Tobacco ControlPub Date : 2025-04-02DOI: 10.1136/tc-2024-059047
Arzoo Alam, Lisa Henriksen, Trent O Johnson, Judith J Prochaska, Nina Schleicher
{"title":"Early assessment of compliance with California's flavoured tobacco sales prohibition: evidence from vape shops.","authors":"Arzoo Alam, Lisa Henriksen, Trent O Johnson, Judith J Prochaska, Nina Schleicher","doi":"10.1136/tc-2024-059047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/tc-2024-059047","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>In December 2022, California became the second US state to prohibit the sale of most flavoured tobacco/nicotine products. To our knowledge, this is the first observational study to assess violations of California's law. It reports on the availability of flavoured vape products in vape shops and tests whether flavoured vape products were more common in vape shops nearer to college campuses compared with those farther from college campuses, adjusting for neighbourhood demographics.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Between April and July 2023, observations were recorded at vape shops (n=400) nearer to (≤3 miles) or farther from (>3 miles) a college campus. Vape shops were the focus of this study because a large proportion (48.2%) of US young adults purchase vapes from these venues. Availability of any disposable nicotine vapes, JUUL pods and flavoured varieties of these products were recorded. Multivariable logistic regressions tested relationships between flavoured product availability, proximity to a college campus and store neighbourhood demographics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In violation of California's law, flavoured disposable vapes and/or JUUL pods were available in 50.3% of all vape shops studied. Flavoured disposable vapes were in 53.2% of vape shops with any disposable vapes, and flavoured JUUL pods were in 30.9% of vape shops with any JUUL pods. Contrary to expectation, no significant relationships were identified between the availability of flavoured vapes and proximity to a college campus or store neighbourhood demographics.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study revealed high rates of violations among vape shops within 4 to 7 months after the implementation of California's law. Efforts to improve retailer education and enforcement are warranted.</p>","PeriodicalId":23145,"journal":{"name":"Tobacco Control","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143773391","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tobacco ControlPub Date : 2025-04-01DOI: 10.1136/tc-2025-059437
Marita Hefler
{"title":"Responding to US executive orders and Trump 2.0: ideological language bans and attempts to suppress science will not obscure the tobacco epidemic's foundations of exploitation and inequity.","authors":"Marita Hefler","doi":"10.1136/tc-2025-059437","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/tc-2025-059437","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23145,"journal":{"name":"Tobacco Control","volume":"34 2","pages":"141-142"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143765004","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tobacco ControlPub Date : 2025-04-01DOI: 10.1136/tc-2023-058315
George Pearson, Diana Lane Davidson, Barbara Schillo, Jennifer M Kreslake
{"title":"'Discreet shipping' on TikTok enables selling of e-cigarettes to youth.","authors":"George Pearson, Diana Lane Davidson, Barbara Schillo, Jennifer M Kreslake","doi":"10.1136/tc-2023-058315","DOIUrl":"10.1136/tc-2023-058315","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23145,"journal":{"name":"Tobacco Control","volume":" ","pages":"274-275"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139404510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tobacco ControlPub Date : 2025-04-01DOI: 10.1136/tc-2023-058064
Estelle Dauchy, Caroline Fuss
{"title":"Global taxation of electronic nicotine and non-nicotine delivery systems: a cross-country evaluation.","authors":"Estelle Dauchy, Caroline Fuss","doi":"10.1136/tc-2023-058064","DOIUrl":"10.1136/tc-2023-058064","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Taxation is a key component of tobacco products' regulation given its proven effectiveness to generate revenue and achieve public health goals. The diversity of the market for e-cigarettes (electronic nicotine delivery systems and electronic non-nicotine delivery systems, ENDS/ENNDS) complicates comparative analyses per unit, thus challenging efforts to assess countries' excise tax burdens for e-cigarettes. Further complicating taxes on e-cigarettes is the necessity to balance two public health priorities: (1) deterring initiation among people who have never smoked, and (2) supporting cessation efforts among people currently smoking or who previously smoked. This study evaluates and compares excise tax burdens and tax system characteristics of e-cigarettes across 54 countries.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To determine countries' excise tax burdens per millilitre of e-liquid, we collect a unique database of tax characteristics and prices in countries where ENDS/ENNDS are currently sold. We calculate the excise tax per millilitre of e-liquid and convert e-liquid prices to a comparable price per millilitre across countries.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirty countries employ a specific excise system, 10 apply an ad valorem system, 9 apply a tiered specific system, 1 applies a tiered ad valorem system and 4 apply a mixed tax system. The excise tax burden is highest in Belarus (87.2%, specific), Norway (81.2%, tiered specific) and Egypt (74.7%, mixed), and lowest in Costa Rica (7.4%, ad valorem), Paraguay (2.9%, ad valorem) and Croatia (0%, specific).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The advantages of one tax system over another are context specific. Tax burdens tend to be much larger in countries that use a specific tax than in countries that use a value-based (ad valorem) tax.</p>","PeriodicalId":23145,"journal":{"name":"Tobacco Control","volume":" ","pages":"198-204"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10214745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tobacco ControlPub Date : 2025-04-01DOI: 10.1136/tc-2023-058000
