Table 3.

Providers’ beliefs about e-cigarette risks and communication (n = 561)

	Mean (SD)	Strongly disagree %	Somewhat disagree %	Somewhat agree %	Strongly agree %
Risk beliefs
E-cigarettes are safer to use than regular cigarettes	2.7 (.9)	12.7	21.8	52.1	13.4
E-cigarettes are safer to use than smokeless tobacco (chew, snuff, dip, etc.)	2.7 (.9)	12.9	22.7	49.6	14.8
E-cigarettes could be a “gateway” to other tobacco use	3.0 (.8)	5.5	19.4	43.0	32.1
Communication
My adolescent patients do not know about e-cigarettes	2.1 (.7)	21.7	54.4	20.6	3.3
Discussing e-cigarettes with patients may encourage them to use e-cigarettes	1.8 (.8)	45.3	36.6	15.5	2.6
It is important to discuss e-cigarettes with adolescent patients	2.8 (.7)	4.1	26.9	55.1	13.9
Parents of adolescents need to know about e-cigarettes	3.3 (.7)	1.9	9.1	51.0	38.0