Summary
Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of a national survey examining the relationship between JUUL and e-cigarette flavors and adolescents' perceptions of health risks. The survey aimed to investigate how flavor influences adolescents' perceptions of the health risks associated with JUULs and e-cigarettes.
Key Points:
* The survey included 1,610 high school students aged 14-18 who had ever heard of either JUULs or e-cigarettes.
* Respondents were asked to rate the lung cancer risk, harm of secondhand vapor, potential for addiction, and healthiness of different flavored JUUL and e-cigarette products.
* The study found that youths perceive fruit flavors to be less likely to lead to lung cancer, less likely to produce harmful secondhand vapor, and more addictive relative to tobacco flavors.
* Candy, menthol/mint, and alcohol flavors showed similar patterns of risk association, although the magnitude was slightly smaller than for fruit flavors.
* The study found that adolescents' perceptions of health risks differed significantly by flavor type, with misperceptions based on flavor potentially leading to increased vaping by youths.
* The findings support the assertion that banning fruit, menthol, or mint and sweet flavors could reduce the appeal of JUULs and e-cigarettes to youth, with concomitant health protections.
Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of understanding how flavors impact adolescents' perceptions of health risks associated with JUULs and e-cigarettes. The findings suggest that misperceptions based on flavor may result in increased vaping by youths, and support the assertion that banning certain flavors could reduce the appeal of JUULs and e-cigarettes to youth. Policymakers should consider these findings when developing regulations to protect adolescents from the potential health risks associated with JUULs and e-cigarettes.
Citation
Strombotne K, Buckell J, Sindelar JL. Do JUUL and e-cigarette flavours change risk perceptions of adolescents? Evidence from a national survey. Tobacco control. 2021;30(2):199-205. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2019-055394
