cigarettes, they can easily
be used in bedrooms or on school property without
detection.