Alternative Tobacco Product Use and Smoking Cessation Among Homeless Youth in Los Angeles County

Introduction:
This text is a scientific article that presents the results of a study on the use of alternative tobacco products (ATPs) among homeless youth in Los Angeles County. The study focuses on the prevalence of ATP use, how it differs among demographic subgroups and by quit attempts, and specific perceptions and reasons for using e-cigarettes. The article is written by experts in the field and is published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco.

Key Points:

* The study surveyed 292 unaccompanied homeless youth who were randomly sampled from street sites.
* 72% of youth reported past-month ATP use, with e-cigarettes being the most common at 51%.
* ATP use was unrelated to most demographic characteristics or having a past-year quit attempt.
* Youth who planned to quit smoking in the next 30 days were significantly less likely to report current use of hookahs, other smokeless tobacco products, or e-cigarettes.
* Among lifetime e-cigarette users, the most common reasons for use were not having to go outside to smoke and being able to deal with situations where smoking is not allowed.
* Quit attempts and readiness to quit were not associated with current ATP use.
* Homeless youth are more likely to use e-cigarettes to get around smoking restrictions than to quit smoking.

Main Message:
The study highlights the widespread use of ATPs among homeless youth, with e-cigarettes being the most popular product. Despite the potential for ATPs to be used as smoking cessation aids, the study found no evidence of this among homeless youth. In fact, youth who planned to quit smoking were less likely to use ATPs. The findings suggest that there is a need for effective strategies to reduce all forms of tobacco use among homeless youth, as these products are often used to circumvent smoking restrictions rather than to quit smoking.

Tucker, J. S., W. G. Shadel, D. Golinelli, and B. Ewing. “Alternative Tobacco Product Use and Smoking Cessation Among Homeless Youth in Los Angeles County.” Nicotine & Tobacco Research 16, no. 11 (November 1, 2014): 1522–26. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntu133.