According to UTHealth researchers in Austin, Texas, the flavors found in tobacco and e-cigarettes could increase use among young people, especially teenagers. The marketing present on these products is also implicated.
WITHOUT AROMAS, THE USE OF E-CIGARETTE WOULD BE LESS IMPORTANT!
In a UTHealth study published in the journal " Tobacco Regulatory Science It was found that over the past 30 days, the use of tobacco products and flavored e-cigarettes was high among teens and young adults in Texas. The results were based on responses from 2 youth aged 483 to 12 and 17 young adults aged 4 to 326 in four cities in Texas: Houston, Dallas / Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin.
Melissa B. Harrell, Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences at UTHealth School of Public Health in Austin says: " Our study builds on a growing body of evidence that suggests the use of flavors in tobacco products and e-cigarettes is appealing to teens and young adults. What is most surprising is that before that, no one had yet asked young people this question: If there were no more flavors in these products, would you continue to use them? »
Among those who reported using electronic cigarettes, 98,6% of adolescents et 95,2% of young adults in Texas said their first e-cigarette was flavored. If flavors were not available, 77,8% of adolescents et 73,5% of young adults state that they would not use them. It is estimated that there are over 7 e-cigarette flavors on the market. Many of them are sweet and have tastes approaching fruit or desserts. For Melissa B. Harrell « Taste is an important factor, these flavors mask the flavor of tobacco, which can have an aggressive taste"
ADVERTISING HAS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN YOUNG PEOPLE
In a second study, researchers observed that advertising could play an important role in the use of electronic cigarettes among young people. According to the researchers, from 2011 to 2013, advertisements promoting e-cigarettes on television increased by more than 250% and reached more than 24 million teenagers. In 2014, 70% of students in the United States had seen an advertisement for electronic cigarettes whether it was on TV, in a store, on the internet or in a magazine.
This second study shows that young people in Texas who see e-cigarette advertisements are more likely to use them in the future. According to the 2015 National Youth Smoking Survey, nearly 3 million college and high school students across the country used e-cigarettes.
Cheryl L. Perry, Ph.D., Ph.D. Nicole E. Nicksic, Ph.D .; Adriana Perez, Ph.D .; and Christian D. Jackson, MS Alexandra Loukas, Ph.D .; Keryn E. Pasch, Ph.D., with the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin; and C. Nathan Marti, Ph.D., with the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin also contributed to the studies.
Source : Eurekalert.org
