Summary
Introduction:
This text is a summary of a research paper on the use of electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) flavors over time in the US, focusing on different age groups. The study uses data from the Population assessment of Tobacco and health (PaTh) Study Waves 2-5 to investigate the general trends and maintenance of ENDS flavor use among youth (aged 12-17 years), young adults (aged 18-24 years), and older adults (aged ≥25 years) between 2014 and 2019.
Key Points:
* The most reported primary flavor category was fruit among all age groups in all waves.
* Candy/desserts in waves two, three, four, and menthol/mint in wave five were the second most reported flavor in all age groups.
* The highest increase in use was observed for menthol/mint use among youth between wave two (21.9%) and five (58.1%).
* Overall, 37.6% of fruit flavor users, 25.3% of candy/desserts users, 32.0% of menthol/mint users, and 33.4% of tobacco flavor users, maintained use of the same flavor in at least three consecutive waves.
* Fruit flavor had the highest percentages of use and maintenance between 2014 and 2019.
* The maintenance of fruit and candy/desserts flavors were higher among youth, but adults had substantially higher maintenance percentages for menthol/mint and tobacco flavor.
* There was a substantial increase in menthol/mint use in wave five among youth, which may affect ENDS flavor maintenance patterns in the future.
Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of understanding the maintenance of ENDS flavors over time, as it can inform regulations of ENDS flavors. The increasing trend in menthol/mint use among youth is particularly concerning and warrants further investigation. Overall, the findings emphasize the need for comprehensive regulations on ENDS flavors to prevent their appeal and potential negative health impacts, especially among young people.
Citation
Kaplan B, hardesty JJ, Welding K, Breland aB, Eissenberg T, Cohen JE. Electronic Nicotine Delivery System flavor use over time by age group in the US: a longitudinal analysis. Tobacco induced diseases. 2023;21:67. doi:10.18332/tid/162365
