Use of heated tobacco products where their use is prohibited

IntroductionStealth use implies using tobacco products where their use is prohibited. This paper aimed to investigate stealth use of heated tobacco products (HTPs) in terms of its prevalence and associated factors.MethodsAn online survey was conducted to investigate the use of HTPs in 7000 randomly selected participants (2300 men and 4700 women, aged 20–69 years) from the database registered with an online-research company; we used a sex ratio of 1:2, considering a low female prevalence of tobacco use in Korea. Of total participants, 574 (8.2%) were current HTP users. Among them, we identified the participants who had practised HTPs stealth use, and evaluated associated factors using multivariable Poisson regression.ResultsA total of 574 participants were identified as current HTP users, and 455 (79.2%) reported stealth use of HTPs during the month before the survey. Stealth use was more frequent in dual cigarette users (HTPs and electronic cigarettes (ECs); adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) 1.33, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.52) and triple users (HTPs, ECs and combustible cigarettes; aPR 1.18, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.33), as compared with single-HTP users. Stealth use was more prevalent among participants who agreed with allowing indoor HTP use (aPR 1.18, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.26).ConclusionStealth use was prevalent among current HTP users, especially among the poly-users of tobacco products. Considering the positive relationship between an agreement with allowing indoor use of HTPs and stealth use, a campaign to promote change in attitudes of HTP users about their indoor use may be warranted to protect non-users.

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Beliefs about the Harmfulness of Heated Tobacco Products Compared with Combustible Cigarettes and Their Effectiveness for Smoking Cessation among Korean Adults

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17155591 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (15) ◽

pp. 5591

Author(s):

Seung Hee Kim ◽

Seo Young Kang ◽

Hong-Jun Cho

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Smoking Cessation ◽

Logistic Regression ◽

Online Survey ◽

Electronic Cigarettes ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

Tobacco Products ◽

Korean Adults ◽

Multivariable Logistic Regression ◽

Negative Perceptions

Heated tobacco products (HTPs) have been widely used in Korea since their introduction in 2017. In this study, we investigated the perceptions of their relative harmfulness and smoking cessation effects. We performed an online survey in 7000 Koreans in 2018 (2300 males and 4700 females aged 20–69 years) by matching their age, sex, and provincial distribution. To investigate the factors causing HTPs to be perceived as less harmful than combustible cigarettes (CCs) and helpful for smoking cessation, we used multivariable logistic regression analyses. HTPs were less harmful than CCs in 16.8% of participants, particularly among HTP-only users and dual and triple users of HTPs, electronic cigarettes (ECs), or CCs than among CC-only users, those who were aged ≤ 34 years, males, and those with higher incomes. HTPs were reportedly helpful for smoking cessation in 11.2% of participants. Similar perceptions were more likely among HTP-only users, as well as dual and triple users than among CC-only users and adults with higher education/incomes. Although Korean adults generally had negative perceptions of the harmfulness and smoking cessation effects of HTPs compared with CCs, dual and triple users were more likely to have positive perceptions. Monitoring the use of multiple tobacco products and HTPs is a new challenge for Korean policymakers.

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Awareness, experience and prevalence of heated tobacco product, IQOS, among young Korean adults

Tobacco Control ◽

10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054390 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 27 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. s74-s77 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Jinyoung Kim ◽

Hyunjae Yu ◽

Sungkyu Lee ◽

Yu-Jin Paek

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Electronic Cigarettes ◽

Tobacco Product ◽

Health Claims ◽

Cigarette Smokers ◽

Tobacco Products ◽

Korean Adults ◽

Philip Morris ◽

The Government ◽

Korean Market

IntroductionPhilip Morris International introduced ‘IQOS’ to the Korean market in June 2017. To monitor the use of IQOS among young Korean adults, we identified their awareness, experience and current use of IQOS.MethodsThree months after the introduction of IQOS in Korea, we conducted an online survey with 228 general young adults, aged 19–24 years.Results87 participants (38.1%) were aware of IQOS, 13 (5.7%) were IQOS ever users and 8 (3.5%) were current IQOS users. All the current IQOS users were triple users of conventional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). There were no IQOS-only users and one IQOS ever user was a non-cigarette smoker. Among the eight current IQOS users who smoked 9.1 conventional cigarettes a day on average, four smoked 10–20 HEETS sticks a day. The current IQOS users decided to use IQOS because they believed it was less harmful or to stop smoking. The current conventional cigarette smokers were much more likely to be aware of IQOS (OR 4.496; 95% CI 2.185 to 9.250) and to be IQOS ever users (OR 11.649; 95% CI 1.024 to 132.564).ConclusionAwareness, experience and use of IQOS among young Korean adults were relatively higher than among their Japanese counterparts. Current IQOS users were more likely to smoke conventional cigarettes and/or e-cigarettes, which contradicts the tobacco industry’s claims that conventional cigarette smokers will switch to heated tobacco products. Until obtaining robust evidence concerning heated tobacco products, the government should regulate the tobacco industry’s marketing tactics and health claims.

