Introduction
The 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act banned characterizing flavors
other than menthol in cigarettes but did not restrict their use in other forms of
tobacco (e.g., smokeless, cigars, hookah, e-cigarettes).
Methods
A cross-sectional analysis of Wave 1 data from 45,971 U.S. adults and youth, aged
≥12 years in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study collected
in 2013–2014, was conducted in 2016. This study examined (1) the prevalence and reasons
for use of flavored tobacco products; (2) the proportion of ever tobacco users reporting
that their first product was flavored; and (3) correlates of current flavored tobacco
product use.
Results
Current flavored (including menthol) tobacco product use was highest in youth (80%,
aged 12–17 years); and young adult tobacco users (73%, aged 18–24 years); and lowest
in older adult tobacco users aged ≥65 years (29%). Flavor was a primary reason for
using a given tobacco product, particularly among youth. Eighty-one percent of youth
and 86% of young adult ever tobacco users reported that their first product was flavored
versus 54% of adults aged ≥25 years. In multivariable models, reporting that one’s
first tobacco product was flavored was associated with a 13% higher prevalence of
current tobacco use among youth ever tobacco users and a 32% higher prevalence of
current tobacco use among adult ever users.
Conclusions
These results add to the evidence base that flavored tobacco products may attract
young users and serve as starter products to regular tobacco use.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 16, 2017
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© 2017 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
