Publications by authors named "Geoffrey T Fong"

This study examined differences in quit attempts, 1-month quit success, and vaping status at follow-up among a cohort of 3709 daily smokers with and without depression, anxiety, and regular alcohol use who participated in both the 2018 and 2020 International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping (ITC 4CV) Surveys. At baseline, a survey with validated screening tools was used to classify respondents as having no, or one or more of the following: 1) depression, 2) anxiety, and 3) regular alcohol use. Multivariable adjusted regression analyses were used to examine whether baseline (2018) self-report conditions were associated with quit attempts; quit success; and vaping status by follow-up (2020).

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Introduction: E-cigarettes (ECs) and heated tobacco products (HTPs) are recent arrivals to the nicotine product market in the Middle East, which are rapidly growing in popularity in the region. There is a lack of surveillance data at the country-level on use of these products and factors associated with their use.

Methods: This study analyzed a subset of data from the UAE Healthy Future Study, a population-based cohort study of the Emirati population, to determine the factors associated with EC and HTP use among a sample of Emirati adults (≥ 18 years).

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Background: Comparisons of nicotine and toxicant exposure between people who use different alternative tobacco products remains underexplored.

Methods: This cross-sectional, multi-country study analyzed urinary metabolites of nicotine, NNK, and volatile organic compounds (acrolein, acrylamide, acrylonitrile) among established users (n=550) in Japan and Canada. Participants exclusively or concurrently used nicotine vaping products (NVPs; Canada only), heated tobacco products (HTPs; Japan only), and combustible cigarettes (CCs; Japan and Canada), or abstained (Japan and Canada).

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Introduction: Intentions to quit are the strongest predictor of successful smoking cessation and future quit attempts. This study assesses factors associated with quit intentions among adults who smoke in Spain.

Methods: Data are from the 2021 International Tobacco Control (ITC) EUREST-PLUS Spain Wave 3 Survey, a nationally representative survey of adults aged ≥18 years who smoke (n=1006).

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Introduction: In line with historical tobacco industry marketing claims, many consumers perceive cigarettes with filters as less harmful than cigarette without filters. However, scientific evidence indicates that cigarette filters do not reduce the risks associated with smoking. We examined opposition to banning the sale of cigarettes with filters, beliefs about whether removing filters makes cigarettes much more harmful, and whether this belief is associated with opposition to banning filters among adults who smoke cigarettes from four high-income countries.

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Objective: This study estimated prevalence of current electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) used by US adults who smoked cigarettes or formerly smoked in 2022 and assessed ENDS flavors, devices, and brands used most often.

Methods: Data are from the 2022 US ITC Smoking and Vaping Survey. Respondents were recruited from a web panel of a nationally representative sample of US adults ages 18+ who smoked, formerly smoked, and/or vaped ENDS.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study updates previous research on cigarette and heated tobacco product (HTP) sales trends in Japan from 2011 to 2023, using full unit sales data instead of partial data.
  • Researchers analyzed sales data using joinpoint regression to identify trends for cigarettes, HTPs, and their combined sales over the years.
  • The results showed a dramatic decline in cigarette sales (52.6% per capita) and a significant rise in HTP sales, indicating that while cigarette sales are dropping, HTPs are becoming more popular.
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Background: In April 2020, Japan's revised Health Promotion Act (HPA) banned cigarette smoking and heated tobacco products (HTP) use in indoor public places but exempted small establishments and permitted smoking-designated/HTP-designated rooms. This pre-post study evaluated the effectiveness of the HPA.

Methods: Data were from waves 1 to 4 (2018-2021) of the International Tobacco Control Japan Surveys among a national cohort of adults who smoke cigarettes, use HTPs and do not use any tobacco products.

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Introduction: The public health impact of a tobacco tax increase depends on the extent to which the industry passes the increase onto consumers, also known as tax-pass through. In 2020, the Netherlands announced tax increases aimed to increase the retail price by €1 per 20 factory-made cigarettes and €2.50 per 50 grams of roll-your-own tobacco.

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Background: The sale of loose cigarettes or bidis can undermine the purpose of requiring health warning labels (HWLs) on cigarette packs and bidi bundles by diminishing their visibility and legibility.

Objective: This mixed-methods study aims to examine the association between purchase behavior (loose vs pack or bundle), HWL exposure, and responses to HWLs among Indian adults who smoke.

Methods: Data were analyzed from the 2018-2019 India Tobacco Control Policy Survey and from 28 in-depth interviews conducted with Indian adults who smoked in 2022.

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Introduction: Tobacco harm perceptions are associated with tobacco use for both youth and adults, but it is unknown how these harm perceptions have changed over time in a changing tobacco product landscape.

Methods: Data from Waves 1-5 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study were analyzed to examine perceptions of harm of eight non-cigarette tobacco products compared to cigarettes. Perceptions of harm were assessed with the questions, "Is smoking/using [product] less harmful, about the same, or more harmful than smoking cigarettes?".

