It's Not Just: Evaluation of a Media Campaign to Motivate Action Around Targeting of Menthol Tobacco in Black Communities.

Introduction: For more than 60 years, tobacco companies have aggressively marketed menthol tobacco products in Black communities. In 2021, New York State Department of Health-funded grantees launched a media campaign aimed toward civically engaged New York adults to educate and mobilize community action to prevent targeted marketing of menthol tobacco. This study examined audience reactions to the campaign and associations between campaign awareness and key outcomes.

Believability of messaging concerning a hypothetical product standard to lower a constituent in cigarettes or smokeless tobacco among U.S. Adults who use tobacco.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has regulatory authority to implement tobacco product standards to reduce harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs).

Youth and adult understanding of public displays of information about harmful constituents in cigarette smoke.

The U.S. FDA is required by law to publicly display a list of harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) "by brand and by quantity in each brand and subbrand" in a format that is "understandable and not misleading to a lay person.

Changes in Availability of ENDS: 2019-2020, U.S.

Introduction: Events during 2019 and 2020, such as the outbreak of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use‒associated lung injury; manufacturer product withdrawals; federal regulations; and coronavirus disease 2019, potentially affected the retail availability of ENDS in the U.S. Measuring changes in ENDS availability informs the understanding of the ENDS marketplace and contextualizes sales trends.

Expanding local sales restrictions on flavoured tobacco products to include menthol: retail sales changes in two Minnesota cities.

Background: In 2018, Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, expanded existing local sales restrictions on flavoured (non-menthol/mint/wintergreen) tobacco products ('flavour policies') to include menthol/mint/wintergreen-flavoured tobacco products ('menthol policies'). All policies included exemptions for certain store types.

Youth vaping beliefs and behaviors: evidence from New York.

Current use of vaping products has increased in recent years among youth in the United States. We conducted cross-sectional surveys of vaping product users aged 15-17 in New York in 2017 and 2019 to assess vaping freqency, reported nicotine content of vaping products used, risk perceptions of vaping and openness to vaping cannabis (2019 survey only). Between 2017 and 2019, the proportion of youth vapers who were frequent vaping product users increased from 16.

"The Real Cost" Smokeless campaign: changes in beliefs about smokeless tobacco among rural boys, a longitudinal randomized controlled field trial.

Background: The prevalence of current smokeless tobacco (SLT) use in 2019 among high school students was 4.8%, and the overall rate of SLT use was higher among high school boys (7.5%) than girls (1.

Changes in retail sales of tobacco products in Ontario after a menthol sales restriction.

Background: Ontario, Canada prohibited menthol tobacco product sales beginning 1 January 2017. We measured retail sales of menthol cigarettes and possible substitute products before and after policy implementation in Ontario.

Methods: We licensed retail scanner data for tobacco product sales in Ontario and British Columbia (BC), a comparison province without a menthol tobacco policy at that time.

Implementation of a comprehensive flavoured tobacco product sales restriction and retail tobacco sales.

Objective: San Francisco's comprehensive restriction on flavoured tobacco sales applies to all flavours (including menthol), all products and all retailers (without exemptions). This study evaluates associations of policy implementation with changes in tobacco sales in San Francisco and in two California cities without any sales restriction.

Methods: Using weekly retail sales data (July 2015 through December 2019), we computed sales volume in equivalent units within product categories and the proportion of flavoured tobacco.

Changes in cigarillo availability following implementation of a local flavoured tobacco sales restriction.

Introduction: Providence, Rhode Island (RI) was among the first US jurisdictions to enact a policy (effective 3 January 2013) restricting the retail sale of non-cigarette tobacco products with a characterising flavour other than the taste or aroma of tobacco, menthol, mint or wintergreen. We used scanner data to assess the impact of this sales restriction on retail availability of cigarillos, flavoured and otherwise, in Providence and a rest-of-state (ROS) comparison area.

Methods: Every unique cigarillo product-each indicated by a universal product code (UPC)-available for sale in RI from January 2012 to December 2016 was assigned to an exclusive flavour-name category (tobacco; explicit or concept flavour; or menthol/mint) based on characteristics in the scanner dataset and, as necessary, information from online websites.

Perceptions of U.S. and Canadian Cannabis Package Warnings Among U.S. Adults.

Background: Cannabis warning labels can communicate risks, but there is little research on warning perceptions and differences by product type.

Methods: In a 2019 online survey, 1,000 U.S.

Impact of Pictorial Cigarette Warnings Compared With Surgeon General's Warnings on Understanding of the Negative Health Consequences of Smoking.

Introduction: The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act requires cigarette packages and advertisements to bear health warnings with "color graphics depicting the negative health consequences of smoking."

Aims And Methods: This study assessed whether new US Food and Drug Administration developed pictorial cigarette warnings (PCW) increased understanding of smoking-related risks relative to the current Surgeon General's (SG) warnings. In March-May 2019, adolescent and adult smokers and nonsmokers participated in an online experiment with three sessions completed over approximately 2 weeks.

Influence of Warning Statements on Understanding of the Negative Health Consequences of Smoking.

