Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
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This study examined whether nontobacco flavors are more commonly used by vapers (e-cigarette users) compared with tobacco flavor, described which flavors are most popular, and tested whether flavors are associated with: vaping satisfaction relative to smoking, level of enjoyment with vaping, reasons for using e-cigarettes, and making an attempt to quit smoking by smokers. ⋯ Recent concerns about the attractiveness of e-cigarette flavors among youth have resulted in flavor restrictions in some jurisdictions of the United States and Canada. However, little is known about the possible consequences for current and former smokers if they no longer have access to their preferred flavors. This study shows that a variety of nontobacco flavors, especially fruit, are popular among adult vapers, particularly among those who have quit smoking and are now exclusively vaping. Limiting access to flavors may therefore reduce the appeal of e-cigarettes among adults who are trying to quit smoking or stay quit.
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Direct emissions of nicotine and harmful chemicals from electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have been intensively studied, but secondhand and thirdhand e-cigarette aerosol (THA) exposures in indoor environments are understudied. ⋯ This study adds new convincing evidence that e-cigarette vaping can cause secondhand and THA exposures. Our findings can inform Occupational Safety and Health Administration, state authorities, and other government agencies regarding indoor air policies related to e-cigarette use, particularly in vape-shops. There is an urgent need to ensure that vape-shops maintain suitable ventilation systems and cleaning practices to protect customers, employees, and bystanders. Our study also demonstrates that nicotine can deposit or be adsorbed on baby's clothes and toys, and that tobacco-specific nitrosamines can form and retain on baby's clothes, highlighting children's exposure to environmental e-cigarette aerosol and THA at home is of a particular concern.
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Minimum floor price laws (MFPLs) are an emerging tobacco control policy that sets a minimum price below which a specific tobacco product cannot be sold. MFPLs target cheaper products and may disproportionately impact consumers choosing low price brands or using discounts to reduce prices. We developed a static microsimulation model for California, United States to project short-term effects of different MFPL options for a 20-stick pack of cigarettes on adult smoking behaviors. ⋯ Despite reductions in adult smoking prevalence, significant socioeconomic disparities remain, with lower-income groups smoking at substantially higher levels than higher-income groups. Policies that set a floor price below which a tobacco product cannot be sold could reduce socioeconomic disparities in smoking, depending on variation in prices paid by smokers prepolicy. By using a microsimulation model to predict changes in smoking for different population groups in California under several floor price scenarios, this study demonstrates that MFPLs have the potential to reduce adult smoking prevalence overall, and especially for lower-income tobacco users.
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Smoking depresses pulmonary immune function and is a risk factor contracting other infectious diseases and more serious outcomes among people who become infected. This paper presents a meta-analysis of the association between smoking and progression of the infectious disease COVID-19. ⋯ Physicians and public health professionals should collect data on smoking as part of clinical management and add smoking cessation to the list of practices to blunt the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Evaluating the Effects of a Brief Tobacco Intervention in the US Air Force.
Military personnel have among the highest rates of tobacco use in the United States. Unfortunately, there are few interventions aimed at reducing tobacco use among this vulnerable population. The current study addresses this need by evaluating the short-term effectiveness of a Brief Tobacco Intervention (BTI), a 40-min group-based intervention designed to reduce contemporary patterns of tobacco use among a sample of US military enlistees during an 11-week period of involuntary tobacco abstinence. ⋯ Despite the fact that most Airmen believe they will remain tobacco free following the ban in Technical Training, a large percentage of these Airmen resume and initiate tobacco use during this high-risk period. As a result, there is a need for interventions targeting the range of tobacco available to military trainees during a teachable moment when they report intentions to remain tobacco free. The current study shows that a BTI has promise in reducing long-term tobacco use, when coupled with additional interventions, such as a booster session or a media campaign.