The association between excise taxes and smoking and vaping transitions-Findings from the 2016-2020 ITC United States surveys.

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 < 0.01), while EC taxes did not have a significant effect on smoking frequencies. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that increasing cigarette taxes may serve as an effective means of encouraging people who smoke to cut back on smoking or quit smoking. The impact of increasing EC taxes on smoking transitions is less certain at this time.

The impact of cigarette prices on smoking participation and tobacco expenditure in Vietnam.

Vietnam is one of countries with the highest number of smokers in the world and the high smoking prevalence among men in the region. Although the real cigarette prices increased by around 4% during the 2010-2015 period, the prevalence of daily cigarette smoking among men decreased slightly from 31.3% to 30.7% during this period. This raises the question of whether cigarette consumption is sensitive to price. In this study, we estimated the effect of cigarette prices on smoking participation and tobacco expenditure in Vietnam. We found that a one-percent increase in the real cigarette price reduced the probability of cigarette smoking among males by 0.08 percentage points (95% CI from -0.06 to -0.10), equivalent to the price elasticity of the smoking prevalence at -0.26 (95% CI from -0.16% to -0.33%). Using this estimate, we predict that if the cigarette price is increased by 10%, the daily cigarette smoking prevalence among men would decrease from 30.7% to 29.9% and the number of male smokers would decline by around 270 thousand. Higher cigarette prices also reduced per capita tobacco expenditure of households. A one-percent increase in the cigarette price decreased per capita expenditure on tobacco consumption expenditure of households by 0.43 percent (the 95% CI from -0.029 to 0.822). This finding suggests that raising tobacco taxes and prices can be an effective measure to reduce tobacco use.

Health Care Utilization of Menthol and Non-menthol Cigarette Smokers.

INTRODUCTION: To study the association between health care utilization and menthol cigarette use and whether the association differed between African American (AA) and non-AA smokers. METHODS: We analyzed the three most recent 2005, 2010, and 2015 National Health Interview Survey Cancer Control Supplements. After incorporating propensity score weights adjusting for observed differences between menthol and non-menthol users, we estimated Zero-Inflated Poisson models on hospital nights, emergency department visits, doctor visits, and home visits as a function of menthol use status and other covariates separately for current cigarette smokers and recent quitters (former smokers quitting cigarette smoking ≤ 4 years). RESULTS: Although current menthol smokers smoked fewer cigarettes per day than current non-menthol smokers, they did not differ from current non-menthol smokers in health care utilization. Among recent quitters, those who used to smoke menthol cigarettes had higher odds of having hospital nights than those who used to smoke non-menthol cigarettes. However, we did not find any significant association between menthol use and other health care utilization-emergency department visits, doctor visits, and home visits-among recent quitters. Moreover, compared with non-AA recent quitters, AA recent quitters had higher odds of having home visits, but fewer home visits, if they used to smoke menthol cigarettes. CONCLUSION: Menthol use was associated with greater hospitalization among recent quitters, and the association between home visits and menthol use differed between AA and non-AA recent quitters. IMPLICATIONS: This is the first study that used econometric models to study the association between health care utilization and menthol cigarette use and examine whether the association differed between AA and non-AA smokers. Our study found health care utilization did not differ by menthol use status for current smokers, although current menthol smokers smoked fewer cigarettes per day than current non-menthol smokers. However, we found menthol use was associated with higher odds of having hospital nights for recent quitters. We also found AA recent quitters had a different association between home visits and menthol use compared with non-AA recent quitters.

Behavioral Economic Demand for Alcohol and Cigarettes in Heavy Drinking Smokers: Evidence of Asymmetric Cross-commodity Reinforcing Value.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have highlighted a strong bidirectional relationship between cigarette and alcohol consumption. To advance our understanding of this relationship the present study uses a behavioral economic approach in a community sample (N = 383) of nontreatment seeking heavy drinking smokers. AIMS AND METHODS: The aims were to examine same-substance and cross-substance relationships between alcohol and cigarette use, and latent factors of demand. A community sample of nontreatment seeking heavy drinking smokers completed an in-person assessment battery including measures of alcohol and tobacco use as well as the Cigarette Purchase Task and the Alcohol Purchase Task. Latent factors of demand were derived from these hypothetical purchase tasks. RESULTS: Results revealed a positive correlation between paired alcohol and cigarette demand indices (eg, correlation between alcohol intensity and cigarette intensity) (rs = 0.18-0.46, p ≤ .003). Over and above alcohol factors, cigarette use variables (eg, Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence and cigarettes per smoking day) significantly predicted an additional 4.5% (p < .01) of the variance in Persistence values but not Amplitude values for alcohol. Over and above cigarette factors, alcohol use variables predicted cigarette Persistence values (ΔR2 = .013, p = .05), however, did not predict Amplitude values. CONCLUSIONS: These results advance our understanding of the overlap between cigarette and alcohol by demonstrating that involvement with one substance was associated with demand for the other substance. This asymmetric profile-from smoking to alcohol demand, but not vice versa-suggests that it is not simply tapping into a generally higher reward sensitivity and warrants further investigation. IMPLICATIONS: To our knowledge, no study to date has examined alcohol and cigarette demand, via hypothetical purchase tasks, in a clinical sample of heavy drinking smokers. This study demonstrates that behavioral economic indices may be sensitive to cross-substance relationships and specifically that such relationships are asymmetrically stronger for smoking variables affecting alcohol demand, not the other way around.

