Heated tobacco products and cigarette marketing in nightclubs in Gdansk, Poland: A mixed-methods analysis
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SUBMITTER: Nowicka J
PROVIDER: S-EPMC10768186 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundHeated tobacco products (HTPs), including I Quit Ordinary Smoking (IQOS), are new tobacco products that use an electronic device to heat compressed tobacco leaves to generate an aerosol for consumers to inhale. Marketing of HTPs is prevalent on Instagram, a popular social media platform.ObjectiveThis study aims to characterize posts related to HTPs on Instagram and their associations with user engagement.MethodsThrough the Instagram application programming interface, 979 Instagram posts were collected using keywords related to HTPs, such as "IQOS" and "heat-not-burn." Among them, 596 posts were related to IQOS and other HTP marketing. The codebook was developed from a randomly selected 200 posts on the post content by hand coding, which was applied to the remaining 396 Instagram posts. Summary statistics were calculated, and statistical hypothesis testing was conducted to understand the popularity of Instagram posts on HTPs. Negative binomial regression models were applied to identify Instagram post characteristics associated with user engagement (eg, count).ResultsAmong Instagram posts related to HTP marketing (N=596), "product display" was dominant (n=550, 92.28%), followed by "brand promotion" (n=41, 6.88%), and "others" (n=5, 0.84%). Among posts within "product display," "device only" was the most popular (n=338, 61.45%), followed by "heatstick only" (n=80, 14.55%), "accessory" (n=66, 12%), "device and heatstick" (n=56, 10.18%), and "capsule" (n=10, 1.82%). A univariate negative binomial regression model with pairwise comparisons across "product display" types showed that the number of likes for posts with HTP heatsticks was significantly lower compared to posts with HTP devices, accessories, and device-heatstick sets. Multivariate negative binomial regression models showed that HTP-related Instagram posts with a model or lifestyle elements (;=.60, 95% CI 0.36-0.84) or without obvious product advertising information (=.69, 95% CI 0.49-0.89) received more likes.ConclusionsIt is shown that posts with product displays were dominant among HTP-related posts on Instagram. Posts with model or lifestyle elements are associated with high user engagement, which might be one of the web-based marketing strategies of HTPs.
| S-EPMC10131776 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Heated tobacco products have a rapid uptake, especially among young people, mostly where advertising is unregulated, as is the case in Romania. This qualitative study explores the influence of direct marketing methods of heated tobacco products on young people, their perception and behaviour towards smoking. We have carried out 19 interviews with smokers of heated tobacco products (HTPs) or/and combustible cigarettes (CCs) or non-smokers (NS), aged 18-26. Using the thematic analysis, we have identified three overarching themes: (1) people, places, and subjects of marketing, (2) engagement with risk narratives and (3) social body, family bonds, and autonomous self. Even if most of the participants have been exposed to a mix of marketing methods, they did not acknowledge the influence that marketing has on their decision to experience smoking. Young adults' decision to use heated tobacco products seems to be influenced by a cluster of reasons: overcoming the legislation gap which prohibits indoor use of combustible cigarettes but not heated tobacco products; the attractivity of the product (novelty, inviting appearance, technological appeal and price) and presumed less damaging effects on health.
| S-EPMC9981255 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionThis study determines the particle emissions from five heated tobacco products (HTPs).MethodsAn aethalometer is used for the determination of black carbon (BC) and an aerosol monitor for total particulate matter (PM) concentration and also PM fractions (1, 2.5, 4, and 10 μm) in the mainstream emissions of 5 HTPs: IQOS, LIL, PULZE, ILUMA, and GLO. Fifteen different flavors were used, five sticks per flavor, which were smoked using a peristaltic pump under both ISO and Canadian smoking regimes. The method repeatability was determined using 15 sticks of one flavor for each brand for each smoking regime.ResultsAll HTPs emit particles, and more than 99.7% of the particles emitted are smaller than 1 μm. Both BC and PM emissions show quite low repeatability. Particle emissions increase in relation to the heating temperature and the intensity smoking regime, and are depending on the flavor used. BC corresponds to a small percentage of total PM.ConclusionsAlthough HTPs are promoted as products of reduced risk compared to conventional cigarettes, high particle concentrations are detected in their emissions, depending on the smoking regime, the flavor used, and the operation parameters. PM emissions vary significantly between different brands under the ISO smoking regime, probably due to the heating temperature. In contrast, PM emissions under the Canadian smoking regime do not vary significantly between different brands. This could probably be attributed to the fact that increased puff frequency does not allow the device to cool down between puffs, resulting in an increase in PM emissions for all the brands, but not dependent on the maximum heating temperature of the device. BC emissions only consist of a very small fraction of PM and do not vary significantly between different brands under both smoking regimes.
