Adolescents' perceptions of flavored tobacco products, including E-cigarettes: A qualitative study to inform FDA tobacco education efforts through videogames

Introduction:
This text is a research article that explores adolescents' perceptions, beliefs, and social norms surrounding flavored tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. The study aims to inform the adaptation of an existing videogame to focus on the prevention of flavored tobacco product use. The article highlights the importance of understanding adolescents' attitudes towards flavored tobacco products to develop effective tobacco control strategies.

Key Points:

* The study conducted and analyzed transcripts from seven focus groups with 11-17-year-old adolescents (n = 33) from after-school programs in CT and CA in 2016.
* Participants discussed flavored tobacco product beliefs and experiences, and how these compared to traditional cigarettes.
* Thematic analysis of transcripts revealed that participants could name flavors in tobacco products, even though few discussed first-hand experience with the products.
* Most groups perceived that flavored tobacco product and flavored e-cigarette use facilitated peer approval and acceptance.
* All groups discussed how youth could easily access flavored tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.
* Flavoring was a salient aspect of e-cigarette advertisements; however, the groups did not recall exposure to other types of flavored tobacco product counter-marketing.
* The majority of U.S. adolescents who use currently use tobacco report using flavored tobacco products.
* There is ongoing debate within the scientific community as to whether e-cigarettes will have the same level of harm as other tobacco products.
* Evidence suggests that adolescent e-cigarette use increases the risk for subsequent cigarette smoking.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of understanding adolescents' attitudes towards flavored tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. The findings can help inform the development of tobacco control strategies, novel interventions such as videogames, and future FDA efforts to prevent adolescent tobacco product use through education and risk communication. The study emphasizes the need to generate empiric evidence to determine how to prevent flavored tobacco use in young adolescents, a population group inherently vulnerable to tobacco initiation and the development of life-long tobacco use.

Camenga, D.R., L.E. Fiellin, T. Pendergrass, Erica Miller, M.A. Pentz, and K. Hieftje. “Adolescents’ Perceptions of Flavored Tobacco Products, Including E-Cigarettes: A Qualitative Study to Inform FDA Tobacco Education Efforts through Videogames.” Addictive Behaviors 82 (July 2018): 189–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.03.021.