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Smokers who have not tried alternative nicotine products: a 2019 survey of adults in Great Britain

10.21203/rs.3.rs-16489/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Erikas Simonavicius ◽

Ann McNeill ◽

Hazel Cheeseman ◽

Deborah Arnott ◽

Leonie S. Brose

Keyword(s):

Great Britain ◽

Ethnic Groups ◽

Online Survey ◽

Electronic Cigarettes ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Tobacco Products ◽

Stop Smoking ◽

Minority Ethnic Groups ◽

High Motivation

Abstract Aims: Switching from smoking to using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), electronic cigarettes (e‑cigarettes) or heated tobacco products can reduce tobacco-related health risks. However, not all smokers in Great Britain have tried these products. This study aimed to identify and describe smokers who have never tried alternative nicotine products.Methods: We analysed cross-sectional survey data of smokers (n=1777) from a representative adult sample from Great Britain. The online survey was run in March 2019. The proportion of smokers who had never used alternative nicotine products was measured. A multivariate logistic regression assessed the association between never having used alternative nicotine products and sociodemographic and smoking characteristics and motivation to stop smoking.Results: One in four smokers (27.8%, 95% CI: 25.8%–29.9%) had never tried NRT, e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products. These smokers were more commonly from Black and Minority than White ethnic groups (AOR=1.55; 95% CI: 1.02–2.31), were more likely to smoke up to 10 versus more cigarettes per day (AOR=1.52; 95% CI: 1.14–2.03) and to report low versus moderate or high motivation to stop smoking (AOR=1.79; 95% CI: 1.20–2.74).Conclusion: Light smokers, those unmotivated to stop and smokers from Black and Minority ethnic groups are less likely to have ever tried alternative nicotine products. Different approaches are needed to facilitate harm reduction and smoking cessation among these groups of smokers.

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COVID-19 Misinformation in Portuguese-Speaking Countries: Agreement with Content and Associated Factors

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su14010235 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 235

Author(s):

Álvaro Francisco Lopes de Sousa ◽

Guilherme Schneider ◽

Herica Emilia Félix de Carvalho ◽

Layze Braz de Oliveira ◽

Shirley Verônica Melo Almeida Lima ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Poisson Regression ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Online Survey ◽

Religious Affiliation ◽

Link Function ◽

Complex Phenomenon ◽

Poisson Regression Model ◽

Robust Variance ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Two Stages

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a complex phenomenon called the “infodemic” has emerged, compromising coping with the pandemic. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of agreement with misinformation about COVID-19 and to identify associated factors. A web survey was carried out in Portuguese-speaking countries in two stages: 1. the identification of misinformation circulating in the included countries; 2. a multicentric online survey with residents of the included countries. The outcome of the study was agreement or disagreement with misinformation about COVID-19. Multivariate analyzes were conducted using the Poisson regression model with robust variance, a logarithmic link function, and 95% confidence intervals. The prevalence of agreement with misinformation about COVID-19 was 63.9%. The following factors increased the prevalence of this outcome: having a religious affiliation (aPR: 1454, 95% CI: 1393–1517), having restrictions on leisure (aPR: 1230, 95% CI: 1127–1342), practicing social isolation (aPR: 1073, 95% CI: 1030–1118), not avoiding agglomeration (aPR: 1060, 95% CI: 1005–1117), not seeking/receiving news from scientific sources (aPR: 1153, 95% CI: 1068–1245), seeking/receiving news from three or more non-scientific sources (aPR: 1114, 95% CI: 1049–1182), and giving credibility to news carried by people from social networks (aPR: 1175, 95% CI: 1104–1251). There was a high prevalence of agreement with misinformation about COVID-19. The quality, similarity, uniformity, and acceptance of the contents indicate a concentration of themes that reflect “homemade”, simple, and easy methods to avoid infection by SARS-CoV-2, compromising decision-making and ability to cope with the disease.

