Association between use of flavoured tobacco products and quit behaviours: findings from a cross-sectional survey of US adult tobacco users

Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of a study examining the association between the use of flavored tobacco products and quit behaviors among US adult tobacco users. The study aims to understand the patterns of flavored tobacco use and their relationship with tobacco use initiation, sustained use, and cessation. The findings can inform regulatory actions to limit characterizing flavors in tobacco products.

Key Points:

1. The study used data from a nationally representative survey of 1443 US adult tobacco users, conducted in 2012.
2. Participants were asked about their use of nine tobacco products, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, little cigars, pipes, hookah, snus, and smokeless tobacco.
3. Ever users reported first use of flavored products, while current users reported current flavored product use.
4. Current users also reported quit attempts made in the past year.
5. Over 70% of respondents reported first use of a flavored tobacco product, and 54% reported current use of at least one flavored product.
6. First use of a flavored product was associated with being a current tobacco user and current use of flavored tobacco products.
7. Users of only flavored NCT products exhibited reduced odds of reporting a quit attempt.
8. The relationship between characterizing flavors and quit behaviors merits further exploration in large-scale, population-based samples.

Main Message:
The study reinforces the importance of flavored product availability in the USA, which may have significant implications for efforts to reduce tobacco initiation and use at a population level. It highlights the potential impact of flavored tobacco products on quit behaviors, suggesting that further research is needed to inform regulatory actions to limit characterizing flavors in tobacco products.

Smith, Danielle M, Maansi Bansal-Travers, Jidong Huang, Dianne Barker, Andrew J Hyland, and Frank Chaloupka. “Association between Use of Flavoured Tobacco Products and Quit Behaviours: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Survey of US Adult Tobacco Users.” Tobacco Control 25, no. Suppl 2 (November 2016): ii73–80. https://doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2016-053313.