Scott I Donaldson, Trista Beard, Allison Dormanesh, Cindy Pérez, Patricia Escobedo, Jennifer B Unger, Heather Lynn Wipfli, Artur Galimov, Jon-Patrick Allem
{"title":"Monitoring website marketing among leading e-cigarette brands and vendors in California: content analysis.","authors":"Scott I Donaldson, Trista Beard, Allison Dormanesh, Cindy Pérez, Patricia Escobedo, Jennifer B Unger, Heather Lynn Wipfli, Artur Galimov, Jon-Patrick Allem","doi":"10.1136/tc-2023-058000","DOIUrl":"10.1136/tc-2023-058000","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) brands and vendors use websites to promote pro-tobacco messages that may increase susceptibility to use e-cigarettes among never users or help sustain continued e-cigarette use among current users. E-cigarette website marketing is lightly regulated, and little is known about promotional strategies used on e-cigarette companies' websites. This study conducted a content analysis of website marketing from leading e-cigarette companies selling products in California.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study identified 20 e-cigarette vendors and 6 e-cigarette brands that had products available for purchase online in California. Two coders visited 26 websites between 06 February 2022 and 17 April 2022. Websites were coded for marketing themes, promotional and interactive content, availability of flavoured e-cigarette products, presence of health warnings, and reference to tobacco control policies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Marketing themes related to physical health benefits of e-cigarette use were found on 50.0% of the websites. 57.7% of the websites had sales/discounts/coupons. 65.4% of the websites had fruit-flavoured disposable e-cigarettes, while 73.1% of the websites had fruit-flavoured e-liquids available for purchase. 69.2% of the websites allowed users to sign up for email newsletters, and 88.9% of such websites did not require users to create an age-verified account to receive email newsletters.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Findings from this study can be used to inform statewide regulations of promotional communications found on e-cigarette companies' websites and encourage enforcement of age-verification procedures. This may help reduce susceptibility to use, or continued use of, e-cigarette products among price-sensitive populations, such as adolescents and young adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":23145,"journal":{"name":"Tobacco Control","volume":" ","pages":"192-197"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10467762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tobacco ControlPub Date : 2025-04-01DOI: 10.1136/tc-2023-058133
Meghan Elizabeth Morean, Ralitza Gueorguieva, Stephanie O'Malley, Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin
{"title":"Including the term 'tobacco-free nicotine' in the nicotine addiction warning label mandated by the US Food and Drug Administration alters risk perceptions and use intentions.","authors":"Meghan Elizabeth Morean, Ralitza Gueorguieva, Stephanie O'Malley, Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin","doi":"10.1136/tc-2023-058133","DOIUrl":"10.1136/tc-2023-058133","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires a warning label on nicotine e-cigarettes and pouches: 'This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical'. Some brands marketing synthetic nicotine products have modified the warning ('This product contains tobacco-free nicotine (TFN)…'). The public health impact of altering the warning is unknown, so we examined its impact on risk perceptions and use intentions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>1000 participants completed an anonymous online survey. Participants viewed the black-and-white FDA and TFN-modified warning labels in isolation, in a randomised order and reported on perceived addictiveness and, secondarily, use intentions. Participants then selected which label conveyed the most harm overall. Generalised estimating equations (GEEs) were used to evaluate the impact of label type and participant characteristics on perceived addictiveness and, secondarily, use intentions. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate relationships between participant characteristics and choosing which label conveyed the most harm.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Overall, the TFN-modified label was associated with lower addictiveness ratings but not increased use intentions. Where significant interactions between label type and participant characteristics emerged, TFN-modified labelling was associated with disproportionately reduced risk perceptions or increased use intentions among vulnerable populations (eg, underage individuals, racially minoritised groups). 25.5% of participants selected the TFN-modified label as conveying the most harm, with younger individuals (<21 years) significantly less likely to choose the TFN-modified label.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Modifying the FDA-mandated nicotine warning label to include 'tobacco-free nicotine' may negatively impact public health, so the FDA should enforce inclusion of its original required warning label.</p>","PeriodicalId":23145,"journal":{"name":"Tobacco Control","volume":" ","pages":"212-219"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11055938/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66784340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tobacco ControlPub Date : 2025-04-01DOI: 10.1136/tc-2023-058174
