Tobacco-Product Use by Adults and Youths in the United States in 2013 and 2014

Introduction:
This article presents prevalence estimates for tobacco product use among adults and youths in the United States in 2013 and 2014, using data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study. The study provides a detailed assessment of tobacco-use behaviors, the inclusion of biomarkers, and a longitudinal design to document tobacco use. This summary will highlight the key points of the study design, major findings, and the main message.

Key Points:

* The PATH Study is a nationally representative, longitudinal study of tobacco use and health in the United States, designed to generate long-term epidemiologic data on tobacco-use behavior and health.
* The study includes 45,971 adult and youth participants, with data collected from September 2013 through December 2014.
* Participants were asked about their use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, traditional cigars, cigarillos, filtered cigars, pipe tobacco, hookah, snus pouches, other smokeless tobacco, dissolvable tobacco, bidis, and kreteks.
* More than a quarter (27.6%) of adults were current users of at least one type of tobacco product, and 8.9% of youths had used a tobacco product in the previous 30 days.
* Approximately 40% of tobacco users, adults and youths alike, used multiple tobacco products; cigarettes plus e-cigarettes was the most common combination.
* Young adults (18 to 24 years of age), male adults and youths, members of racial minorities, and members of sexual minorities generally had higher use of tobacco than their counterparts.

Main Message:
The PATH Study provides valuable insights into the prevalence of tobacco product use among adults and youths in the United States. The findings highlight the widespread use of tobacco products, especially among young adults and vulnerable populations. The study emphasizes the importance of continued monitoring and regulation of tobacco products to protect public health, particularly in light of the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes and other non-cigarette tobacco products.

Kasza, Karin A, Nicolette Borek, and K Michael Cummings. “Tobacco-Product Use by Adults and Youths in the United States in 2013 and 2014.” N ENGLJ MED, 2017.