Smoking cessation prevalence by menthol cigarette use and select demographics among adults in the United States, TUS-CPS, 2003-2019.

People who smoke menthol cigarettes, particularly those who are non-Hispanic Black/African American, are less likely to achieve successful smoking cessation compared with people who smoke non-menthol cigarettes. This study examined the 2003-2019 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey (TUS-CPS) harmonized data to estimate cross-sectional trends in cigarette smoking cessation among U.S. adults, stratified by menthol cigarette use, race/ethnicity, sex, and age. The analytic sample included respondents who smoked for ≥ 2 years (current users and former users who reported quitting during the past year). We tested cessation trends using orthogonal polynomial contrasts for overall, menthol, and non-menthol smoking cessation prevalence and stratified by race/ethnicity, sex, and age in logistic regression models. We also analyzed the 2018-2019 non-harmonized TUS-CPS data among recent quitters to examine differences in characteristics (e.g., demographic characteristics, smoking frequency, use of smoking cessation aids, switching to other tobacco products) by menthol cigarette use. We observed significant linear changes in prevalence trends for overall cigarette smoking cessation, menthol smoking cessation, and non-menthol smoking cessation (p < 0.0001 for all linear trends), and changes in menthol cessation among non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Other race/ethnicity categories during 2003-2019. In the 2018-2019 wave, we observed differences in menthol status for sex, race/ethnicity, age, and educational attainment. We did not observe differences for other characteristics. We observed changes in overall cigarette smoking cessation, menthol, and non-menthol smoking cessation prevalence during the study period; however, gains in cigarette smoking cessation were not experienced among non-Hispanic Black/African American adults who smoke.

Disparities in Smokefree and Vapefree Home Rules and Smokefree Policy Attitudes Based on Housing Type and Cigarette Smoking Status, United States, 2019.

This study examined variations in cigarette smoking status, home smoking and vaping rules, and attitudes toward smoking rules among U.S. adults. We analyzed data from the 2019 U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey Supplements (n = 40,296 adults) and calculated weighted prevalence estimates of adult cigarette smoking based on housing type. In 2019, multi-unit housing (MUH) residents who currently smoked were predominantly residents of privately rented housing (66.9%), followed by privately owned (17.6%) and public housing (15.5%). MUH residents who currently smoked had the highest proportions of allowing smoking (26.7%) or vaping (29.1%) anywhere inside their homes and were least likely to support rules allowing smoking inside all MUH apartments or living areas. In the adjusted models, MUH residents with a current smoking status were 92% less likely to have a complete smoking ban. More than one in four MUH residents with a current smoking status allowed all smoking inside the home and supported allowing smoking inside all MUH apartment or living areas, reinforcing how MUH residents may be at higher risk of experiencing secondhand smoke or aerosol exposure, or incursions within their places of residence. Our results can inform the development, implementation, and sustainment of strategies to reduce exposures from tobacco and nicotine products in all living environments.

Menthol Cigarette Smoking Trends among United States Adults, 2003-2019.

BACKGROUND: Smoking is declining, except among current menthol cigarette smokers. This study examines menthol cigarette smoking in the United States. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from 35,279 self-respondent current adult smokers who selected menthol cigarettes as their usual type, across the 2003, 2006-2007, 2010-2011, 2014-2015, and 2018-2019 waves of the nationally-representative Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey, were analyzed in SAS/SUDAAN. Menthol cigarette smoking among current smokers was assessed by sex, age, race/ethnicity, employment, geography, and educational attainment. Linear contrasts were used to assess trends. RESULTS: Overall cigarette smoking (12.6% in 2018-2019 from 17.3% in 2003) and menthol cigarette smoking (4.0% in 2018-2019 from 4.7% in 2003) in the population decreased in 2018-2019 from 2003 (both P < 0.001). Using predicted marginals, adjusted by demographics, menthol smoking among current smokers increased to 33.8% in 2018-2019 from 27.9% in 2003 (P < 0.001). Among current smoking adults, increases in menthol smoking were observed among non-Hispanic Black persons (76.8% in 2018-2019 from 73.0% in 2003), young adults (37.7% in 2018-2019 from 31.7% in 2003), and women (39.6% in 2018-2019 from 32.1% in 2003). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking and menthol smoking in the population has decreased, yet menthol smoking among current smokers increased from 2003 to 2018-2019. Young adult, female, and non-Hispanic Black current smokers were more likely to use menthol cigarettes than their counterparts; these differences have persisted. IMPACT: Increased menthol smoking among current smokers, notably young adults, women, and non-Hispanic Black individuals, highlights the need for targeted tobacco control interventions for these health disparity populations.