Introduction: Pursuant to the Tobacco Control Act (TCA), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is developing new cigarette health warnings to convey the negative health consequences of cigarette smoking.

Aims And Methods: This study assessed which of 15 revised warning statements (10 on topics similar to TCA statements and 5 on other topics) promoted greater understanding of cigarette smoking risks relative to TCA statements. In February 2018, adolescent and adult smokers and adolescents susceptible to smoking (n = 2505) completed an online experiment.

Effect of a Statewide Media Campaign on Smoking Cessation Among Florida Adults.

Introduction: Since December 2010, Florida's Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida has aired a statewide tobacco education campaign to encourage smoking cessation. The Tobacco Free Florida campaign consists of evidence-based advertisements primarily characterized by strong emotional content and graphic imagery designed to increase awareness of the health risks of tobacco use. We evaluated the effect of the media campaign on population-level quit attempts by using a statewide representative sample of Florida adults aged 18 or older.

Impact of The Real Cost Media Campaign on Youth Smoking Initiation.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between youth exposure to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's national tobacco public education campaign, The Real Cost, and changes in smoking initiation.

Changes in cigar sales following implementation of a local policy restricting sales of flavoured non-cigarette tobacco products.

Introduction: On 3 January, 2013, the city of Providence, Rhode Island, began enforcing a restriction on the retail sale of all non-cigarette tobacco products with a characterising flavour other than tobacco, menthol, mint or wintergreen. We assessed the policy impact on cigar sales-which comprise 95% of flavoured non-cigarette tobacco products sold through conventional tobacco retail outlets (eg, convenience stores, supermarkets) in Providence-over time and in comparison to the rest of the state (ROS).

Methods: Weekly retail scanner sales data were obtained for January 2012 to December 2016.

Effect of menthol cigarette and other menthol tobacco product bans on tobacco purchases in the RTI iShoppe virtual convenience store.

Objective: To test how a potential US ban of menthol products or replacement with 'green' products and ads could influence tobacco purchases.

Methods: US adult menthol smokers (N=1197) were recruited via an online panel and randomly assigned to complete a shopping task in one of four versions (experimental conditions) of the RTI iShoppe virtual store: (1) no ban, (2) replacement of menthol cigarettes and ads with green replacement versions, (3) menthol cigarette ban and (4) all menthol tobacco product ban. Logistic regressions assessed the effect of condition on tobacco purchases.

Peer crowd segmentation for targeting public education campaigns: Hip hop youth and tobacco use.

This study examines the potential association between strength of Hip Hop peer crowd identification and tobacco use in one of the first large samples of Hip Hop youth in the United States. Data are from a geographically-targeted, address-based convenience sample of 2194 youths aged 12-17 who identify with the Hip Hop peer crowd collected via in-person and web interviews in 30 U.S.

Impact of messages about scientific uncertainty on risk perceptions and intentions to use electronic vaping products.

Background: The science surrounding e-cigarettes and other electronic vaping products (EVPs) is rapidly evolving, and the health effects of vaping are unclear. Little research has explored how individuals respond to information acknowledging scientific uncertainty. The aim of the present study was to understand the impact of messages about scientific uncertainty regarding the health effects of vaping on risk perceptions and behavioral intentions.

Latent Class Analysis of E-cigarette Use Sessions in Their Natural Environments.

Background: Delivery of nicotine and substances from electronic nicotine delivery systems, or e-cigarettes, depends in part on how users puff on the devices. Little is known about variation in puffing behavior to inform testing protocols or understand whether puffing behaviors result in increased exposure to emissions.

Methods: We analyzed puff topography data collected using a wireless portable use monitor (wPUM) continuously over 2 weeks among 34 current second-generation e-cigarette users in their everyday lives.

National and state patterns of concept-flavoured cigar sales, USA, 2012-2016.

Introduction: Cigar sales have increased in the USA in recent years. A growing proportion of cigar sales are of flavoured varieties, many bearing ambiguous or 'concept' flavour descriptions (eg, Jazz). This study assessed US cigar sales by flavour category (ie, concept flavoured, characterising flavoured and tobacco), at national, regional and state levels.

How Do Adolescents Get Their E-Cigarettes and Other Electronic Vaping Devices?

Purpose: More adolescents "vape" (use e-cigarettes and similar devices) than smoke, but little is known about how underage users obtain vaping devices. This knowledge could inform efforts to prevent youth access.

Design: Original cross-sectional survey with social media recruitment.

Little filtered cigars: US sales, flavours, package sizes and prices.

Objective: At least four varieties of little filtered cigars (LFCs) violate the US prohibition on flavoured cigarettes other than menthol. This study characterises the sales of prohibited products and other LFCs by flavour category and pack size, as well as the price of LFCs relative to cigarettes.

Methods: Using retail sales data for 2016, we computed the sales volume in dollars and equivalent units and the percentage of total sales by flavour and pack size for the USA by region and state.

Examining Youth Dual and Polytobacco Use with E-Cigarettes.

E-cigarettes and other non-cigarette tobacco products are increasingly popular among youth. Little is known to inform public health efforts to reduce youth use. We examined psychosocial correlates of single and multiple tobacco product use among youth e-cigarette users.