An Experimental Evaluation of the Effects of Banning the Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products on Adolescents' and Young Adults' Future Nicotine Vaping Intentions

Overview

Journal Addict Behav

Specialties Psychiatry
Social Sciences

Date 2023 Jun 26

PMID 37364525

Authors

Michael Dunbar

Claude M Setodji

Steven C Martino

Desmond Jensen

Rosemary Li

Armenda Bialas

William G Shadel

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Some U.S. states and municipalities have banned the sale of flavored tobacco products to help curb youth vaping. However, evidence supporting such bans is limited. This experiment tested whether removing flavored tobacco products from a retail setting diminished adolescents' (ages 11-20) future intentions to use vaping products.

Methods: The study was implemented in the RAND StoreLab, a life-sized model convenience store. The display of flavored tobacco products in the store was manipulated with these conditions: 1) tobacco, sweet, and menthol/mint flavors displayed; 2) only tobacco and menthol/mint displayed; and 3) only tobacco flavors displayed. Participants were randomly assigned to shop in one of these conditions and completed measures of future vaping intentions post-shopping. Separate logistic regression models assessed effect of condition on future intentions to use different flavors (tobacco-, menthol/mint-, and sweet-flavored) and any flavor (composite score across flavor categories) of vaping products.

Results: Study condition was not associated with intentions to use menthol/mint-, sweet-flavored, or any flavor. Compared to the condition in which all flavored products were displayed, removing menthol/mint- and sweet-flavored products significantly increased future intentions to use tobacco-flavored vaping products (OR = 3.97, 95 % CI [1.01, 15.58], p < .05). This effect was only observed among adolescents with history of vaping (OR = 11.30, 95 % CI [1.42, 89.96], p = .02).

Conclusions: Flavor bans may not affect adolescents' intentions to use menthol/mint, sweet, or "any" flavor of vaping products but may increase intentions to use tobacco-flavored products for teens who have already started vaping.

Citing Articles

Measuring susceptibility to use tobacco in an increasingly complex consumer marketplace: How many questions do we really need?.

Setodji C, Martino S, Dunbar M, Kim K, Jenson D, Wong J Psychol Addict Behav. 2024; 39(2):127-138.

PMID: 38421778 PMC: 11358647. DOI: 10.1037/adb0000997.

Does Reducing the Size of the Tobacco Power Wall Affect Young People's Risk of Future Use of Tobacco Products? An Experimental Investigation.

Martino S, Setodji C, Dunbar M, Jenson D, Wong J, Torbatian A J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2024; 85(2):234-243.

PMID: 38206655 PMC: 10941820. DOI: 10.15288/jsad.23-00174.

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