Change in smoking intentions of university students in New Zealand following simulated cigarette price increases: results of the first of two cross-sectional surveys.

AIM: Increasing cigarette prices is one of the most effective strategies to reduce smoking. This study examined changes in smoking intentions of university students following simulated price increases. METHOD: Data came from a 2018 cross-sectional survey of university students. The sample comprised 187 current smokers (47% aged <21 years, 53% ≥21 years; 60% male, 40% female; 10% Maori, 90% non-Maori and 18% current vapers). Students were asked how their smoking behaviour would change if the price of a packet of their regular cigarettes or RYO tobacco was increased by $5.00, $10.00, $15.00 or >$15.00. RESULTS: The proportion of students who would smoke the same amount declined substantially, while students who would switch to e-cigarettes increased by large margins at price increases of $5.00, $10.00 and $15.00. Quit intentions increased at all price levels, but were stronger among younger students and females. Males were almost twice as likely to switch to e-cigarettes as females. Overall, more students would quit than switch to e-cigarettes. CONCLUSION: Results show that increasing cigarette prices by ≥$15.00 per packet could lead to significant reductions in smoking among university students. Follow-up data is required to assess the differential effects of price increases on vaping.

Current cigarette smoking among Iranian elders; what are the prevalence, inequality and socioeconomic determinants? An analysis on Iranian Rural and Urban Income-Expenditure Survey 2017.

This study aims to investigate the current prevalence of smoking, socioeconomic inequality, and main determinants of it among Iranian ≥60 years in 2017. The data of Iranian Rural and Urban Income-Expenditure Survey for 2017 have been obtained from Statistical Center of Iran. The prevalence rate of current smoking, inequality of current smoking through calculating the Concentration Index, and the main socioeconomic determinants of it have been investigated. The current prevalence of tobacco use in the elderly in Iran was about 11%; of which, 9% belonged to men and 2% to women. The most prevalent current tobacco uses in the elderly belonged to the age group of 70-79 years. This rate was lower in the two other borderline groups (under 70 and over 80 years of age). Furthermore, its prevalence was higher in the unemployed and married elderly, compared to their counterparts within each subgroup. Current cigarette smoking is among health problems, especially among the elderly, and its prevalence is significant in Iran.

With socioeconomic status controlled, cigarette use is lower among American Indians/Alaska Natives than whites.

BACKGROUND: Higher crude prevalence of cigarette use among American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) than non-Hispanic whites (NHW) has helped engender an assumption that race/ethnicity explains the difference. This study examines whether being AI/AN versus NHW predicts greater use when socioeconomic status and demographics are controlled. METHODS: Data came from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2013-2017). Using logistic regressions with socioeconomic (income, education) and demographic (gender, age, marital status) controls, differences between AI/AN (n = 4,305) and NHW (n = 166,348) regarding heavier cigarette use (past month daily use, past month use of 300+ cigarettes, and nicotine dependence) and current cigarette use (past month use plus 100+ cigarettes in lifetime) were assessed. Adjusted predicted probabilities were also constructed. RESULTS: NHW, compared to AI/AN, had greater odds of daily use: adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.23 (95% CI: 1.03-1.49); predicted probabilities-15.3% and 13.0%, respectively. NHW had greater odds of using 300+ cigarettes: AOR = 1.47 (CI: 1.19-1.83); predicted probabilities-13.6% and 9.9%. NHW had greater odds of being nicotine dependent: AOR = 1.57 (CI: 1.31-1.89); predicted probabilities-10.3% and 7.1%. A difference in current use was not found. As controls, income and education were especially impactful. CONCLUSIONS: With controls, particularly for socioeconomic status, heavier cigarette use was lower among AI/AN than NHW, and a current cigarette use difference was not indicated. This contradicts the idea that being AI/AN versus NHW independently predicts greater cigarette use, and it underscores the importance of socioeconomic status for understanding cigarette use among AI/AN.

