Association Between Receptivity to Tobacco Advertising and Progression to Tobacco Use in Youth and Young Adults in the PATH Study

Introduction:
This text discusses a study examining the association between receptivity to tobacco advertising and progression to tobacco use among youth and young adults. The study uses data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study and includes a large, population-based sample of never tobacco users aged 12 to 24 years. The study measures receptivity to advertising for conventional cigarettes, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), cigars, and smokeless tobacco products. The text also discusses the implications of the study's findings for tobacco control efforts.

Key Points:

* The study found that receptivity to tobacco advertising is associated with progression toward tobacco use in adolescents.
* Receptivity to advertising was highest for e-cigarette advertising and was also associated with trying a cigarette.
* Susceptibility to use of each product at wave 1 was significantly associated with product use at 1-year follow-up in wave 2.
* Among committed never users aged 12 to 17 years, any receptivity to product advertising was associated with progression toward product use.
* Receptivity to e-cigarette advertising, but not to cigarette advertising, was independently associated with cigarette use among those aged 12 to 21 years.
* The PATH Study assessed receptivity at wave 1 based on favorite ads, recall, and liking ads.
* The study controlled for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and exposure to tobacco users in the analysis.

Main Message:
The study's findings suggest that receptivity to tobacco advertising, particularly e-cigarette advertising, is a risk factor for progression to tobacco use in youth and young adults. These results highlight the importance of regulating tobacco advertising, particularly in media channels that are accessible to young people. Additionally, the study's findings support efforts to prevent the initiation of tobacco use among youth and young adults, including policies that restrict the sale and marketing of tobacco products to minors. Overall, the study underscores the need for comprehensive tobacco control strategies that address both the supply and demand sides of the tobacco epidemic.

Pierce, John P., James D. Sargent, David B. Portnoy, Martha White, Madison Noble, Sheila Kealey, Nicolette Borek, et al. “Association Between Receptivity to Tobacco Advertising and Progression to Tobacco Use in Youth and Young Adults in the PATH Study.” JAMA Pediatrics 172, no. 5 (May 1, 2018): 444. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.5756.