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Legislative provisions for standardised tobacco packaging and changes in public support in 27 European countries

Tobacco Control ◽

10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2021-057068 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. tobaccocontrol-2021-057068

Author(s):

Sukriti KC ◽

Filippos T Filippidis ◽

Anthony A Laverty

Keyword(s):

Poisson Regression ◽

Regression Models ◽

Public Support ◽

Prevalence Ratio ◽

European Countries ◽

Policy Action ◽

Tobacco Products ◽

Relative Change ◽

Tobacco Packaging ◽

Over Time

BackgroundGlobal adoption of standardised packaging requirements for tobacco products is a victory for public health, but their proliferation and impacts rely partly on public support. How this is related to legislation remains underassessed. This study explored change over time in public support for standardised packaging in countries with varying degrees of legislative provisions.MethodsWe used data from 27 European countries, collected from 2017 (n=28, 300) and 2020 (n=27, 901) waves of the Eurobarometer survey, to assess self-reported support for standardised packaging regulations among both smokers and non-smokers. Countries were grouped into three categories of policy adoption (policy implemented; policy legislated; no legislation) and changes in support were assessed using multilevel Poisson regression models.ResultsIn 2020, public support for standardised packaging was 71% (95% CI 68% to 74%) in countries that implemented standardised packaging legislation, 57% (55% to 60%) in countries that had legislated but not yet implemented legislation and 41% (40%to 42%) in countries with no legislation. Compared with 2017, this represented a relative change of +8% (1% to 15%), +12% (5% to 21%) and −5% (95% CI −2% to −8%), respectively, in the three country categories. Among smokers, there was no indication of change in support across the three groups. Among non-smokers, support increased in countries with existing legislation (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR]=1.14, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.23) and decreased in countries with no legislation (aPR=0.93, 0.90 to 0.97).ConclusionsPublic support for standardised packaging regulations increased in countries implementing and legislating for these measures, particularly among non-smokers. An overall increase in support provides reassurance for policymakers defending policy action on tobacco packaging, as well as for those seeking to implement standardised packaging in their own countries.

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Smokers who have not tried alternative nicotine products: a 2019 survey of adults in Great Britain

10.21203/rs.3.rs-16489/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Erikas Simonavicius ◽

Ann McNeill ◽

Hazel Cheeseman ◽

Deborah Arnott ◽

Leonie S. Brose

Keyword(s):

Great Britain ◽

Harm Reduction ◽

Ethnic Groups ◽

Online Survey ◽

Electronic Cigarettes ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Tobacco Products ◽

Stop Smoking ◽

Minority Ethnic Groups

Abstract Aims: Switching from smoking to using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), electronic cigarettes (e‑cigarettes) or heated tobacco products can reduce tobacco-related health risks. However, not all smokers in Great Britain have tried these products, which is a missed opportunity for harm reduction. This study aims to identify and describe smokers who have never tried alternative nicotine products. Methods: Study analysed cross-sectional survey data of smokers ( n =1777) from a representative adult sample from Great Britain. The online survey was run in March 2019. The proportion of smokers who had never used alternative nicotine products was measured. A multivariate logistic regression assessed the association between never using alternative nicotine products and smokers’ sociodemographic and smoking characteristics and motivation to stop smoking. Results: One in four smokers (27.8%, 95% CI: 25.8%–29.9%) had never tried NRT, e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products. These smokers were more commonly from Black and Minority than White ethnic groups (AOR=1.55; 95% CI: 1.02–2.31), were more likely to smoke up to 10 versus more cigarettes per day (AOR=1.52; 95% CI: 1.14–2.03) and reported low versus moderate or high motivation to stop smoking (AOR=1.79; 95% CI: 1.20–2.74). Conclusion: Light smokers, those unmotivated to stop and smokers from Black and Minority ethnic groups are less likely to have ever tried alternative nicotine products. Different approaches are needed to facilitate harm reduction and smoking cessation among these groups of smokers.

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Politics of Nostalgia and Populism: Evidence from Turkey

British Journal of Political Science ◽

10.1017/s0007123420000666 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-18

Author(s):

Ezgi Elçi

Keyword(s):

Direct Effect ◽

Online Survey ◽

Positive Relationship ◽

Satisfaction With Life ◽

Survey Experiment ◽

Independent Variables ◽

Party Preference ◽

The Relationship

Abstract This article scrutinizes the relationship between collective nostalgia and populism. Different populist figures utilize nostalgia by referring to their country's ‘good old’ glorious days and exploiting resentment of the elites and establishment. Populists instrumentalize nostalgia in order to create their populist heartland, which is a retrospectively constructed utopia based on an abandoned but undead past. Using two original datasets from Turkey, this study first analyzes whether collective nostalgia characterizes populist attitudes of the electorate. The results illustrate that collective nostalgia has a significantly positive relationship with populist attitudes even after controlling for various independent variables, including religiosity, partisanship, satisfaction with life and Euroscepticism. Secondly, the study tests whether nostalgic messages affect populist attitudes using an online survey experiment. The results indicate that Ottoman nostalgia helps increase populist attitudes. Kemalist nostalgia, however, has a weak direct effect on populist attitudes that disappears after controlling for party preference.