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Introduction: While indoor smoking restrictions are common, outdoor restrictions are still rare. We explored opinions and support for regulating smoking in different indoor and outdoor environments among adults who smoke and those who recently quit smoking, in Spain.

Methods: The 2021 ITC EUREST-PLUS Spain Survey is a cross-sectional study conducted among a nationally representative sample of 1006 adults aged ≥18 years who smoked cigarettes (n=867) or had recently quit smoking (n=139).

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Smoke-free laws (SFL) are more effective with public support. This study investigated the smoking prevalence, public perceptions of smoking rules, and support for comprehensive SFL among 1047 people who smoke (PWS) and 206 people who do not smoke (PNS) aged ≥18 in the 2020 International Tobacco Control Malaysia Survey. Smoking prevalence was highest in nighttime entertainment venues (85.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates the impact of e-cigarette characteristics on cigarette cessation among adults in the US, utilizing data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study over several years.
  • The research examines various factors, such as e-cigarette use frequency, flavor types, and device types, to understand their relationship with quitting behaviors in smokers.
  • Key outcomes include attempts to quit smoking, success rates in quitting for those who tried, and overall smoking discontinuation, all while considering demographic and usage variables.
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Objective: To estimate the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 and its determinants among a nationally representative sample of adults from Spain who smoke.

Methods: This is a prospective cohort study that uses data from two waves (Wave 2 in 2018 and Wave 3 in 2021) of the ITC EUREST-PLUS Spain Survey. At baseline (Wave 1 in 2016), all respondents were adults (aged ≥18) who smoked.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study explored why adults who smoke also use e-cigarettes, focusing on different sociodemographic groups, with data collected from surveys conducted in 2016 and 2020.
  • - In 2020, the main motivations for using e-cigarettes were curiosity (62.8%), perceived reduced harm compared to smoking (45.4%), and flavor (43.2%), with less emphasis on quitting or reducing smoking.
  • - Compared to 2016, the reasons for using e-cigarettes shifted from goal-oriented (like quitting) to non-goal-oriented motivations (like curiosity), with 53.3% of users in 2020 expressing no desire to quit or cut back on smoking.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the prevalence and perceptions of flavour capsule cigarettes (FCCs) among adult smokers in five different countries, highlighting significant differences in usage rates.
  • Data was collected from surveys conducted in Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Mexico, revealing various correlates of FCC use, such as gender, age, education, and smoking habits.
  • The findings emphasize the need for regulatory efforts to manage the popularity and appeal of FCCs due to their high prevalence in certain regions.
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Introduction: Non-combustible nicotine products (NCNPs), such as heated tobacco products (HTPs) and nicotine vaping products (NVPs) have gained a significant nicotine market share in South Korea. This descriptive study examined patterns of regular cigarette and NCNP use among South Korean adults.

Methods: Data were from the 2020 International Tobacco Control Korea Survey and included 4016 adults (aged ≥19 years) in the Republic of Korea who were regularly (at least weekly) using at least one NCNP (NVP/HTP, n=2117) and/or smoked cigarettes (n=3763) at the time of the survey.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Methods: Researchers analyzed data from 12 waves of the US ITC Survey, using advanced statistical techniques to estimate menthol cigarette use across various census divisions based on sex, age, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
  • * Results: The study found that menthol cigarette use increased overall, with higher prevalence in certain regions (like the Middle and South Atlantic) and among specific groups, including younger adults and women, highlighting significant geographic and demographic variations.
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Article Synopsis
  • A study conducted in Malaysia, the first of its kind, examines the use and prevalence of heated tobacco products (HTPs) among adult cigarette smokers since their introduction in 2018.
  • Data from a nationally representative survey revealed that 25.4% of smokers have ever used HTPs, with 6.7% using them daily and 8.1% non-daily, primarily among males aged 25-39.
  • Curiosity, taste, and appealing technology were the main reasons for HTP use, highlighting the need for ongoing public health monitoring to manage these new tobacco products.
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Background: While a growing number of studies examined the effect of e-cigarette (EC) excise taxes on tobacco use behaviors using cross-sectional surveys or sales data, there are currently no studies that evaluate the impact of EC taxes on smoking and vaping transitions.

Methods: Using data from the US arm of the 2016-2020 International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey (ITC 4CV), we employed a multinomial logit model with two-way fixed effects to simultaneously estimate the impacts of cigarette/EC taxes on the change in smoking and vaping frequencies.

Results: Our benchmark model suggests that a 10 % increase in cigarette taxes led to an 11 % reduction in smoking frequencies (p < 0.

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Background: Prior studies have demonstrated that the e-cigarette market contains a large number of brands. Identifying these existing e-cigarette brands is a key element of market surveillance, which will further assist in policy making and compliance checks.

Objective: To facilitate the surveillance of the diverse product landscape in the e-cigarette market, we constructed a semantic database of e-cigarette brands that have appeared in the US market as of 2020-2022.

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