TY - JOUR
T1 - Product substitution after a real world menthol ban
T2 - A cohort study
AU - Chaiton, Michael
AU - Papadhima, Ismina
AU - Schwartz, Robert
AU - Cohen, Joanna E.
AU - Soule, Eric K.
AU - Zhang, Bo
AU - Eissenberg, Thomas
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Award Number P50DA036105 and the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the NIH Office of the Director under award number 1R21DA047358-01. Dr. Eissenberg’s effort is also supported by NIDA and CTP/FDA under U54DA036105. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the views of the NIH or the FDA.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, Tobacco Regulatory Science Group. All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/5
Y1 - 2020/5
N2 - Objectives: The province of Ontario, Canada banned menthol in cigarettes and other tobacco products effective January 1, 2017 thereby adding to an existing flavor ban. However, there was an exemption for all flavored e-cigarettes, flavored cigars larger than 6 grams, and alcohol flavored cigars without filters over 1.4 grams. In this paper, we examine the association between use of flavored non-cigarette products and self-reported cigarette smoking cessation after the ban. Methods: We recruited current past-30 day cigarette smokers (N = 913) who were 16 years or older and living in Ontario during September-December 2016 and re-contacted January-August 2018. Results: Both daily and occasional pre-ban menthol cigarette smokers were more likely to use flavored cigar products (adjusted relative rate, RR = 1.53, 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.01, 2.31; adjusted RR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.06, 2.30) after the ban, while occasional pre-ban menthol cigarette smokers were more likely to use other tobacco products (adjusted RR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.53) or flavored other tobacco products (adjusted RR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.09, 2.24), conditional on prior use. Conclusions: Menthol smokers prior to the ban were more likely to use other tobacco products, or flavored tobacco products, after the ban. These results suggest that comprehensive menthol bans could be more effective without the option of using flavored tobacco or nicotine products as substitutes.
AB - Objectives: The province of Ontario, Canada banned menthol in cigarettes and other tobacco products effective January 1, 2017 thereby adding to an existing flavor ban. However, there was an exemption for all flavored e-cigarettes, flavored cigars larger than 6 grams, and alcohol flavored cigars without filters over 1.4 grams. In this paper, we examine the association between use of flavored non-cigarette products and self-reported cigarette smoking cessation after the ban. Methods: We recruited current past-30 day cigarette smokers (N = 913) who were 16 years or older and living in Ontario during September-December 2016 and re-contacted January-August 2018. Results: Both daily and occasional pre-ban menthol cigarette smokers were more likely to use flavored cigar products (adjusted relative rate, RR = 1.53, 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.01, 2.31; adjusted RR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.06, 2.30) after the ban, while occasional pre-ban menthol cigarette smokers were more likely to use other tobacco products (adjusted RR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.53) or flavored other tobacco products (adjusted RR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.09, 2.24), conditional on prior use. Conclusions: Menthol smokers prior to the ban were more likely to use other tobacco products, or flavored tobacco products, after the ban. These results suggest that comprehensive menthol bans could be more effective without the option of using flavored tobacco or nicotine products as substitutes.
KW - Cigarettes
KW - Cigars
KW - Flavors
KW - Menthol
KW - Policy
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U2 - 10.18001/TRS.6.3.5
DO - 10.18001/TRS.6.3.5
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85096385044
SN - 2333-9748
VL - 6
SP - 205
EP - 212
JO - Tobacco Regulatory Science
JF - Tobacco Regulatory Science
IS - 3
ER -