U.S. adult perceptions of the harmfulness of tobacco products: descriptive findings from the 2013–14 baseline wave 1 of the path study

Introduction:
This text summarizes a study on perceptions of the harmfulness of various tobacco products among U.S. adults. The study is based on data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, a nationally representative survey of adults and youth in the U.S. The study aims to inform and monitor the impact of FDA's regulatory actions to reduce tobacco-related death and disease.

Key Points:

* The study found that perceptions of harmfulness varied widely across eight types of non-cigarette tobacco products.
* E-cigarettes and hookah were seen as less harmful compared to cigarettes.
* Those less knowledgeable about the health risks of smoking were more likely to believe that non-cigarette tobacco products were less harmful than cigarettes.
* Current non-cigarette tobacco product users were more likely to perceive that product to be less harmful than cigarettes (except filtered cigars).
* Beliefs about the harmfulness of cigarettes were not associated with the likelihood of using any other product except hookah.
* The study is cross-sectional, and future waves of the PATH Study may allow for analyses with greater potential to discern causal direction in observed associations.
* The results suggest that enhancing knowledge of the harm of tobacco products to prevent tobacco use and encourage tobacco users to quit is important.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of understanding consumer perceptions about tobacco products as it can help inform the FDA in developing policies and regulations for tobacco products and the marketing of those products. The findings suggest that there are misperceptions about the harmfulness of certain tobacco products, especially e-cigarettes and hookah, which could lead to increased use of these products. Therefore, it is crucial to provide new information about the harms of tobacco products and counter misperceptions to prevent tobacco use and encourage tobacco users to quit.

Fong, Geoffrey T., Tara Elton-Marshall, Pete Driezen, Annette R. Kaufman, K. Michael Cummings, Kelvin Choi, Jonathan Kwan, et al. “U.S. Adult Perceptions of the Harmfulness of Tobacco Products: Descriptive Findings from the 2013–14 Baseline Wave 1 of the Path Study.” Addictive Behaviors 91 (April 2019): 180–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.11.023.