Responses to real-world and hypothetical e-cigarette flavor bans among US young adults who use flavored e-cigarettes
<strong>Introduction<br></strong> E-cigarette flavor bans could reduce or exacerbate population health harms. To determine how US e-cigarette flavor restrictions might influence tobacco use behavior, this study assesses responses to real-world and hypothetical flavor bans among you...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Oxford University Press
2023
|
| _version_ | 1826313849203064832 |
|---|---|
| author | Tam, J Jimenez-Mendoza, E Buckell, J Sindelar, J Meza, R |
| author_facet | Tam, J Jimenez-Mendoza, E Buckell, J Sindelar, J Meza, R |
| author_sort | Tam, J |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | <strong>Introduction<br></strong>
E-cigarette flavor bans could reduce or exacerbate population health harms. To determine how US e-cigarette flavor restrictions might influence tobacco use behavior, this study assesses responses to real-world and hypothetical flavor bans among young adults who use flavored e-cigarettes.
<br><strong>
Aims and Methods<br></strong>
An online, national survey of young adults ages 18–34 who use flavored e-cigarettes was conducted in 2021 (n = 1253), oversampling states affected by e-cigarette flavor restrictions. Participants were asked about their responses to real-world changes in the availability of flavored e-cigarettes. Unaffected participants were asked to predict their responses under a hypothetical federal e-cigarette flavor ban.
<br><strong>
Results<br></strong>
The most common response to real-world changes in flavored e-cigarettes availability was to continue vaping (~80%). Among those who exclusively vaped, 12.5% switched to combustible tobacco. Quitting all forms of tobacco was selected by 5.3% of those exclusively vape versus 4.2% who dual use. Under a hypothetical federal ban, more than half of respondents stated they would continue vaping; 20.9% and 42.5% of those who exclusively vape versus dual use would use combustible tobacco. Quitting all tobacco products was endorsed by 34.5% and 17.2% of those who exclusively vape versus dual use.
<br><strong>
Conclusions<br></strong>
Young adults who vape flavored e-cigarettes have mixed responses to e-cigarette flavor bans. Under both real-world and hypothetical e-cigarette flavor bans, most who use flavored e-cigarettes continue vaping. Under a real-world ban, the second most common response among those who exclusively vape is to switch to smoking; under a hypothetical federal ban, it is to quit all tobacco.
<br><strong>
Implications<br></strong>
This is the first national survey to directly ask young adults who use flavored e-cigarettes about their responses to real-world changes in flavored e-cigarette availability due to state and local flavor restrictions. The survey also asked individuals to predict their responses under a hypothetical federal e-cigarette flavor ban. Most who use flavored e-cigarettes would continue vaping following e-cigarette flavor restrictions, but many would switch to or continue using combustible tobacco, highlighting potential negative public health consequences of these policies. Policymakers must consider the impact of e-cigarette flavor bans on both e-cigarette and cigarette use. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T08:22:28Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:f98cc2f9-475f-4c1d-bf81-26053acd6a14 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-25T04:22:58Z |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publisher | Oxford University Press |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:f98cc2f9-475f-4c1d-bf81-26053acd6a142024-08-13T10:17:54ZResponses to real-world and hypothetical e-cigarette flavor bans among US young adults who use flavored e-cigarettesJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:f98cc2f9-475f-4c1d-bf81-26053acd6a14EnglishSymplectic ElementsOxford University Press2023Tam, JJimenez-Mendoza, EBuckell, JSindelar, JMeza, R<strong>Introduction<br></strong> E-cigarette flavor bans could reduce or exacerbate population health harms. To determine how US e-cigarette flavor restrictions might influence tobacco use behavior, this study assesses responses to real-world and hypothetical flavor bans among young adults who use flavored e-cigarettes. <br><strong> Aims and Methods<br></strong> An online, national survey of young adults ages 18–34 who use flavored e-cigarettes was conducted in 2021 (n = 1253), oversampling states affected by e-cigarette flavor restrictions. Participants were asked about their responses to real-world changes in the availability of flavored e-cigarettes. Unaffected participants were asked to predict their responses under a hypothetical federal e-cigarette flavor ban. <br><strong> Results<br></strong> The most common response to real-world changes in flavored e-cigarettes availability was to continue vaping (~80%). Among those who exclusively vaped, 12.5% switched to combustible tobacco. Quitting all forms of tobacco was selected by 5.3% of those exclusively vape versus 4.2% who dual use. Under a hypothetical federal ban, more than half of respondents stated they would continue vaping; 20.9% and 42.5% of those who exclusively vape versus dual use would use combustible tobacco. Quitting all tobacco products was endorsed by 34.5% and 17.2% of those who exclusively vape versus dual use. <br><strong> Conclusions<br></strong> Young adults who vape flavored e-cigarettes have mixed responses to e-cigarette flavor bans. Under both real-world and hypothetical e-cigarette flavor bans, most who use flavored e-cigarettes continue vaping. Under a real-world ban, the second most common response among those who exclusively vape is to switch to smoking; under a hypothetical federal ban, it is to quit all tobacco. <br><strong> Implications<br></strong> This is the first national survey to directly ask young adults who use flavored e-cigarettes about their responses to real-world changes in flavored e-cigarette availability due to state and local flavor restrictions. The survey also asked individuals to predict their responses under a hypothetical federal e-cigarette flavor ban. Most who use flavored e-cigarettes would continue vaping following e-cigarette flavor restrictions, but many would switch to or continue using combustible tobacco, highlighting potential negative public health consequences of these policies. Policymakers must consider the impact of e-cigarette flavor bans on both e-cigarette and cigarette use. |
| spellingShingle | Tam, J Jimenez-Mendoza, E Buckell, J Sindelar, J Meza, R Responses to real-world and hypothetical e-cigarette flavor bans among US young adults who use flavored e-cigarettes |
| title | Responses to real-world and hypothetical e-cigarette flavor bans among US young adults who use flavored e-cigarettes |
| title_full | Responses to real-world and hypothetical e-cigarette flavor bans among US young adults who use flavored e-cigarettes |
| title_fullStr | Responses to real-world and hypothetical e-cigarette flavor bans among US young adults who use flavored e-cigarettes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Responses to real-world and hypothetical e-cigarette flavor bans among US young adults who use flavored e-cigarettes |
| title_short | Responses to real-world and hypothetical e-cigarette flavor bans among US young adults who use flavored e-cigarettes |
| title_sort | responses to real world and hypothetical e cigarette flavor bans among us young adults who use flavored e cigarettes |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tamj responsestorealworldandhypotheticalecigaretteflavorbansamongusyoungadultswhouseflavoredecigarettes AT jimenezmendozae responsestorealworldandhypotheticalecigaretteflavorbansamongusyoungadultswhouseflavoredecigarettes AT buckellj responsestorealworldandhypotheticalecigaretteflavorbansamongusyoungadultswhouseflavoredecigarettes AT sindelarj responsestorealworldandhypotheticalecigaretteflavorbansamongusyoungadultswhouseflavoredecigarettes AT mezar responsestorealworldandhypotheticalecigaretteflavorbansamongusyoungadultswhouseflavoredecigarettes |