Use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products during the Covid-19 pandemic

Only a few studies investigated changes in electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) and heated tobacco product (HTP) use during pandemic restrictions. We conducted a web-based cross-sectional study of a representative sample of 6,003 Italian adults during the strictest phase of the Covid-19 lockdown (April–May 2020). Participants were asked to report changes in e-cigarette and HTP use compared to before the pandemic. E-cigarette users increased from 8.1% to 9.1% and HTP users from 4.0% to 4.5%. Among e-cigarette non-users before lockdown, 1.8% started using e-cigarettes during lockdown. New users were more frequently younger (p for trend 0.001), men (odds ratio, OR 1.56; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.03–2.34), cannabis users (OR 2.35; 95% CI: 1.33–4.13), gamblers (OR 3.34; 95% CI: 2.18–5.11) and individuals with anxiety symptoms (OR 1.58; 95% CI: 1.00–2.52). 1.0% of HTP non-users started using it during lockdown. New users were less frequently current than never cigarette smokers (OR 0.19; 95% CI: 0.06–0.61) and more frequently gamblers (OR 2.23; 95% CI: 1.22–4.07). E-cigarettes and HTPs played little role as smoking cessation tools for hardcore smokers but rather provided opportunities for young never smokers to engage in socially acceptable activities, perhaps reflecting the obstacles they faced in obtaining other addictive substances during confinement.

Choice Bundling Increases Valuation of Delayed Losses More Than Gains in Cigarette Smokers

Choice bundling, in which a single choice produces a series of repeating consequences over time, increases valuation of delayed monetary and non-monetary gains. Interventions derived from this manipulation may be an effective method for mitigating the elevated delay discounting rates observed in cigarette smokers. No prior work, however, has investigated whether the effects of choice bundling generalize to reward losses. In the present study, an online panel of cigarette smokers (N = 302), recruited using survey firms Ipsos and InnovateMR, completed assessments for either monetary gains or losses (randomly assigned). In Step 1, participants completed a delay-discounting task to establish Effective Delay 50 (ED50), or the delay required for an outcome to lose half of its value. In Step 2, participants completed three conditions of an adjusting-amount task, choosing between a smaller, sooner (SS) adjusting amount and a larger, later (LL) fixed amount. The bundle size (i.e., number of consequences) was manipulated across conditions, where a single choice produced either 1 (control), 3, or 9 consequences over time (ascending/descending order counterbalanced). The delay to the first LL amount in each condition, as well as the intervals between all additional SS and LL amounts (where applicable), were set to individual participants’ ED50 values from Step 1 to control for differences in discounting of gains and losses. Results from Step 1 showed significantly higher ED50 values (i.e., less discounting) for losses compared to gains (p < 0.001). Results from Step 2 showed that choice bundling significantly increased valuation of both LL gains and losses (p < 0.001), although effects were significantly greater for losses (p < 0.01). Sensitivity analyses replicated these conclusions. Future research should examine the potential clinical utility of choice bundling, such as development of motivational interventions that emphasize both the bundled health gains associated with smoking cessation and the health losses associated with continued smoking.

ANOSMIA AND AGEUSIA IN PATIENTS WITH COVID-19

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and diagnostic significance of anosmia and ageusia among COVID-19 positive patients of Karachi, Pakistan. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Dr Ruth K. M. Pfau Civil Hospital, (Dow University of Health Sciences), Karachi Pakistan, from Jan 2021 to Feb 2021. Methodology: The data were collected prospectively from 265 COVID-19 positive patients. Some patients were interviewed over the telephone, while for patient's ease, an online Google form was also formed, facilitating the online data collection. The patient's demographics, comorbidities, allergies, and COVID-19 associated characteristics were inquired. The statistical analysis was performed on SPSS version 23. Results: The observed frequency of anosmia and ageusia in COVID-19 patients was 49.1% & 43.8% respectively. The median time to recovery was 8-8.5 days (median) for both symptoms. We found no significant difference for gender, BMI, marital status, residential area, comorbidities and reason for long-standing breathing difficulties between patients with or without both anosmia and ageusia (p>0.05). Furthermore, most of the cigarette smokers reported none of the two symptoms (anosmia and ageusia), 24% and 25.2% of COVID-19 positive cases with smoking history were presented without anosmia and ageusia, respectively (p<0.05). Conclusion: Loss of sense of smell and taste was reported in almost half of the studied population infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Therefore, screening for anosmia and ageusia must be considered while COVID-19 suspicion as an important diagnostic clue.