| S-EPMC10986040 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Social media are an important marketing platform for emerging tobacco products. Heated tobacco products (HTPs) have been introduced in a limited number of local test markets in the United States as potentially reduced-exposure tobacco products. HTPs can be used to heat tobacco as well as marijuana. However, due to growing digital media promotion of these products, it is possible that public knowledge and purchasing opportunities extend beyond test markets. Research on HTP social media promotion is sparse. The objective of the present study is to assess the amount and characterize the content of HTP-related messages on Twitter. We used keyword rules to collect HTP-related posts from the Twitter Historical Powertrack from 1 August 2016 to 31 July 2021. Posts were coded for type (organic, commercial), promotional strategies (e.g., discounts, event promotion), and marijuana co-use mentions using a combination of machine learning methods and human coding. Keyword filters captured 121,012 relevant tweets posted over the period of data collection, with 46,013 (38.02%) tweets featuring commercial content. Findings revealed that there was a two-fold increase in the monthly volume of messages from August 2016 to July 2021. The proportion of organic tweets increased from 29% of all tweets in August 2016 to 73.5% in July 2021. Approximately 20.6% of tweets included mentions of marijuana, and 5,243 posts (4.3%) contained links to online retailers. Promotional tweets featured event promotion, discounts, reduced harm appeals, and fashion appeals. Tobacco control and substance use prevention initiatives should include efforts to monitor the role of social media in promoting organic word-of-mouth and normalizing novel tobacco products.
| S-EPMC9997422 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Heated tobacco products (HTPs) are novel products that allow users to inhale nicotine by heating (350 °C) reconstituted tobacco rather than combustion (900 °C) as in conventional cigarettes. HTP sticks containing reconstituted tobacco come in various flavours such as menthol, citrus, etc., like electronic cigarette liquids. Thus, the composition of HTP aerosol will also vary according to the flavouring agents added. Overall, the content of toxic chemicals in HTP aerosol appears to be lower than in cigarette smoke. However, the concentrations of more than twenty harmful and potentially harmful constituents have been reported to be higher in HTP aerosol than in cigarette smoke. Further, several toxic compounds not detected in cigarette smoke are also reported in HTP aerosol. Thus, the risks of HTP use remain unknown. Most of the available data on the composition and health effects of mainstream HTP aerosol exposure are generated by the tobacco industry. Few independent studies have reported short-term pathophysiological effects of HTP use. Currently available HTP toxicity data are mainly on the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems. Moreover, there are no long-term toxicity data and, therefore, the claims of the tobacco industry regarding HTPs as a safer alternative to traditional combustible cigarettes are unsubstantiated. Furthermore, HTP aerosol contains the highly addictive substance nicotine, which is harmful to the adolescent brain, developing foetuses, pregnant women, and also adults. Hence, comprehensive studies addressing the safety profiling related to long-term HTP use are warranted. With this background, the following review summarizes the current state of knowledge on HTP toxicity on four broad lines: composition of mainstream HTP aerosol compared to traditional combustible cigarette smoke, biomarkers of HTP exposure, health effects of HTP exposure, and the harm reduction aspect.
| S-EPMC10459283 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The cornea is directly exposed to cigarette smoke, and smoking is a risk factor for several corneal diseases including dry eye syndrome. Currently, heated tobacco products (HTPs) are widely used as substitutes for cigarette smoking around the world. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanism(s) leading to cellular injury induced by cigarette smoke extract (CSE) or HTPs. Exposure to CSE perturbed the formation of tight junctions, leading to an increase in cell volume, a decrease in transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) in the human corneal epithelial cell-transformed (HCE-T) cell line. Moreover, CSE exposure induced both lipid peroxidation and ferrous [Fe(II)] ion accumulation in autolysosomal compartments. Interestingly, a cleaved form of ferritin appeared when HCE-T cells were incubated with CSE. This aberrant ferritin processing was suppressed by treatment with autophagy inhibitors. Furthermore, the CSE-induced cell death was suppressed by either ferrostatin-1 or deferoxamine (DFO). CSE exposure also promoted the expression of cytokines whereas DFO treatment inhibited the CSE-induced expression of these cytokines. Exposure to HTPs also induced both HCE-T cell death and cleaved ferritin accumulation in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. These results indicated that CSE or HTPs activated the ferroptosis signaling pathway, which contributed to corneal epithelial cell injury.
