Reframing social media discourse following the FDA's menthol ban announcement as industry agenda setting rather than public sentiment.

Background: The tobacco industry has spent millions of dollars promoting racialised narratives against the US Food and Drug Administration's recently announced ban on menthol as a characterising cigarette flavour. This research investigates racialised narratives in online discourse following the ban's announcement.

Methods: Tweets and users responding to the April 2022 menthol ban announcement were content analysed to examine the influence of tobacco industry affiliates and potentially organic African-American/Black (AA/B) users.

Using Concept Mapping to Identify Community Partners' and Researchers' Perceptions of Social Justice: A Path Toward Eliminating Chronic Disease Disparities.

Background: A social justice framework can be used to inform healthy equity-focused research, and operationalizing social justice can inform strategic planning for research and practice models. This study aimed to develop a working definition of social justice based on input from a diverse group of collaborators to better inform the work conducted within the Center for Research, Health, and Social Justice.

Methods: A concept mapping study was conducted from March to May 2022.

Impact of Smoking Cessation Motivations and Barriers on Quit Intentions Following a Hypothetical Flavor Ban Among African American/Black Individuals Who Use Menthol Cigarettes: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Introduction: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed banning cigarettes and cigars with characterizing flavors-products used disproportionately by African American/black (AA/B) individuals. Little is known about how AA/B individuals who smoke menthol cigarettes will respond to flavor bans or how to amplify the intended benefits. This study explored predictors of quit intentions following a hypothetical flavor ban and further probed anticipated ban-related responses.

Reactions to a Hypothetical Ban of Open-System Electronic Cigarettes Among People Who Currently Use Electronic Cigarettes.

Introduction: Policies limiting electronic cigarette (ECIG) device and liquid characteristics have been considered to prevent dependence potential and youth product appeal. "Open-system" ECIGs allow people to adjust device and liquid characteristics, which may undermine these policies. This study examined anticipated reactions to a policy prohibiting the sale of open-system ECIG devices in the United States using concept mapping.

Exploring Young Adults' Beliefs About Cigar Smoking by Susceptibility: A Belief Elicitation Study.

Introduction: Young adults are at risk for cigar smoking, which is associated with cancers and pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases. Little is known about young adults' beliefs about smoking cigarillos, little filtered cigars, and large cigars, and how these beliefs may vary across cigar types and by cigar susceptibility.

Aims And Methods: The larger study surveyed a U.

Electronic Cigarette Users' Reactions and Responses to a Hypothetical Nicotine Concentration Reduction in Electronic Cigarette Liquids.

Regulations limiting nicotine in electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have been proposed or implemented. Little is known about e-cigarette users' reactions to reducing e-cigarette liquid nicotine concentration. We used concept mapping to describe e-cigarette users' reactions to a 50% reduction in the nicotine concentration of their e-cigarette liquids.

Nicotine Dependence among Current Cigarette Smokers Who Use E-Cigarettes and Cannabis.

Background: Co-use of tobacco and cannabis and dual use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes are very common among young adults. However, it is unclear whether co-use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and/or cannabis is associated with higher levels of nicotine dependence than cigarette-only use. We investigated the relationship between cigarette/nicotine dependence and co-use of tobacco and cannabis among 4 groups of cigarette smokers aged 18-35: cigarette-only smokers, cigarette-e-cigarette (CIG-ECIG) co-users, cigarette-cannabis (CIG-CAN) co-users, and cigarette-e-cigarette-cannabis (CIG-ECIG-CAN) co-users.

Acute effects of flavored Black and mild cigars among young adult cigarette smokers.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed new product standards that would ban characterizing flavors (other than tobacco) in cigars.

Responses of African American Individuals Who Use Menthol Cigarettes to Potential Flavored Tobacco Bans.

Introduction: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed new product standards regarding the availability of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars in the U.

Electronic cigarette users' reactions and responses to a hypothetical ban of flavoured electronic cigarette liquids.

Unlabelled: BackgroundRegulations have been proposed to limit e-cigarette flavours, but limited research has examined potential impacts of such policies. This study examined adult e-cigarette users' reactions to a hypothetical e-cigarette flavour ban.

Methods: In 2019, a convenience sample of current e-cigarette users in the USA (n=81, 53.

Centering racial justice for Black/African American and Indigenous American people in commercial tobacco product regulation.

