Initiation, continuation of use and cessation of alternative tobacco products among young adults: A qualitative study

Introduction:
This text provides a summary of a qualitative study that explores the experiences of young adults with cigarettes and alternative tobacco products (ATPs) such as little cigars/cigarillos (LCCs), smokeless tobacco, e-cigarettes, and hookahs. The study examines reasons for initiating use, continuing use, and potential motivations for cessation and experiences with quitting for each product.

Key Points:

* The study used the Social Cognitive Theory to guide the investigation and hypothesized that factors such as outcome expectancies, coping responses, self-efficacy, and environmental factors would influence reasons for tobacco uptake and continued use, as well as potential motivations for cessation.
* Participants were recruited from a larger, multi-wave longitudinal study called Project DECOY and included 60 young adults who were current users of at least one tobacco product.
* Telephone-based interviews were conducted and analyzed using qualitative data analysis software.
* Major themes that emerged from the data included interpersonal influences, perceptions of product characteristics, lower perceived health risks, ease of product access, and low levels of regulations.
* Participants mentioned peer pressure, flavors, tastes, lower costs, and lower perceived health risks as reasons for initiating and continuing use of ATPs.
* Participants also mentioned using ATPs as a cessation aid for cigarettes and as a potentially less harmful alternative.
* The study highlights the need for regulatory action to limit diversification and accessibility of different tobacco products.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of understanding the reasons for initiation, continuation, and cessation of tobacco product use among young adults. The findings suggest that interpersonal influences, perceptions of product characteristics, lower perceived health risks, ease of product access, and low levels of regulations all play a role in influencing young adults' use of tobacco products. The study emphasizes the need for regulatory action to limit diversification and accessibility of different tobacco products, as well as targeted messaging strategies to prevent and reduce tobacco use among young adults.

Vu, Milkie, Betelihem Getachew, Jackelyn Payne, Thomas Kirchner, and Carla Berg. “Initiation, Continuation of Use and Cessation of Alternative Tobacco Products among Young Adults: A Qualitative Study.” Tobacco Prevention & Cessation 4, no. February (February 28, 2018). https://doi.org/10.18332/tpc/84869.