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ABSTRACT: Background
Tobacco industry (TI) companies have entered the UK e-cigarette ("vaping") market in recent years. However, their motives and ambitions are unclear. This study explored how popular TI vaping products are and who uses them, and how they differ from independent products.Methods
Secondary analysis of data from a longitudinal web-based survey of smokers, ex-smokers, and vapers (n = 3883) in the UK in 2019. The main study sample consisted of daily and nondaily vapers, who were current or ex-cigarette smokers, and had stated the brand of their preferred e-cigarette device (n = 1202). Proportions using TI and independent brands were calculated and regression analysis assessed associations with sociodemographic and smoking/vaping characteristics between vapers of TI and independent products. Chi-square tests were used to analyze differences between TI and independent products.Results
Overall, 53.4% used TI products. A university education (67.6%; adjOR = 1.54; 95% CI, 1.140-2.088), nondaily vaping (68.2%; adjOR = 1.39; CI, 1.029-1.880), and cigarette dependence (moderate, strong and very strong urges to smoke) were associated with using TI vaping brands. TI products used were less likely to be refillable ("open") than independent brands (60.9% vs. 18.3%, chi-square = 228.98, p < .001), more likely to use nicotine salts (16.7% vs. 8.6%, chi-square = 25.04, p < .001) and tobacco flavors (23.8% vs. 17.9%, chi-square = 12.65, p < .001).Conclusion
TI vaping products were popular in the UK, associations with product and user characteristics suggest that TI products may be less conducive to smoking cessation, although the findings were not always consistent.Implications
Consequences of regulations need to be carefully considered to ensure that independent producers are not more negatively impacted than tobacco industry producers, and to avoid reducing utility of products for smoking cessation.
SUBMITTER: Cornish EJ
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9199949 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Cornish Elliot J EJ Brose Leonie S LS McNeill Ann A
Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco 20220601 7
<h4>Background</h4>Tobacco industry (TI) companies have entered the UK e-cigarette ("vaping") market in recent years. However, their motives and ambitions are unclear. This study explored how popular TI vaping products are and who uses them, and how they differ from independent products.<h4>Methods</h4>Secondary analysis of data from a longitudinal web-based survey of smokers, ex-smokers, and vapers (n = 3883) in the UK in 2019. The main study sample consisted of daily and nondaily vapers, who w ...[more]