Summary
Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of a study examining the relationship between city-level e-cigarette flavor policies and young people's e-cigarette risk perceptions, attitudes toward flavored tobacco sales restrictions, and likelihood of past-month nicotine vaping. The study involved a diverse sample of young people from 30 U.S. cities.
Key Points:
* The study found no significant association between city-level e-cigarette flavor policies and young people's e-cigarette risk perceptions, attitudes toward flavored tobacco sales restrictions, or likelihood of past-month nicotine vaping.
* Most young people with past-month nicotine vaping reported purchasing products in-store, including vape, smoke, or head shops.
* Participants with past-month nicotine vaping had lower harm perceptions and believed less strongly in the effectiveness of flavored tobacco policy.
* The study oversampled e-cigarette users, but did not examine differences in lifetime e-cigarette use prevalence by policy.
* The survey measures were self-reported and subject to bias.
* The study did not assess participants' awareness of e-cigarette flavor policy in their city.
* The sample was not representative of adolescents in the urban United States.
* Future research could examine e-cigarette risk perceptions in association with use of other tobacco products.
Main Message:
The study suggests that city-level e-cigarette flavor policies may not have a significant impact on young people's e-cigarette risk perceptions, attitudes toward flavored tobacco sales restrictions, or likelihood of past-month nicotine vaping. however, the study highlights the importance of consistent enforcement of such policies to decrease underage access to flavored vaping products. The findings also emphasize the need for further research on the potential impacts of e-cigarette flavor policies on young people's tobacco product use behaviors.
Citation
Vogel Ea, henriksen L, Schleicher NC, Prochaska JJ. Young people’s e-cigarette risk perceptions, policy attitudes, and past-month nicotine vaping in 30 U.S. cities. Drug and alcohol dependence. 2021;229:109122. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109122