Tobacco/Nicotine Use Among Individuals Using Cannabis for Therapeutic Purposes

OBJECTIVE: While the relationship between recreational cannabis and nicotine use is well established, little is known about nicotine use among users of cannabis for therapeutic purposes (CTP). METHOD: Patients attending a medical marijuana dispensary (N = 697; 75.3% White; 60.0% male) completed a survey examining nicotine use, routes of administration of nicotine and cannabis, and CTP qualifying conditions. RESULTS: More than one-third (39.3%) of participants reported current nicotine use. Compared to exclusive cigarette smokers, non-users of nicotine, and e-cigarette users were approximately four times more likely to vape, rather than to smoke, cannabis. Almost a third of those reporting e-cigarette use (30.6%) and more than half (56.7%) of those reporting smoking cigarettes reported stopping for one day or longer in the past year because they were trying to quit. Furthermore, 46.8% of cigarette smokers reported plans to quit smoking in the next six months (but not in the next month) and an additional 31.6% planned to quit in the next month. Having a psychiatric condition was associated with nicotine use and higher motivation to quit smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Users of CTP are more likely to use nicotine products than the general population. Importantly, the route of administration of nicotine products is related to the route of administration of CTP. If aerosolized (vaped) CTP is a less harmful route of administration than smoked CTP, dispensary staff should be aware of this relationship and take this into account when recommending a non-combustible route.

Transitions to smokeless tobacco use among adult cigarette smokers in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, Waves 3–5 (2015–2019)

ObjectiveExamine patterns of dual use of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco and complete switching over time among adult current cigarette smokers using data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study Wave 3 (2015–2016), Wave 4 (2016–2018) and Wave 5 (2018–2019).MethodsWe examined four tobacco use states among 6834 exclusive smokers and 372 dual users at Wave 3 with two waves of follow-up data: exclusive cigarette use, exclusive smokeless tobacco use, dual use and use of neither product.ResultsAmong exclusive smokers at Wave 3, only 1.6% (95% CI: 1.3% to 2.1%) transitioned to dual use at Wave 4, and 0.1% (95% CI: 0.07% to 0.2%) switched to exclusive smokeless tobacco use. Among exclusive smokers who switched to dual use, 53.1% (95% CI: 40.9% to 64.9%) returned to exclusive cigarette smoking, 34.3% (95% CI: 23.8% to 46.6%) maintained dual use and 12.6% (95% CI: 7.0% to 21.7%) did not smoke cigarettes after an additional wave of follow-up. Dual users at Wave 3 were likely to maintain their dual use status at Wave 4, 51.2% (95% CI: 46.1% to 56.3%) and Wave 5, 47.9% (95% CI: 40.1% to 55.8%).ConclusionsVery few cigarette smokers transition to smokeless tobacco use, and among those who do, dual use is more common than exclusive smokeless tobacco use. Further, the majority of exclusive cigarette smokers who transition to dual use at Wave 4 continue smoking cigarettes at Wave 5, either as dual users or as exclusive smokers.

Retinal Microvascular Reactivity in Chronic Cigarette Smokers and Non-smokers: An Observational Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: To evaluate the changes in the retinal microvasculature and its reactivity in chronic cigarette smokers.Methods: Thirty-four male chronic cigarette smokers and 18 male non-smokers were enrolled. Optical coherence tomography angiography was used to measure the perfused retinal vessel densities (PVDs) of the peripapillary and parafoveal areas at baseline and during phase IV of the Valsalva maneuver (VM-IV). Systemic blood pressure and intraocular pressure were also measured.Results: The baseline PVD in the peripapillary area of the smokers was significantly lower than the non-smokers (59.56 ± 2.26% vs. 61.67 ± 3.58%, respectively; P = 0.005). However, there was no significant difference in the foveal avascular zone or parafoveal PVD between the two groups. During VM-IV, the peripapillary PVD of the smokers decreased by 1.13 ± 3.50%, which was significantly less than that of the non-smokers (−3.83 ± 4.26%, P &lt; 0.05). Similarly, the parafoveal PVD of the smokers decreased by 5.49 ± 9.70%, which was significantly less than the percentage change of the non-smokers (−13.01 ± 8.39%, P &lt; 0.05). There was no significant difference in the percentage change in systemic blood pressure parameters between the two groups.Conclusion: The retinal microvasculature and its reactivity were impaired in chronic smokers compared with non-smokers. The extent of impairment differed among different regions of the fundus.