Although overall health in the United States (US) has improved dramatically during the past century, long-standing health inequities, particularly the unequal and unjust burden of tobacco-related disease and death among racialized populations, persist. A considerable gap exists in our understanding of how commercial tobacco product regulations and policies cause and/or exacerbate race-based health inequities among Black/African American (B/AA) and Indigenous American people. The purpose of this paper is to 1) describe how existing US commercial tobacco regulatory policies may contribute to structural racism and undermine the full benefits of tobacco prevention and control efforts among B/AA and Indigenous American groups; and 2) initiate a call to action for researchers and regulators of tobacco products to examine policies using an equity lens.

Racial Discrimination and Alcohol Problems: Examining Interactions with Genetic Risk and Impulsivity among African American Young Adults.

Experiences of racial discrimination have been shown to increase risk for alcohol problems. Some individuals may be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of racial discrimination. However, little research has examined interaction effects between racial discrimination and individual characteristics, such as genetic predispositions and personality, in relation to alcohol outcomes.

Menthol Smoking and Nicotine Dependence among Black/African American Women Smokers Living in Low-Resource, Rural Communities.

Black/African American women from low-resource, rural communities bear a disproportionate burden of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. This study examined associations between menthol smoking and socioeconomic deprivation with nicotine dependence and quitting behaviors among Black/African American women cigarette and/or little cigar/cigarillo smokers, aged 18-50 living in low-resource, rural communities. Baseline survey data from a randomized controlled behavioral/intervention trial (#NCT03476837) were analyzed ( = 146).

Cigar-Smoking-Cessation Interest and Experience among Black Young Adults: A Semi-Structured In-Depth Interview Investigation.

Although Black/African American populations have high cigar-smoking prevalence, little is known about cigar-smoking cessation among this group. This study explored the perceptions and experiences of cigar-smoking cessation and assistance received from healthcare providers among forty Black young-adult cigar smokers (ages 21-29). Semi-structured in-depth phone interviews were transcribed and coded.

Characterization of Electronic Cigarette Warning Statements Portrayed in YouTube Videos.

Introduction: In 2018, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required that electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) manufacturers, packagers, importers, distributors, and retailers display an addictive or alternate warning statement on e-cigarette visual advertisements. Few studies have investigated the FDA-mandated and other warnings on social media. This study examined the prevalence and content of warning statements in e-cigarette-related YouTube videos.

Exploring changes in cigar smoking patterns and motivations to quit cigars among black young adults in the time of COVID-19.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted the Black/African American communities in the U.S. The objective of this study is to understand the change in cigar smoking patterns and motivations to quit cigars during the COVID-19 pandemic among Black young adult cigar smokers.

Behavioral economic assessment of abuse liability for Black & Mild cigar flavors among young adults.

Cigars are available in a variety of flavors that may impact uptake and use, but little is known about how different flavors affect abuse liability. This study used 3 behavioral economic tasks to examine abuse liability of Black & Mild cigars differing in flavor among young adult cigarette smokers. Participants were 25 cigar-naïve young adults (aged 18-25 years) who smoked ≥ 5 cigarettes/day.

Impacts of COVID-19 on Electronic Cigarette Purchasing, Use and Related Behaviors.

: COVID-19 has caused health impacts and disruptions globally. Electronic cigarette (ECIG) users may face additional impacts. This study examined impacts of COVID-19 on ECIG users.

"I cannot live without my vape": Electronic cigarette user-identified indicators of vaping dependence.

Background: Limited research has examined indicators of electronic cigarette (ECIG) dependence. Researchers have adapted ECIG dependence measures from cigarette smoking dependence measures, but few have examined unique aspects of ECIG dependence. This study used concept mapping, a mixed-methods approach to examine ECIG user-identified indicators of ECIG dependence.

Harm Perceptions of Alternative Tobacco Products among US Adolescents.

Objectives: In this study, we identified groups of adolescents who share similar awareness and perceptions of harm regarding e-cigarettes, cigars, hookah, and smokeless tobacco.

Methods: We used latent class analyses (LCA) with the data from Wave 1 (2013-14) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health youth and parent survey (PATH; N = 13,650) to address the research goal. Multinomial logistic regression analysis assessed the associations between identified classes with demographic characteristics and tobacco use.

Racial discrimination and alcohol problems among African American young adults: Examining the moderating effects of racial socialization by parents and friends.

Objective: Racial discrimination is a stressor that may put African Americans at risk for alcohol use and related problems. We examined whether experiences of blatant (racist events) and subtle (racial microaggressions) forms of racial discrimination were associated with alcohol consumption and alcohol problems among African American young adults, and whether childhood/adolescence racial socialization by parents and friends moderated these associations.

Method: The sample included 383 African American young adults (M = 20.