Public perceptions of the FDA’s marketing authorization of Vuse on Twitter/X

IntroductionOn October 12, 2021, the FDA issued its first marketing granted orders for Vuse, the e-cigarette product by R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company. The public perceptions and reactions to the FDA’s Vuse authorization are prevalent on social media platforms such as Twitter/X. We aim to understand public perceptions of the FDA’s Vuse authorization in the US using Twitter/X data.MethodsThrough the Twitter/X streaming API (Application Programming Interface), 3,852 tweets between October 12, 2021, and October 23, 2021, were downloaded using the keyword of Vuse. With the elimination of retweets, irrelevant tweets, and tweets from other countries, the final dataset consisted of 523 relevant tweets from the US. Based on their attitudes toward the FDA authorization on Vuse, these tweets were coded into three major categories: positive, negative, and neutral. These tweets were further manually classified into different categories based on their contents.ResultsThere was a large peak on Twitter/X mentioning FDA’s Vuse authorization on October 13, 2021, just after the authorization was announced. Of the 523 US tweets related to FDA’s Vuse authorization, 6.12% (n=32) were positive, 26.77% (n=140) were negative, and 67.11% (n=351) were neutral. In positive tweets, the dominant subcategory was Cessation Claims (n=18, 56.25%). In negative tweets, the topics Health Risk (n=43, 30.71%), Criticize Authorization (n=42, 30.00%), and Big Tobacco (n=40, 38.57%) were the major topics. News (n=271, 77.21%) was the most prevalent topic among neutral tweets. In addition, tweets with a positive attitude tend to have more likes.DiscussionPublic perceptions and discussions on Twitter/X regarding the FDA’s Vuse authorization in the US showed that Twitter/X users were more likely to show a negative than a positive attitude with a major concern about health risks

E-Cigarettes in Pregnancy. PeriFACTS Case #1144.

This paper describes e-Cigarettes and how they, as unregulated and unstudied new tobacco products, pose substantial risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of key adverse pregnancy outcomes. In addition to reducing fertility and conveying long-term health risks to the mother, smoking during pregnancy increases the risks of ectopic pregnancy, placental abruption, miscarriage, preterm birth, low birth weight, stillbirth, and sudden infant death syndrome. Children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy may develop respiratory illnesses, orofacial clefts, obesity, learning disabilities, and behavior problems. Family members also may experience adverse effects through exposure to secondhand smoke or to smokeless tobacco. New tobacco products continue to appear, often with purported claims of safety or reduced risk. Electronic cigarettes are the most recent class of products to emerge, both nationally and globally

Electronic cigarette use and subjective cognitive complaints in adults.

IntroductionElectronic cigarette use (vaping) has become popular in recent years. The number of Americans with a variety of cognitive deficits has been increasing dramatically. This study aimed to examine the potential association of vaping with subjective cognitive complaints in US adults.MethodsA combined 2016 and 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) national survey dataset yielded 886,603 adults who indicated their smoking and vaping status, as well as whether they had subjective cognitive complaints. With this dataset, the cross-sectional association of electronic cigarette use with subjective cognitive complaints was examined using multivariable weighted logistic regression models.ResultsBoth dual users (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] = 2.07; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.66 to 2.60) and current vapers who were either ex-smokers (aOR = 1.94; 95% CI = 1.40 to 2.71) or never smoked (aOR = 1.96; 95% CI = 1.16 to 3.30) showed a significantly higher association with subjective cognitive complaints than never users. Current smokers (aOR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.32 to 1.69) and ex-smokers (aOR = 1.25; 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.41) had a significantly higher association with subjective cognitive complaints compared to never users. Compared to current smokers, the ex-smokers showed a lower association with subjective cognitive complaints (aOR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.73 to 0.96). Finally, the association of vaping with subjective cognitive complaints was not statistically significant in individual age group.ConclusionSimilar to smoking, vaping is associated with subjective cognitive complaints in US adults. These results provide preliminary evidence for a cross-sectional association of vaping with potential cognitive health effects in adults

Network analysis of global tobacco control collaboration: data from the World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH)

Abstract Background The World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) is held every three years to foster communication and collaboration on global tobacco control. Very little is known about the nature of interactions between WCTOH attendees and their linkages to tobacco control organizations, so knowing this information could help improve tobacco control efforts. Methods At the 2015 WCTOH, we implemented an online survey to assess barriers to global tobacco control activities, which information sources they use for tobacco control information, and with whom they interact regarding tobacco control. Results A total of 169 respondents completed the survey, with responses from all six World Health Organization (WHO) regions. Respondents worked in all areas of tobacco control; the most common were research (29.2%) and patient care/treatment (23.3%). The top barriers faced regarding tobacco control activities were: funding is weak (56.8%), government commitment (45.0%), tobacco industry interference (43.8%), and lack of coordination (34.3%). The network analysis identified Framework Convention Alliance (FCA) and Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) as the two most prominent groups that people belonged to and where they went to exchange information and best practices. Important regional and country specific groups also appear to be growing, such as the African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) and the Argentinian Association of Tabacology (ASAT). Discussion Mapping and better understanding the global tobacco control network is important for informing knowledge exchange and best practices, particularly as increasing attention is being focused on global tobacco control efforts in low- and middle-income countries in particular. Conclusions The present study demonstrates that even a subsample of the WCTOH shows considerable collaboration. The full WCTOH network should be mapped in order to foster greater collaboration that has the the potential to improve global tobacco control efforts

Use of flavored electronic cigarette refill liquids among adults and youth in the US-Results from Wave 2 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (2014-2015).