Associations of Daily Versus Nondaily Smoking, Tobacco-Related Risk Perception, and Cancer Diagnosis Among Adults in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study.

INTRODUCTION: Nondaily smoking has become increasingly common among cigarette smokers. Our objective was to determine whether current daily versus nondaily smoking differed by tobacco-related risk perceptions (TRRPs), demographic factors, and cancer history. METHODS: Participants were all adults in Waves 1-3 of the longitudinal cohort Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study who were current smokers at Wave 3 (N = 8307). The primary analysis was weighted logistic regression of daily versus nondaily smoking at Wave 3. TRRP measures were cigarette harm perception, worry that tobacco products will damage one's health, belief that smoking cigarettes causes [lung/bladder/mouth/liver] cancer, and nondaily cigarette harm perception (Likert-type scale). Other measures included demographic factors, other tobacco product use, minor at time of first cigarette, and cancer survivor status (yes/no). RESULTS: Among current smokers, daily versus nondaily smoking was significantly associated with being a minor at time of first cigarette (OR = 1.54, p < .001), TRRPs (OR = 0.83, p < .001; OR = 1.40, p < .001; and OR = 1.17, p = .009 [harm perception, worry, and nondaily cigarette harm perception, respectively]), and interaction between cancer survivor status and belief that smoking causes cancer (p < .001). TRRPs among current smokers did not differ significantly between cancer survivors and respondents without a cancer history. CONCLUSIONS: Respondents with lower harm perception, higher worry, and higher nondaily cigarette harm perception were more likely to be daily versus nondaily smokers. Respondents with higher belief that smoking causes cancer or who were cancer survivors were less likely to be daily (versus nondaily) smokers compared to respondents with low belief and no cancer history. IMPLICATIONS: This study is unique in that it examined associations of smoking cigarettes daily versus nondaily with tobacco-related risk perceptions and cancer survivorship-comparing cancer survivors to those without a cancer history. Given the increasing prevalence of nondaily smoking as compared with daily smoking in the general population, and the prognostic significance of smoking after cancer diagnosis, these findings fill a clinically important gap in the literature and provide a foundation for further research.

Biomarkers of Exposure among Adult Smokeless Tobacco Users in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (Wave 1, 2013-2014).

BACKGROUND: Monitoring population-level toxicant exposures from smokeless tobacco (SLT) use is important for assessing population health risks due to product use. In this study, we assessed tobacco biomarkers of exposure (BOE) among SLT users from the Wave 1 (2013-2014) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study. METHODS: Urinary biospecimens were collected from adults ages 18 and older. Biomarkers of nicotine, tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), volatile organic compounds (VOC), metals, and inorganic arsenic were analyzed and reported among exclusive current established SLT users in comparison with exclusive current established cigarette smokers, dual SLT and cigarette users, and never tobacco users. RESULTS: In general, SLT users (n = 448) have significantly higher concentrations of BOE to nicotine, TSNAs, and PAHs compared with never tobacco users; significant dose-response relationships between frequency of SLT use and biomarker concentrations were also reported among exclusive SLT daily users. Exclusive SLT daily users have higher geometric mean concentrations of total nicotine equivalent-2 (TNE2) and TSNAs than exclusive cigarette daily smokers. In contrast, geometric mean concentrations of PAHs and VOCs were substantially lower among exclusive SLT daily users than exclusive cigarette daily smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Our study produced a comprehensive assessment of SLT product use and 52 biomarkers of tobacco exposure. Compared with cigarette smokers, SLT users experience greater concentrations of some tobacco toxicants, including nicotine and TSNAs. IMPACT: Our data add information on the risk assessment of exposure to SLT-related toxicants. High levels of harmful constituents in SLT remain a health concern.