Price Elasticity of cigarette smoking demand in the Philippines after the 2012 Sin Tax Reform Act.

The Philippine tobacco excise tax reform law passed in 2012 drastically increased cigarette prices which were historically low. A pack of 20 cigarettes costing nine cents (US Dollar) or less was taxed five cents in 2011. When the reform took effect in 2013, each pack was taxed 24 cents which is almost five times the 2011 rate. Alongside the increase in tax is a decline in the prevalence of tobacco use from 28.3% in 2009 to 23.8% in 2015. Seven years since the reform took effect, policymakers are still debating whether the tax introduced was high enough to significantly reduce smoking prevalence. This study estimated the total price elasticity of cigarette demand using regression analyses on the pooled Philippine 2009 and 2015 Global Adult Tobacco Survey data with the excise tax as an instrumental variable. Information from both tax regimes provided the variation in cigarette prices that allowed for the estimation of the price elasticity of smoking participation and intensity. Age, sex, urban residence, educational attainment, employment status, wealth quintile, and media exposure were used as control variables. Results confirm that cigarette demand is inelastic, given that total cigarette price elasticity of demand ranges from -0.56 to -1.10 which means that for every 10% price increase, total cigarette demand declines by 5.6% to 11.0%. This study also provides total price elasticities for different subpopulations. Future studies can use these elasticity estimates to forecast smoking prevalence and provide policy recommendations.

Cigarette affordability in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region is the only WHO region with increasing male prevalence of smoking tobacco products observed and predicted. There is no regional analysis of cigarette affordability in the literature. AIMS: This study aimed to compare the affordability of the cheapest, most sold and premium brands of cigarettes between countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) and countries in the rest of the world by income group in 2008 and 2018. METHODS: Affordability was defined as the percentage of GDP per capita needed to purchase 2000 cigarette sticks. A simple average and 95% confidence interval of affordability was calculated by income group for EMR countries and for the rest of the world. RESULTS: Historically, the cheapest, most sold and premium brands of cigarettes have on average been more affordable in the EMR compared to the same brands in the rest of the world in every income group. This pattern persists despite some convergence between the affordability of cigarettes in the EMR and in countries in the rest of the world. CONCLUSION: The historic and persisting higher affordability of cigarettes in the EMR relative to the rest of the world could offer an explanation to the tobacco prevalence trends in the region. Continued implementation of Article 6 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is needed.

Cigarette Smoking and Its Financial Burden among Iranian Households: Evidence from Household Income and Expenditures Survey.

BACKGROUND: The financial burden of cigarette smoking on households' budget is not well documented in Iran. We aimed to identify the determinants of cigarette consumption and its financial burden among households in Iran. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: A total of 39,864 Iranian's households from 31 provinces were included in the analysis. Data on sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics (age, sex, household size, education level, employment status, income and wealth index), living area, number of cigarettes smoked and cigarette expenditures for households were extracted from the 2016 Household Income and Expenditures Survey (HIES). Tobit model was used to identify the determinants of cigarette smoking frequency and expenditures among Iranian households. RESULTS: The average number of cigarettes smoked and cigarettes expenditures by all household members was 85.25 cigarettes and US$ 2.64 per month. Living in urban areas, wealth index of households, household income, household size and low educational attainment of household members were positively associated with frequency and expenditures of cigarette smoking. Results also indicated increasing patterns in the number of cigarettes smoked and cigarettes expenditures from east to west of the country. East Azerbaijan, Hamadan, Markazi and Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari provinces had higher cigarette smoking frequency and expenditures in Iran. CONCLUSION: Tobacco control interventions in Iran should focus more on households living in urban areas and low-educated households. As the frequency of cigarette smoking was higher in the western region of Iran, comprehensive tobacco control policies should be adopted in western provinces.

Impact of e-cigarette and cigarette prices on youth and young adult e-cigarette and cigarette behaviour: evidence from a national longitudinal cohort.

INTRODUCTION: Understanding the impact of prices for tobacco and nicotine products is critical for creating policies to prevent use among young people. This study examines the impact of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) and cigarette prices on current e-cigarette and cigarette use among youth and young adults. METHODS: Data were from a national probability-based sample aged 15-21 collected in 2014 and followed every 6 months for 2.5 years through 2016. We conducted separate conditional likelihood logistic regression models with past 30-day e-cigarette use and past 30-day cigarette use outcomes on the sample of individuals who participated in at least two survey waves (n=11 578) with linked Nielsen market-level price data for rechargeable e-cigarettes and cigarettes. Models controlled for time-varying variables at the individual and state policy levels, and fixed effects at the individual, wave and market levels. RESULTS: Higher cigarette prices were associated with increased past 30-day e-cigarette use, indicating e-cigarettes may serve as a substitute for cigarettes. We did not find a statistically significant relationship between rechargeable e-cigarette prices and past 30-day e-cigarette use; neither did we find a significant relationship between rechargeable e-cigarette prices and past 30-day cigarette smoking. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to examine e-cigarette and cigarette prices on e-cigarette and cigarette behaviour longitudinally among young people. Findings suggest the need for better measuring the costs associated with e-cigarette use among this population, as well as a careful assessment of price and tax policies that takes into account cross-product impact to sufficiently discourage e-cigarette and cigarette use among young people.

Changes in roll-your-own tobacco and cigarette sales volume and prices before, during and after plain packaging legislation in the UK.

BACKGROUND: Plain packaging and minimum pack size legislation for tobacco products was introduced in the UK in May 2016, with a 1-year sell-off period until May 2017, during which both fully branded and plain packs of various sizes were legally available. This study investigates trends in prices of roll-your-own tobacco (RYO) before, during and after implementation of this legislation, and compares trends with those observed in the cigarette market. METHODS: We used Nielsen Scantrack data for the period from March 2013 to June 2018 to describe trends in UK inflation-adjusted prices and volumes of both RYO and cigarettes, and linear regression to estimate changes in prices associated with the introduction of plain packaging and the minimum pack sizes of 30 g RYO and 20 cigarettes. RESULTS: In contrast to a downward trend in cigarette sales volumes, RYO volumes rose throughout the study period. By the time plain packs accounted for 75% or more of sales, the average price of products sold in equivalent pack sizes had increased, relative to average prices in the year before implementation and with adjustment for tax changes, from 34.9 to 38.8 pence per gram for RYO (mean difference 4.26, 95% CI 3.99 to 4.53 pence, 12% increase), and from 38.6 to 41.13 pence for cigarettes (mean difference 2.53, 95% CI 2.24 to 2.83 pence, 7% increase) per cigarette. CONCLUSIONS: New legislation resulted in higher prices for RYO and manufactured cigarettes. However, sales volumes of RYO continued to increase throughout the study period, perhaps because RYO remains a less expensive means of smoking tobacco.

Cohort effects of tobacco control policy: evidence to support a tobacco-free norm through smoke-free policy.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of cigarette smoking among South Korean adolescents has decreased markedly over the past decade, which may indicate a norm shift between generations of adolescents. The present study aims to identify the effect of banning smoking in public places and increasing cigarette prices on current adolescent smoking, and to determine whether these policies additionally resulted in cohort effects. METHODS: Repeated cross-sectional survey data, nationally representative of South Korean adolescents, were used. A total of 853 441 adolescents ranging in age from 12 to 18 years (mean age, 15 years) were identified. Models applied were segmented regression model to detect changes in smoking trends and age-period-cohort model to determine the cohort effects on the trends. FINDINGS: Between 2006 and 2017, smoking decreased from 16% to 9% in boys and from 9% to 3% in girls. After a complete ban on smoking in public places, there were significantly negative trends in the prevalence of smoking for both boys (ß=-1.1; 95% CI: -1.9 to -0.2) and girls (ß=-0.4; 95% CI: -0.6 to -0.1). Immediate decrease among girls was found after cigarette prices increased (ß=-0.8; 95% CI: -1.5 to -0.2). For the cohort effect, the risk of smoking decreased with every consecutive year for boys born after 1998 and girls born after 1997. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate the presence of cohort effects in the reduction of adolescent smoking. The cohort effect was induced by smoke-free legislation. Research on cohort effects, and methods to denormalise tobacco, will contribute to preventing adolescents from ever trying a cigarette.

Experimental manipulations of behavioral economic demand for addictive commodities: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Reinforcing value, an index of motivation for a drug, is commonly measured using behavioral economic purchase tasks. State-oriented purchase tasks are sensitive to phasic manipulations, but with heterogeneous methods and findings. The aim of this meta-analysis was to characterize the literature examining manipulations of reinforcing value, as measured by purchase tasks and multiple-choice procedures, to inform etiological models and treatment approaches METHODS: A random-effects meta-analysis of published findings in peer-reviewed articles. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol, studies were gathered through searches in PsycINFO and PubMed/MEDLINE (published 22 May 2018). Searches returned 34 unique studies (aggregate sample n = 2402; average sample size = 68.94) yielding 126 effect sizes. Measurements included change (i.e. Cohen's d) in six behavioral economic indices (intensity, breakpoint, Omax , Pmax , elasticity, cross-over point) in relation to six experimental manipulations (cue exposure, stress/negative affect, reinforcer magnitude, pharmacotherapy, behavioral interventions, opportunity cost). RESULTS: Cue exposure (d range = 0.25-0.44, all Ps < 0.05) and reinforcer magnitude [d = 0.60; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.18, 1.01; P < 0.005] manipulations resulted in significant increases in behavioral economic demand across studies. Stress/negative affect manipulations also resulted in a small, significant increase in Omax (d = 0.18; 95% CI = 0.01, 0.34; P = 0.03); all other effect sizes for negative affect/stress were non-significant, albeit similar in size (d range = 0.14-0.18). In contrast, pharmacotherapy (d range = -0.37 to -0.49; Ps < 0.04), behavioral intervention (d = -0.36 to -1.13) and external contingency (d = -1.42; CI = -2.30, -0.54; P = 0.002) manipulations resulted in a significant decrease in intensity. Moderators (substance type) explained some of the heterogeneity in findings across meta-analyses. CONCLUSIONS: In behavioral economic studies, purchase tasks and multiple-choice procedures appear to provide indices that are sensitive to manipulations found to influence motivation to consume addictive substances in field experiments.

Effect of IQOS introduction on cigarette sales: evidence of decline and replacement.

BACKGROUND: Philip Morris International, one of the largest transnational cigarette manufacturers, has heavily invested in its new heated tobacco product, IQOS, marketing it aggressively as a less harmful alternative to cigarette smoking. The company's assertions that the product replaces cigarettes in a market have never been independently tested. The objective of this study is to determine whether introduction of IQOS affected cigarette sales in a large economy. DATA AND METHODS: Using 2014 to 2018 monthly retailer panel data from Japan, we analyse whether different dates of IQOS introduction across Japan's regions are reflected in the patterns of cigarette sales in those regions. A series of placebo models are estimated to test if events other than IQOS introduction could have better explained the observed trends in cigarette sales. RESULTS: Cigarette sales begin to substantially decline at the time of the introduction of IQOS in each of 11 Japanese regions (Chow tests p<0.001). IQOS introduction, which varied across regions, better predicted the timing of cigarette sales decline than any one time applied to all regions simultaneously (a national-level exogenous shock) and than nearly all possible rearrangements of the true IQOS introduction months among the regions (exact permutation test's p value from 0.02 to 0.13, depending on the study approach). CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of IQOS likely reduced cigarette sales in Japan. The net population health impact, however, cannot be assessed without resolving several key uncertainties related to the direct harms of IQOS and the precise patterns of both smoking and IQOS use.

Changes in alcohol and cigarette consumption in response to medical and recreational cannabis legalization: Evidence from U.S. state tax receipt data.

BACKGROUND: Whether medical or recreational cannabis legalization impacts alcohol or cigarette consumption is a key question as cannabis policy evolves, given the adverse health effects of these substances. Relatively little research has examined this question. The objective of this study was to examine whether medical or recreational cannabis legalization was associated with any change in state-level per capita alcohol or cigarette consumption. METHODS: Dependent variables included per capita consumption of alcohol and cigarettes from all 50 U.S. states, estimated from state tax receipts and maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, respectively. Independent variables included indicators for medical and recreational legalization policies. Three different types of indicators were separately used to model medical cannabis policies. Indicators for the primary model were based on the presence of active medical cannabis dispensaries. Secondary models used indicators based on either the presence of a more liberal medical cannabis policy ("non-medicalized") or the presence of any medical cannabis policy. Difference-in-difference regression models were applied to estimate associations for each type of policy. RESULTS: Primary models found no statistically significant associations between medical or recreational cannabis legalization policies and either alcohol or cigarette sales per capita. In a secondary model, both medical and recreational policies were associated with significantly decreased per capita cigarette sales compared to states with no medical cannabis policy. However, post hoc analyses demonstrated that these reductions were apparent at least two years prior to policy adoption, indicating that they likely result from other time-varying characteristics of legalization states, rather than cannabis policy. CONCLUSION: We found no evidence of a causal association between medical or recreational cannabis legalization and changes in either alcohol or cigarette sales per capita.

Menthol cigarette smoking is associated with greater subjective reward, satisfaction, and "throat hit", but not greater behavioral economic demand.

AIMS: The cooling and minty flavor of menthol in cigarettes has been hypothesized to mask the harshness of inhaled cigarette smoke, contributing to menthol's appeal and subjective reinforcement and linking menthol use to smoking initiation, progression, nicotine dependence, and difficulty quitting. This study examined differences between menthol and non-menthol smokers on behavioral economic indices of reinforcing efficacy (i.e., demand) and subjective response to smoking (i.e., satisfaction, reward, "throat hit," aversion) and the association between measurements of reinforcement and subjective response. DESIGN: 600 current adult smokers were recruited from an online smoking cessation program. Following website enrollment, individuals completed a self-report measurement of subjective response to smoking (reward, satisfaction, aversion, "throat hit"), and a modified cigarette purchase task (CPT) to assess behavioral economic cigarette demand. FINDINGS: In bivariate and adjusted ANOVA models, menthol smokers reported greater subjective reward, satisfaction, and positive sensations in the throat ("throat hit") from smoking compared to non-menthol smokers; and those outcomes were also correlated with greater nicotine dependence and lower likelihood of a past-year quit attempt. Although cigarette demand was associated with smoking level, subjective smoking reward, and nicotine dependence, there were no differences in smoking demand between menthol vs. non-menthol smokers. CONCLUSIONS: The pleasurable aspects of menthol vs non-menthol smoking may be a mechanism linking it to greater nicotine dependence and difficulty quitting. A menthol ban could decrease population-level cigarette consumption by restricting smokers' access to a highly rewarding cigarette flavoring.

The association between flavor capsule cigarette use and sociodemographic variables: Evidence from Chile.

PURPOSE: The objective of this article is to examine the factors associated with smoking of flavor capsule cigarettes in Chile, where the popularity of these products has increased dramatically, a trend increasingly observed across the world. METHODS: A representative poll of 851 smokers in Metropolitan Santiago de Chile, which comprises 40% of the country's total population, was implemented in mid-2017. Smokers were given a questionnaire that collected socio-demographic information and information on smoking patterns. Four discrete-choice models were estimated on the decision to smoke flavor capsule cigarettes to better understand the statistical relationships between traits of smokers and the consumption of flavor capsule cigarettes. RESULTS: The results of these models show that each year less in a smoker's age increases the likelihood of preferring flavor capsule cigarettes by, on average, between 0.8 and 0.9 percentage points. If the smoker is a woman, the likelihood of preferring flavor capsule cigarettes increases between 13.4 and 13.5 percentage points. Results also reveal a positive relationship between the price paid and the consumption of flavor capsule cigarettes, indicating that these cigarettes tend to be more expensive. There is no statistical relationship between participation in the labor market and smoking these products. CONCLUSIONS: Chile has the world's highest prevalence of flavor capsule cigarette smoking, which is concentrated among young people (25 years and younger) and females. No relationship between socioeconomic status and use of these products is found, though there are indications that such relationship may exist, as they were at the time of study 14% more expensive, on average, than conventional non-flavored cigarettes. As in most countries, the tobacco industry appears to be deliberately promoting these products with the goal of halting or slowing the decline in cigarette consumption in Chile. Thus, to reduce cigarette consumption (especially among youth), restricting or forbidding cigarette flavorings of all types, including flavor capsules, would be an effective strategy.

The educational gap in tar and nicotine content in purchases of cigarettes: An observational study using large-scale representative survey data from Japan.

The intensity of tobacco use is commonly measured by the number of cigarettes, which is inaccurate because it masks the heterogeneity and substances contained in tobacco. Unlike existing studies, this study adopted the tar and nicotine content of purchased cigarettes as proxies for smoking intensity and elicited socioeconomic disparities from the participants regarding tobacco use. Using a nationally representative consumer panel survey of Japan from 2010 to 2014, we found that socioeconomic disparities in smoking are more pronounced when tar and nicotine content in cigarettes is considered. University graduates purchased 26% fewer cigarettes, and 40% less tar or nicotine than their secondary school-educated counterparts. Low education groups purchased more tar-rich cigarettes, which cost less than low-tar cigarettes. The public health recommendations for reducing socioeconomic health inequalities might be understated because they are drawn from evidence based on the number of cigarettes smoked.