Christina N Kyriakos, Janet Chung-Hall, Lorraine V Craig, Geoffrey T Fong
{"title":"Optimising a product standard for banning menthol and other flavours in tobacco products.","authors":"Christina N Kyriakos, Janet Chung-Hall, Lorraine V Craig, Geoffrey T Fong","doi":"10.1136/tc-2023-058174","DOIUrl":"10.1136/tc-2023-058174","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this paper, we highlight key issues that policymakers should consider when developing a product standard banning menthol and other flavours in tobacco products based on research evidence and experiences learnt from other countries. A flavour product standard may be optimised by (1) having a clear and comprehensive definition of flavour that includes a complete ban on additives that have flavour properties and/or evoke sensory/cooling effects (ie, menthol analogues and synthetic coolants that stimulate the cooling receptor of the brain) rather than only as a 'characterising flavour' and (2) applying the standard to all tobacco product categories as well as all components or parts of the tobacco product (ie, the tobacco, filter, wrapper or paper), including separate flavourings that can be added to the product.</p>","PeriodicalId":23145,"journal":{"name":"Tobacco Control","volume":" ","pages":"239-241"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11078886/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72015531","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tobacco ControlPub Date : 2025-04-01DOI: 10.1136/tc-2023-058219
Christopher Heidt, Nobila Ouédraogo, Katrin Schaller
{"title":"Partnership between Geekvape and French football club Paris Saint-Germain.","authors":"Christopher Heidt, Nobila Ouédraogo, Katrin Schaller","doi":"10.1136/tc-2023-058219","DOIUrl":"10.1136/tc-2023-058219","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23145,"journal":{"name":"Tobacco Control","volume":" ","pages":"263-264"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"61565355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tobacco ControlPub Date : 2025-04-01DOI: 10.1136/tc-2023-058130
Ara Cho, Michelle Scollo, Gary Chan, Pete Driezen, Andrew Hyland, Ce Shang, Coral E Gartner
{"title":"Tobacco purchasing in Australia during regular tax increases: findings from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project.","authors":"Ara Cho, Michelle Scollo, Gary Chan, Pete Driezen, Andrew Hyland, Ce Shang, Coral E Gartner","doi":"10.1136/tc-2023-058130","DOIUrl":"10.1136/tc-2023-058130","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>We examined Australian tobacco purchasing trends, the average self-reported price paid within each purchase type and the association between type of tobacco product purchased and participant characteristics, including quit intentions, between 2007 and 2020.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analysed data collected from adults who smoked factory-made and/or roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes in nine waves (2007-2020) of the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project Australia Survey (n<sub>sample</sub>=5452, n<sub>observations</sub>=11 534). The main outcome measures were type of tobacco products purchased: RYO, carton, pack or pouch size and brand segment. Logistic regression, fit using generalised estimating equations, was estimated the association between the outcome and participant characteristics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The reported price-minimising purchasing patterns increased from 2007 to 2020: any RYO (23.8-43.9%), large-sized pack (2007: 24.0% to 2016: 34.3%); shifting from large-sized to small-sized packs (2020: 37.7%), and economy brand (2007: 37.2% to 2020: 59.3%); shifting from large (2007: 55.8%) to small economy packs (2014: 15.3% to 2020: 48.1%). Individuals with a lower income, a higher nicotine dependence level and no quit intention were more likely to purchase RYO and large-sized packs.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>RYO, large-sized packs and products with a low upfront cost (eg, small RYO pouches and small-sized economy brand packs) may appeal to people on low incomes. Australia's diverse tobacco pack and pouch sizes allow the tobacco industry to influence tobacco purchases. Standardising pack and pouch sizes may reduce some price-related marketing and especially benefit people who have a low income, are highly addicted and have no quit intention.</p>","PeriodicalId":23145,"journal":{"name":"Tobacco Control","volume":" ","pages":"183-191"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10902190/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10131538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}