Cigarette dependence is more prevalent and increasing among US adolescents and adults who use cannabis, 2002–2019

SignificanceCannabis use is increasing among cigarette smokers. If cannabis use is associated with cigarette dependence, a barrier to smoking cessation, this could have public health implications for tobacco control. The current study estimated the prevalence of cigarette dependence among US individuals who smoke cigarettes by cannabis use status, and investigated trends in cigarette dependence from 2002 to 2019 among cigarette smokers by cannabis use status and cigarette consumption (ie, cigarettes per day, CPD).MethodsData were drawn from the 2002–2019 annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health and included US individuals aged 12+ years who used cigarettes at least once in the past month (n=231 572). Logistic regression was used to estimate the prevalence of cigarette dependence, measured as time to first cigarette <30 min, by past-month cannabis use (no use, non-daily use, daily use), and to estimate trends in cigarette dependence from 2002 to 2019 overall and stratified by cannabis use and smoking level (light, 1–5 CPD; moderate, 6–15 CPD; heavy, 16+ CPD).ResultsAcross all levels of cigarette use, cigarette dependence was significantly more common among individuals with daily cannabis use compared with those with non-daily or no cannabis use. From 2002 to 2019, cigarette dependence increased among cigarette smokers with non-daily cannabis use, and among light and moderate cigarette smokers with no cannabis use.ConclusionsUS individuals who use both cigarettes and cannabis report a higher prevalence of cigarette dependence relative to individuals who use cigarettes and do not use cannabis at virtually all levels of cigarette consumption. Further, cigarette dependence is increasing in the USA both among those who use and do not use cannabis. Given the increase in cannabis use among those using cigarettes, efforts to elucidate the nature of the association between cannabis and cigarette dependence are needed.

Profile of menthol cigarette smokers in the months following the removal of these products from the market: a cross-sectional population survey in England

IntroductionIn May 2020, the EU Tobacco Products Directive ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes was implemented in England. This study examined the prevalence of menthol cigarette smoking after the ban, according to sociodemographic and smoking characteristics.MethodsCross-sectional data came from a representative survey of current smokers (18+) in England (unweighted n=2681) between July 2020 and June 2021. The weighted prevalence of menthol cigarette smoking as a proportion of total cigarette smoking was calculated, log-binomial regression explored trends over time, and χ2 statistics assessed the relationship between menthol smoking, sociodemographic and smoking characteristics. Sources of purchase of menthol cigarettes were explored.ResultsBetween July 2020 and June 2021, 15.7% (95% CI 14.5 to 17.1) of smokers reported smoking menthol cigarettes. The fitted non-linear trend supported no initial change followed by a possible reduction across April–June 2021 and fit the data better than linear and null (no change) models (χ2(2)=2519.7, p=0.06; χ2(3)=2519.7, p=0.006). Menthol cigarette smoking was more common among younger groups (16–24=25.2%; 25–34=19.9%) and women (19.4%). Menthol cigarette smokers showed lower cigarette dependence compared with other smokers. Past-6-month purchases of menthol cigarettes from any illicit or cross-border source declined from 30.1% in the last 6 months of 2020 to 17.5% in the first 6 months of 2021.ConclusionsA substantial minority of current smokers in England reported menthol cigarette smoking between July 2020 and June 2021, despite the ban, possibly reflecting mitigation of restrictions by a variety of licit means, such as legal menthol accessories. The reduction in menthol smoking across April–June 2021 warrants further monitoring.