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Mental health and preventive behaviour of pregnant women in China during the early phase of the COVID-19 period

Infectious Diseases of Poverty ◽

10.1186/s40249-021-00825-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Qian Wang ◽

Phoenix K. H. Mo ◽

Bo Song ◽

Jiang-Li Di ◽

Feng-Rong Zhou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Social Factors ◽

Early Phase ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Online Survey ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Face Mask ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Regression Analyses

Abstract Background The COVID-19 has caused significant toll over the globe. Pregnant women are at risk of infection. The present study examined the frequency of washing hands with soap and wearing face mask when going out, prevalence of depression and anxiety, and identified their associated factors among pregnant women during the early phase of COVID-19 outbreak in China. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between 24 February and 3 March 2020. A total of 15 428 pregnant women who were using maternal health care services in China completed a questionnaire which assessed their socio-demographic and pregnancy-related characteristics, contextual, cognitive and social factors related to COVID-19, frequency of washing hands and wearing face masks, and depression and anxiety. Logistics regression analyses were performed to identify the associated factors of preventive behaviours and mental health. Results The prevalence of probable anxiety and depression was 28.2% and 43.6% respectively. 19.8% reported always wearing face mask when going out, and 19.1% reported washing hands with soap for more than 10 times per day. Results from logistic regression analyses showed that older age was associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety (OR = 0.42–0.67) and higher frequency of washing hands (OR = 1.57–3.40). Higher level of education level was associated with probable depression (OR = 1.31–1.45) and higher frequency of wearing face mask (OR = 1.50–1.57). After adjusting for significant socio-demographic and pregnancy-related factors, place of residence being locked down (aOR = 1.10–1.11), being quarantined (aOR = 1.42–1.57), personally knowing someone being infected with COVID-19 (aOR = 1.80–1.92), perception that COVID-19 would pose long term physical harm to human (aOR = 1.25–1.28) were associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety, while the perception that the disease will be under control in the coming month was associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety (aOR = 0.59–0.63) and lower tendency of always wearing face mask (aOR = 0.85). Social support was associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety (aOR = 0.86–0,87) and higher frequency of washing hands (aOR = 1.06). Conclusions The mental health and preventive behaviours of pregnant women during COVID-19 outbreak was associated with a range of socio-demographic, pregnancy-related, contextual, cognitive and social factors. Interventions to mitigate their mental health problems and to promote preventive behaviours are highly warranted.

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E-cigarettes from the perspective of teenagers – results of focus studies

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa166.1006 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽

Author(s):

K Pluta ◽

Ł Balwicki

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Electronic Cigarettes ◽

Smoking Status ◽

Risky Behaviors ◽

Tobacco Prevention ◽

Tobacco Products ◽

Traditional Tobacco ◽

The Impact ◽

Natural Way

Abstract Research shows that over 80% of smokers start their habit under the age of 18. A few years ago young people undertook risky behaviors related to nicotine initiation mainly by smoking cigarettes. Today, next to traditional tobacco products, electronic cigarettes are becoming more and more popular. Due to the prevalence of new forms of nicotine addiction, modification of anti-tobacco prevention programs is required. The purpose of the research was exploration - learning the opinions and attitudes of young people towards e-cigarettes. The qualitative study was conducted using the FGI method (focus group interview). The meetings were modereted by specially trained psychologists. 48 students participated in the meetings of six focus groups, divided by gender and smoking status (smokers/non-smokers). The participants are young people aged 15-19, attending high schools in Warsaw, Kielce and Lublin. In conversations, young people emphasized the impact of e-cigarettes in smoking initiation - it usually occurs at the age of 12-14. E-cigarettes are perceived as cigarettes “for younger”, non-addictive, less serious, providing more entertainment. 'Cloud chasing' is particularly popular. They perform social functions - they are helpful in establishing relationships. Teenagers do not see the harmfulness of e-cigarettes. Participants mentioned their advantages over traditional tobacco products - they can be smoked everywhere and do not leave an unpleasant smell. Some of the respondents admit to the simultaneous use of electronic and traditional cigarettes. Moreover, many parents allow children to smoke electronic cigarettes. Vaping have become a natural way to relaxation and socialization for adolescents. E-cigarettes do not have such a negative connotation as traditional tobacco products. Young people do not see them as harmful, which is a challenge for effective preventive measures. Key messages Adolescents do not see e-cigarettes as harmful, which is a challenge for effective preventive measures. Vaping have become more and more popular - it's natural way to relaxation and socialization for young people.

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