INTRODUCTION:Flavored e-cigarettes are enticing to new users and established cigarette smokers using e-cigarettes to quit smoking due to the wide variety of flavor options. However, specific flavor combinations that are popular among e-cigarette users are understudied. Recently, the Deeming rule extended the US Food and Drug Administration's authority over all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. METHODS:The Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study Wave 2 data were analyzed to assess the prevalence of self-reported flavor categories that are used individually and in combination with other flavor categories among past 30-day youth and adult e-cigarette users in the US. RESULTS:Most youth and adult participants reported using a flavored e-cigarette. Reporting an individual flavor category was more common than reporting a combination of flavor categories. Fruit flavor was the most common flavor category reported among youth, and 'menthol/mint' was most common among adults. Fruit and candy/other sweets were the most common flavor categories reported together among both youth and adult past 30-day e-cigarette users. CONCLUSIONS:The use of flavored e-cigarettes is very popular among youth and adults. Most consumers reported using a single flavor category, although some consumers did use a combination of flavor categories. Preference for menthol/mint among adults may represent a carryover from associations with tobacco cigarettes. Typically, sweeter flavors, such as fruit, were among the most popular flavor categories reported, both individually and in combination with other flavors, while more bitter flavors (i.e.: clove/spice) were less common. IMPLICATIONS:This study identified predominant flavor categories among past 30-day youth and adult e-cigarette users. Findings indicate that the wide variety of flavors available and the freedom to "mix-and-match" flavors may maintain use of e-cigarettes among youth and adults, and future research should focus on the composition of the ENDS liquid/vapor to disentangle the contributions of sweeteners and flavorants

Developing Graphic Messages for Vaping Prevention Among Black and Latino Adolescents: Participatory Research Approach

BackgroundAs an important transition stage in human development, adolescence is a critical window for vaping prevention. There is a substantial gap in communication research on vaping prevention among racial and ethnic minority groups. Their representation is essential to develop, implement, and disseminate innovative and effective interventions for vaping prevention. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to describe the participatory research (PR) procedures used with Black and Latino adolescents to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate graphic messages for vaping prevention. MethodsThis PR study used a qualitative, user-centered design method. We conducted a series of focus groups with 16 Black and Latino adolescents to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate graphic messages for vaping prevention. The biobehavioral model of nicotine addiction provided a framework for the development of the graphic messages. Participants met 4 times to provide iterative feedback on the graphic messages until they reached a consensus on overall quality and content. ResultsAt baseline, the participants’ mean age was 15.4 years (SD 1.4). Of the participants, 50% (8/16) were female, 88% (14/16) were heterosexual, 56% (9/16) were Black/African American, and 44% (7/16) were Hispanic/Latino. A total of 12 of the 16 participants (75%) chose to participate in the English sessions. Participants decided to create four types of graphic messages: (1) financial reward, (2) health reward, (3) social norms, and (4) self-efficacy. Meeting 4 times with the 4 groups provided sufficient opportunities for iterative feedback on the graphic messages to reach a consensus on overall quality and content. ConclusionsIt is feasible and practical to build PR among Black and Latino adolescents focused on vaping prevention. Adolescents added innovation and creativity to the development of culturally and linguistically appropriate graphic messages for vaping prevention. Appropriate staffing, funding, and approaches are key for successful PR efforts among Black and Latino adolescents. Future research is needed to evaluate the impact of the graphic messages on vaping prevention

Tobacco Control at Community Colleges: Context and Opportunities

Introduction Tobacco use among United States college-aged students remains higher than that of the national average. While a majority of public health literature has explained tobacco control programs and policies at traditional four-year colleges and universities, little research exists on programs and policies at two-year community colleges. It is important to understand such efforts at these institutions as they have vastly different infrastructures and enroll a more diverse and at-risk student body compared to traditional four-year colleges. Methods The role of community colleges in health efforts aimed at tobacco use was examined at four community colleges. Qualitative research methods included 18 interviews and four focus groups (N=55), document review, and direct environmental observation. Results Community colleges offered a limited number of tobacco cessation and secondhand smoke prevention initiatives. All colleges provided tobacco control literature, though additional programming varied by college. Indoor and outdoor tobacco use policies existed on all campuses though enforcement was problematic. Little evidence was found that current program and policy approaches are based upon best practices or are being employed successfully. Conclusions Opportunities for best practice strategies for tobacco control were identified for community colleges, and would require little additional infrastructure. Policy adherence and enforcement could be improved with awareness raising with students, faculty and staff. Cessation tools for students must be convenient, understandable, and accessible from multiple locations. Feasible approaches for future initiatives could include testing low cost technology such as quitlines, Web Assisted Tobacco Interventions (WATI) and outside partnerships with community organizations and health agencies