Flavored Tobacco Product Use among Youth and Young Adults: What if Flavors Didn't Exist?

Introduction:
This text is a study examining the potential impact of removing characterizing flavors from tobacco products on the prevalence of tobacco use among young people. The study surveyed a large sample of youth and young adults in Texas and asked about their use of various tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, cigarettes, cigar products, hookah, and smokeless tobacco. Users were also asked about their flavor preferences and whether they would continue using the product if it was not flavored.

Key Points:

* The study found that over 80% of youth and young adult tobacco users reported using flavored tobacco.
* Three-fourths of flavored product users said they would no longer use the product if it was not flavored.
* This trend was highest for e-cigarettes and hookah and lowest for cigarettes.
* Few demographic differences in findings were observed.
* The study suggests that restricting flavors in tobacco products could lead to substantial reductions in the prevalence of tobacco use among young people.
* However, the study notes that removing flavors would not completely eliminate tobacco use among young people.
* The study's findings are based on self-reported data and cross-sectional analyses, so future research should explore the role of flavors in initiation and cessation among young people.

Main Message:
The main message of this study is that removing characterizing flavors from tobacco products could lead to significant reductions in the prevalence of tobacco use among young people. While removing flavors would not completely eliminate tobacco use, it could be an important element of comprehensive tobacco control by reducing the appeal of tobacco products for a large proportion of young people.

Harrell, MelissaB., Alexandra Loukas, ChristianD. Jackson, C. Nathan Marti, and CherylL. Perry. “Flavored Tobacco Product Use among Youth and Young Adults: What If Flavors Didn’t Exist?” Tobacco Regulatory Science 3, no. 2 (April 1, 2017): 168–73. https://doi.org/10.18001/TRS.3.2.4.