Differences in Young adults' Perceptions of and Willingness to Use Nicotine Pouches by Tobacco Use Status

Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of a study examining the perceptions and willingness of young adults to use nicotine pouches, a relatively new type of oral nicotine product. The study compares the responses of young adults who have never used nicotine pouches and are categorized by their tobacco use status.

Key Points:

* The study used data from a 2020 remote digital survey of an ongoing cohort study of young adults from Southern California.
* Participants were presented with text and imagery from mass-marketed pouch packaging and advertising, then completed measures of willingness to use nicotine pouches, pouch harm perceptions, and hypothetical choice of cigarettes or e-cigarettes over pouches.
* Willingness to use pouches was significantly higher among non-combustible only, combustible only, and dual users than non-users.
* Most participants were uncertain about the relative harm of pouches compared to cigarettes or e-cigarettes.
* Participants using non-combustible products had greater odds of reporting that they would use e-cigarettes over nicotine pouches, while all tobacco product user groups reported greater odds of choosing cigarettes over pouches.

Main Message:
The study suggests that a sizable minority of young adults might be willing to try using nicotine pouches, but most are uncertain about the relative harm of pouches. The findings highlight the need for further research on the potential benefits and harms of nicotine pouches, as well as the impact of marketing and packaging on young adult perceptions and use. Public health messaging should also emphasize the relative harm of different nicotine and tobacco products to help young adults make informed decisions about their use.

Vogel, E. a., Barrington-Trimis, J. L., Kechter, a., Tackett, a. P., Liu, F., Sussman, S., Lerman, C., Unger, J. B., hughes halbert, C., Chaffee, B. W., & Leventhal, a. M. (2022). Differences in Young adults’ Perceptions of and Willingness to Use Nicotine Pouches by Tobacco Use Status. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public health, 19(5), 2685. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052685