Differences in Switching Away From Smoking Among Adult Smokers Using JUUL Products in Regions With Different Maximum Nicotine Concentrations: North America and the United Kingdom.

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a research study examining the relationship between nicotine concentration and smoking cessation among users of JUUL electronic cigarettes in different regulatory environments. The study compares switching rates among JUUL users in North America, where higher nicotine concentrations are available, and the United Kingdom, where nicotine concentrations are limited to 20 mg/mL. The study aims to provide insight into the potential impact of nicotine concentration regulations on smoking cessation rates.

Key Points:

* The study used a longitudinal design, with participants recruited from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
* Participants were adult established smokers who purchased JUUL products for the first time and completed baseline and follow-up surveys at 1, 3, and 6 months after purchase.
* The study defined switching as not smoking in the past 30 days and assessed the primary JUUL nicotine concentration used in the past 30 days.
* The study controlled for participant characteristics such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, smoking history, and reasons for JUUL use.
* The study found that switching rates were significantly higher among JUUL users in North America compared to the United Kingdom at 3 and 6 months after purchase.
* The study used propensity score matching to account for observed differences between the two groups and assess the potential effects of unmeasured confounding.
* The study found that the association between nicotine concentration and switching remained significant after controlling for observed and unmeasured confounding.

Main Message:
The study suggests that the availability of electronic cigarettes with nicotine concentrations greater than 20 mg/mL may be associated with increased switching from smoking among adult smokers. The results indicate that nicotine concentration regulations may impact smoking cessation rates and that further research is needed to understand the potential impact of regulatory policies on smoking cessation.

Goldenson NI, Ding Y, Prakash S, Hatcher C, Augustson EM, Shiffman S. Differences in Switching Away From Smoking Among Adult Smokers Using JUUL Products in Regions With Different Maximum Nicotine Concentrations: North America and the United Kingdom. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. 2021;23(11):1821-1830. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntab062