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Changing patterns of first e-cigarette flavor used and current flavors used by 20,836 adult frequent e-cigarette users in the USA.
Harm Reduct J. 2018 06 28; 15(1):33.HR

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Understanding the role that flavors play in the population's use of e-cigarettes and the impact that flavored e-cigarette products have on the population's use of more harmful tobacco products, like conventional cigarettes, has been identified by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a public health research priority. The purpose of the study was to assess the first e-cigarette flavor and current e-cigarette flavors used by a large non-probabilistic sample of adult frequent users of e-cigarettes in the USA and assess how flavor preferences vary by cigarette smoking status and time since first e-cigarette purchase.

METHODS

An online survey assessed the first e-cigarette flavor and current e-cigarette flavors used by a non-probabilistic sample of 20,836 adult frequent e-cigarette users in the USA. Differences in e-cigarette flavor preferences between current smokers, former smokers, and never-smokers and trends in the first flavor used across time of e-cigarette use initiation were assessed.

RESULTS

The majority (n = 15,807; 76.4%) of sampled frequent e-cigarette users had completely substituted e-cigarettes for conventional cigarettes-"switchers"-and were currently using rechargeable, refillable vaping devices. Among them, the proportion of first e-cigarette purchases that were fruit-flavored increased from 17.8% of first purchases made before 2011 to 33.5% of first purchases made between June 2015 and June 2016. Tobacco-flavored first purchases almost halved during this time (46.0% pre-2011 to 24.0% between 2015 and 2016). Fruit/fruit beverage (73.9 to 82.9% of sampled users), dessert/pastry (63.5 to 68.5% of sampled users), and candy, chocolate, or sweets (48.7 to 53.4% of sampled users) were the most popular currently used e-cigarette flavors. Tobacco and menthol flavors, the two most popular flavors for initiating e-cigarette use prior to 2013, now rank as the 5th and 6th most popular currently used e-cigarette flavors, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Adult frequent e-cigarette users in the USA who have completely switched from smoking cigarettes to using e-cigarettes are increasingly likely to have initiated e-cigarette use with non-tobacco flavors and to have transitioned from tobacco to non-tobacco flavors over time. Restricting access to non-tobacco e-cigarette flavors may discourage smokers from attempting to switch to e-cigarettes.

Links

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Russell C
Centre for Substance Use Research, 4.04 West of Scotland Science Park, Kelvin Walkway, Glasgow, G20 0SP, UK. russell@csures.org.
McKeganey N
Centre for Substance Use Research, 4.04 West of Scotland Science Park, Kelvin Walkway, Glasgow, G20 0SP, UK.
Dickson T
Centre for Substance Use Research, 4.04 West of Scotland Science Park, Kelvin Walkway, Glasgow, G20 0SP, UK.
Nides M
Los Angeles Clinical Trials, 4116 W. Magnolia Blvd, Suite 100, Burbank, CA, 91505, USA.

MeSH

AdolescentAdultAgedConsumer BehaviorElectronic Nicotine Delivery SystemsFemaleFlavoring AgentsHumansMaleMiddle AgedSmokersTasteUnited StatesVapingYoung Adult

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

29954412

Citation

Russell, Christopher, et al. "Changing Patterns of First E-cigarette Flavor Used and Current Flavors Used By 20,836 Adult Frequent E-cigarette Users in the USA." Harm Reduction Journal, vol. 15, no. 1, 2018, p. 33.
Russell C, McKeganey N, Dickson T, et al. Changing patterns of first e-cigarette flavor used and current flavors used by 20,836 adult frequent e-cigarette users in the USA. Harm Reduct J. 2018;15(1):33.
Russell, C., McKeganey, N., Dickson, T., & Nides, M. (2018). Changing patterns of first e-cigarette flavor used and current flavors used by 20,836 adult frequent e-cigarette users in the USA. Harm Reduction Journal, 15(1), 33. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-018-0238-6
Russell C, et al. Changing Patterns of First E-cigarette Flavor Used and Current Flavors Used By 20,836 Adult Frequent E-cigarette Users in the USA. Harm Reduct J. 2018 06 28;15(1):33. PubMed PMID: 29954412.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Changing patterns of first e-cigarette flavor used and current flavors used by 20,836 adult frequent e-cigarette users in the USA. AU - Russell,Christopher, AU - McKeganey,Neil, AU - Dickson,Tiffany, AU - Nides,Mitchell, Y1 - 2018/06/28/ PY - 2018/04/18/received PY - 2018/05/31/accepted PY - 2018/6/30/entrez PY - 2018/6/30/pubmed PY - 2019/2/12/medline KW - Cigarettes KW - E-cigarettes KW - E-liquids KW - Flavors KW - Harm reduction KW - Smoking KW - Tobacco KW - Vapers KW - Vaping SP - 33 EP - 33 JF - Harm reduction journal JO - Harm Reduct J VL - 15 IS - 1 N2 - BACKGROUND: Understanding the role that flavors play in the population's use of e-cigarettes and the impact that flavored e-cigarette products have on the population's use of more harmful tobacco products, like conventional cigarettes, has been identified by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a public health research priority. The purpose of the study was to assess the first e-cigarette flavor and current e-cigarette flavors used by a large non-probabilistic sample of adult frequent users of e-cigarettes in the USA and assess how flavor preferences vary by cigarette smoking status and time since first e-cigarette purchase. METHODS: An online survey assessed the first e-cigarette flavor and current e-cigarette flavors used by a non-probabilistic sample of 20,836 adult frequent e-cigarette users in the USA. Differences in e-cigarette flavor preferences between current smokers, former smokers, and never-smokers and trends in the first flavor used across time of e-cigarette use initiation were assessed. RESULTS: The majority (n = 15,807; 76.4%) of sampled frequent e-cigarette users had completely substituted e-cigarettes for conventional cigarettes-"switchers"-and were currently using rechargeable, refillable vaping devices. Among them, the proportion of first e-cigarette purchases that were fruit-flavored increased from 17.8% of first purchases made before 2011 to 33.5% of first purchases made between June 2015 and June 2016. Tobacco-flavored first purchases almost halved during this time (46.0% pre-2011 to 24.0% between 2015 and 2016). Fruit/fruit beverage (73.9 to 82.9% of sampled users), dessert/pastry (63.5 to 68.5% of sampled users), and candy, chocolate, or sweets (48.7 to 53.4% of sampled users) were the most popular currently used e-cigarette flavors. Tobacco and menthol flavors, the two most popular flavors for initiating e-cigarette use prior to 2013, now rank as the 5th and 6th most popular currently used e-cigarette flavors, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Adult frequent e-cigarette users in the USA who have completely switched from smoking cigarettes to using e-cigarettes are increasingly likely to have initiated e-cigarette use with non-tobacco flavors and to have transitioned from tobacco to non-tobacco flavors over time. Restricting access to non-tobacco e-cigarette flavors may discourage smokers from attempting to switch to e-cigarettes. SN - 1477-7517 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/29954412/Changing_patterns_of_first_e_cigarette_flavor_used_and_current_flavors_used_by_20836_adult_frequent_e_cigarette_users_in_the_USA_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -