Changes in Cigarette Smoking and Vaping in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in the UK: Findings from Baseline and 12-Month Follow up of HEBECO Study

This study investigated UK adults’ changes in cigarette smoking and vaping during the COVID-19 pandemic and factors associated with any changes. Data were from an online longitudinal study. A self-selected sample (n = 332) of 228 smokers and 155 vapers (51 participants were both smokers and vapers) completed 5 surveys between April 2020 and June 2021. Participants self-reported data on sociodemographics, COVID-19-related, and smoking/vaping characteristics. During the 12 months of observations, among smokers, 45% self-reported a quit attempt (27.5% due to COVID-19-related reasons) since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic and the quit rate was 17.5%. At 12 months, 35.1% of continuing smokers (n = 174) reported smoking less and 37.9% the same, while 27.0% reported an increase in the number of cigarettes smoked/day. Among vapers, 25.0% self-reported a quit attempt (16.1% due to COVID-19-related reasons) and the quit rate was 18.1%. At 12 months, 47.7% of continuing vapers (n = 109) reported no change in the frequency of vaping/hour, while a similar proportion reported vaping less (27.5%) and more (24.8%). Motivation to quit smoking and being younger were associated with making a smoking quit attempt and smoking cessation. Being a cigarette smoker was associated with vaping cessation. Among a self-selected sample, COVID-19 stimulated more interest in reducing or quitting cigarette smoking than vaping.

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.

Effects of electronic cigarette e-liquid flavouring on cigarette craving

BackgroundE-liquid flavour restrictions may discourage electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) uptake among youth. However, possible unintended consequences may include reduced appeal and effectiveness of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation. Non-tobacco flavours appear to be important for smoking cessation, but how and why are currently unclear.MethodsWe conducted an experimental study in a UK sample of adult daily smokers using an independent groups design (N=84). Participants were randomised to use an e-cigarette with nicotine-containing fruit/sweet-flavoured e-liquid (blackcurrant, strawberry, vanilla, caramel) or unflavoured e-liquid for 1 week. The primary outcomes were average, peak and cue-elicited cigarette craving (the latter was assessed using a cue exposure task). The secondary outcomes were smoking lapse occurrence, enjoyment of the e-cigarette, ease of transitioning from smoking to using an e-cigarette, intentions to continue using an e-cigarette, intentions and motivation to quit smoking, return to smoking, and continuation of e-cigarette use.ResultsE-liquid flavouring did not appear to have an effect on average cigarette craving (b 0.18, 95% CI −0.44 to 0.79, p=0.57), peak cigarette craving (b −0.12, 95% CI −0.59 to 0.35, p=0.62) or cue-elicited cigarette craving (b −0.21, 95% CI −3.86 to 3.43, p=0.91). We did not find evidence of a difference in secondary outcomes.ConclusionsWe did not find evidence to suggest that nicotine-containing fruit/sweet-flavoured and unflavoured e-liquids have different effects on cigarette cravings after 1 week of use. Further research is needed to establish if differences emerge over longer periods of exposure and extend to smoking cessation outcomes.

PENGARUH INTERVENSI MEDIA SOSIAL (WHATSAPP) DENGAN FLYER TERHADAP PERUBAHAN PERILAKU MEROKOK REMAJA PADA MASA PANDEMI COVID-19 DI DESA TOMADO KECAMATAN LINDU

Adolescent smoking behavior is a behavior that endangers health, but there are still many teenagers who become smokers who started when they were teenagers or at the age of 11 years, especially teenage boys who often did this action. The use of appropriate media can affect the knowledge of respondents. In general, this study aims to determine the effect of social media intervention (whatsapp) with flyers on changes in adolescent smoking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tomado Village, Lindu District, Sigi Regency, Central Sulawesi. And specifically, the research objective was to determine the effect of social media intervention (whatsapp) with flyers on smoking knowledge, smoking frequency, changes in smoking attitudes, and adolescent motivation to quit smoking. This type of research is a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest two group design. The research sample used purposive sampling method and obtained a sample of 40 people. The instrument of this research used questionnaires, observation sheets, pretest and posttest questionnaires, and media flyers. Analysis of research data using a comparative test, namely Paired sample t-test, and Independent t-test. The results showed that there was a significant difference in respondents' knowledge about the dangers of smoking in the intervention group, while in the control group it was found that there was no significant difference in respondents' knowledge; there was a significant difference in the frequency of adolescent smoking in the intervention group and the control group; there is a significant difference in adolescent smoking attitudes in the intervention group and the control group; there was a significant difference in motivation to quit smoking in the intervention group and the control group.

Mediational Effects on Motivation to Quit Smoking After Exposure to a Cigarette Pictorial Warning Label Among Young Adults

Background Young adults are vulnerable to cigarette package marketing. Pictorial warning labels are recommended for tobacco control. Research should address questions raised in legal challenges including causal mechanisms. Evidence is mixed and understudied among young adults (e.g., discrete emotions and risk perceptions). Purpose This study investigated mediators of pictorial warning label effects on motivation to quit smoking among young adult smokers. Methods This study analyzed data from a randomized trial with a 4 week exposure to a cigarette pictorial warning among young adult smokers (N = 229) aged 18–30 with assessments at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 3 months. Mediation analyses used latent change scores to test the effects post-intervention on fear, anger, and risk perceptions. We also examined whether post-intervention measures predicted change in motivation to quit smoking at 3 months. The first model assessed aggregate risk perceptions and the second model assessed discrete risk perceptions (deliberative, affective). Results Pictorial warning label exposure led to increases in fear which led to increased motivation to quit smoking for the first (B = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.04, 0.26) and second (B = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.03, 0.25) model. Exposure modestly increased motivation to quit by way of fear and affective risk perceptions (B = 0.01, 95% CI = 0.00, 0.04). Exposure had a direct relationship on increased motivation to quit as well. Conclusions Findings demonstrate factors contributing to change in motivation to quit smoking among young adult smokers after pictorial warning label exposure. Affective processes are mediators of pictorial warning label effects.

Trend in Prevalence of Smoking and Motivation to Quit among Korean Adult Male Cancer Survivors over the Last 8 Years: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V–VII (2010–2017)

Background: This study aimed to investigate trends in the prevalence of current smokers and motivation to quit among Korean male cancer survivors.Methods: Out of 20,012 men who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V (2010–2012), VI (2013–2015), and VII (2016–2017), 742 cancer survivors were included. A cancer survivor was defined as a person who concurred to the item, “The cancer has been diagnosed by a doctor” in the health questionnaire. Smoking status was classified as current, former, and never smokers. Regarding motivation to quit smoking, we defined those who had a willingness to quit within 6 months as the willing group. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine trends in the prevalence of current smokers and the proportion of the willing group among current smokers.Results: Overall, 3.7% of Korean men who participated in the study were cancer survivors. Current smokers constituted 19.5%, 19.1%, and 15.3% of cancer survivors in phases V, VI, and VII respectively which did not show significant changes (P for trend=0.33). However, the proportion of current smokers in the non-cancer group was significantly reduced to 46.6%, 41.2%, and 38.9% in phases V, VI, and VII, respectively (P for trend <0.001). The proportion of those with a motivation to quit smoking did not show a significant trend in the cancer survivors (P for trend=0.964) and non-cancer group (P for trend=0.884).Conclusion: Prevalence of current smokers and motivation to quit in Korean male cancer survivors did not show significant trends.