| S-EPMC8448754 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This study examined use trends of e-cigarette devices types, heated tobacco products (HTPs) and e-liquid nicotine concentrations in England from 2016 to 2020. Data were from a representative repeat cross-sectional survey of adults aged 16 or older. Bayesian logistic regression was used to estimate proportions and 95% credible intervals (CrIs). Of 75,355 participants, 5.3% (weighted = 5.5%) were currently using e-cigarettes or HTPs, with the majority (98.7%) using e-cigarettes. Among e-cigarette users, 53.7% (CrI 52.0-55.1%) used tank devices, 23.7% (22.4-25.1%) mods, 17.3% (16.1-18.4%) pods, and 5.4% (4.7-6.2%) disposables. Tanks were the most widely used device type throughout 2016-2020. Mods were second until 2020, when pods overtook them. Among all e-cigarette/HTP users, prevalence of HTP use remains rare (3.4% in 2016 versus 4.2% in 2020), whereas JUUL use has risen from 3.4% in 2018 to 11.8% in 2020. Across all years, nicotine concentrations of ≤ 6 mg/ml were most widely (41.0%; 39.4-42.4%) and ≥ 20 mg/ml least widely used (4.1%; 3.4-4.9%). Among e-cigarette/HTP users, ex-smokers were more likely than current smokers to use mod and tank e-cigarettes, but less likely to use pods, disposables, JUUL and HTPs. In conclusion, despite growing popularity of pods and HTPs worldwide, refillable tank e-cigarettes remain the most widely used device type in England.
| S-EPMC8225841 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Epidemiological studies have suggested that cigarette smoking can increase a person's risk of developing several types of cancer, including lung cancer. Lung cancer originates from cancer stem cells (CSCs), which constitute a minor cell population in tumors, and contribute to drug resistance and recurrence. Heated tobacco products (HTPs) produce aerosols that contain nicotine and toxic chemicals. Current evidence, however, is insufficient to accurately determine if HTPs are less harmful than burned cigarettes. This study has investigated the effects of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) from HTPs on lung CSCs in lung cancer cell lines. We found that CSEs induced the proliferation of lung CSCs and increased the expression levels of stem cell markers. In addition, CSE induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) expression and cytokine production. These results suggest that HTPs can induce lung CSCs in vitro.
| S-EPMC9742876 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundHeated tobacco products (HTP) are new forms of tobacco consumption with limited information available on their use among the general population. Our objective was to analyze the prevalence and associations of use of HTP across 11 countries in Europe.MethodsWithin the TackSHS Project, in 2017-2018 we conducted a cross-sectional study with information on HTP use in the following countries: Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Spain. In each country, face-to-face interviews were performed on a representative sample of around 1,000 subjects aged ≥15 years, for a total of 10,839 subjects.ResultsOverall, 27.8% of study participants were aware of HTPs, 1.8% were ever HTP users (ranging from 0.6% in Spain to 8.3% in Greece), and 0.1% were current users. Men were more frequently HTP ever users than women (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-1.95). Ever HTP use was inversely related to age (P for trend <0.001) and more frequent in ex-smokers (compared with never smokers, aOR 4.32; 95% CI, 2.69-6.95) and current smokers (aOR 8.35; 95% CI, 5.67-12.28), and in electronic cigarette past users (compared with never users, aOR 5.48; 95% CI, 3.46-8.68) and current users (aOR 5.92; 95% CI, 3.73-9.40).ConclusionsIn 2017-2018, HTP use was still limited in Europe among the general population; however, the dual use of these products, their high use among younger generations, and the interest of non-smokers in these products are worrying and indicate the need for close monitoring in terms of prevalence and the characteristics of users.
| S-EPMC8824661 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate and compare the impact of cigarette smoking (CS) and heated tobacco (HT) on the alteration of color and ultrastructural characteristics of human enamel and cementum.BackgroundAccording to tobacco companies, a less harmful substitute for CS is HT products. Nevertheless, comprehensive research on the effects of HT on tooth structures has been lacking. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the impact of CS and HT on the alteration of color and ultrastructural characteristics of human enamel and cementum.Materials and methodsThirty intact and noncarious human maxillary premolars extracted for orthodontic treatment purposes, previously disinfected, were used in the study. The specimens were randomly separated into six groups (n = 10), as follows: Group 1: enamel without smoking exposure; Group 2: enamel exposed to CS; Group 3: enamel exposed to HT; Group 4: cementum without smoking exposure; Group 5: cementum exposed to CS; and Group 6: cementum exposed to HT. The measurement of color change was conducted using a spectrophotometer. The surface alterations and mineral composition of enamel and cementum were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. ANOVA test followed by Tukey's post hoc test was used to determine significant differences between groups.ResultsResults showed that CS had a more pronounced effect on enamel and cementum color changes than HT. The impact of CS and HT on color changes was more evident in cementum than in enamel. Surface morphology of enamel and cementum showed alterations in histology following exposure to both smoking types. Moreover, the mineral content experienced a significant reduction after using CS and HT. The reduction in calcium content after CS and HT exposure was similar. However, HT led to a significant decrease in the phosphorus content of enamel when compared with CS. At the same time, CS exposure in cementum resulted in a more significant reduction in Ca/P ratio than HT.ConclusionsAlthough HT may appear to present a lower danger to hard dental tissues than CS, it is not entirely harmless. CS results in more color changes on the enamel and cementum of teeth. Both smoking methods affected the mineral content of teeth, with CS having a significant effect on the roots, while HT significantly affected the crowns' mineral composition.
| S-EPMC11300513 | biostudies-literature