Non-Infectious Disease Programs, CDC Foundation, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Non-Infectious Disease Programs, CDC Foundation, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Tob Control. 2024 Feb 20;33(2):147-153. doi: 10.1136/tc-2022-057395.
Flavours that produce a cooling sensation, such as menthol, enhance the appeal of e-cigarettes among youth; but not all e-cigarettes that produce cooling sensations are labelled as menthol. This study assessed trends in unit sales of cooling flavoured e-cigarettes in the USA.
E-cigarette retail sales during 26 January 2017 to 28 November 2021 were licensed from Information Resources, Inc, which records brick-and-mortar retail scanner sales but not online or vape shop sales. Cooling flavours were identified using six descriptors: menthol, ice, cool, chill, freeze or frost; ambiguous flavours were verified using online searches. Cooling flavours were categorised by characterising flavour (menthol, mint, other) and product type (prefilled cartridges, disposables, e-liquids). Joinpoint regression was used to assess sales and price trends.
During January 2017 to November 2021, unit sales of cooling flavoured e-cigarettes increased by 693.0% (1.5 to 12.0 million units); the percentage of these sales from total sales increased from 26.4% to 54.9%. Among cooling flavours, percentage of menthol sales decreased from 94.5% to 73.0% (p<0.001). Among menthol cooling flavours, percentage of prefilled cartridges increased from 67.2% to 96.6% (p<0.001); among non-menthol cooling flavours, percentage of disposable e-cigarettes increased from 5.2% to 99.2% (p<0.001). There were no significant price differences between cooling and non-cooling flavoured disposable e-cigarettes.
The percentage of cooling flavoured e-cigarette sales from total sales doubled during 2017-2021, and sales of non-menthol cooling disposable e-cigarettes experienced the highest percentage increase. Cooling flavoured e-cigarettes are important to consider when developing strategies to address flavoured e-cigarette use among youth.
薄荷醇等产生清凉感的口味会增加电子烟对青少年的吸引力；但并非所有产生清凉感的电子烟都贴上薄荷醇的标签。本研究评估了美国清凉口味电子烟单位销售量的变化趋势。
电子烟零售额数据来自 Information Resources, Inc.，记录了实体店销售数据，但不包括在线或电子烟商店的销售数据。使用六种描述符识别清凉口味：薄荷醇、冰、凉、冷、冻或霜；使用在线搜索验证模糊口味。清凉口味按口味特征（薄荷醇、薄荷、其他）和产品类型（预注油烟弹、一次性电子烟、电子烟液）进行分类。使用 Joinpoint 回归评估销售和价格趋势。
2017 年 1 月至 2021 年 11 月期间，清凉口味电子烟的单位销售量增长了 693.0%（从 150 万支增至 1200 万支）；这些销售占总销售额的比例从 26.4%增至 54.9%。在清凉口味中，薄荷醇销售的比例从 94.5%降至 73.0%（p<0.001）。在薄荷醇清凉口味中，预注油烟弹的比例从 67.2%增至 96.6%（p<0.001）；在非薄荷醇清凉口味中，一次性电子烟的比例从 5.2%增至 99.2%（p<0.001）。清凉和非清凉口味一次性电子烟的价格没有显著差异。
2017-2021 年期间，清凉口味电子烟销售占总销售额的比例翻了一番，非薄荷醇清凉口味一次性电子烟的销售额增长比例最高。在制定针对青少年使用调味电子烟的策略时，应考虑清凉口味电子烟。
