Prescribed Medication Burden by Tobacco Smoking and E‐Cigarette Use Status

Ex-smokers had the highest medication burden compared with never users, which may partly reflect reverse causation, whereby illness and associated treatment prompt smoking cessation, though residual effects of prior smoking cannot be excluded. Current smokers showed no significant excess burden, possibly due to a "healthy smoker" effect, and e-cigarette use was not associated with overall burden compared with never users, although it was linked to greater use of pain and anti-inflammatory medicines.