Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Institute for Global Tobacco Control, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Addict Behav. 2023 Sep;144:107727. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107727. Epub 2023 Apr 21.
Electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) device and liquid characteristics (e.g., wattage, nicotine concentration) are diverse and important in determining product appeal, aerosol volume/nicotine levels, and toxicity. Little is known about how device and liquid characteristics vary by flavor; we address this gap to identify potential regulatory implications.
Data are from a longitudinal cohort study (Waves 2 and 3; December 2020-December 2021) of adult (≥21 years) U.S. ENDS users (≥5 days of use/week). Participants (n = 1809) reported on and submitted photos of their most used device and liquid. Participants were categorized into flavor groups of high prevalence in our sample and in prior literature: sweet, menthol/mint, or tobacco. Participants using liquids without nicotine or flavors other than sweet, menthol/mint, or tobacco were excluded (n = 320). Data were analyzed cross-sectionally. Chi-square and linear regression (n = 1489) were used to examine device and liquid characteristics by flavor.
Sweet flavors were most common (n = 1135; 76.2%), followed by menthol/mint (n = 214, 14.4%) and tobacco (n = 140, 9.4%). Sweet flavors were less common among participants using reusable devices with disposable pods/cartridges (nicotine salt) than those using other device-liquid groupings (5.2% vs 86.5-93.9%; p < 0.001). Sweet flavors were less common among those using ENDS for non-flavor reasons vs the flavor (73.5% vs 90.4%; p < 0.001). Sweet flavors correlated with lower nicotine concentrations, higher wattages, and lower ages of ENDS first use (p < 0.001).
Regulatory agencies must consider how regulations on device and liquid characteristics may affect ENDS users' behaviors (e.g., limiting availability of sweet flavors may encourage use of non-sweet flavors and lower wattages).
电子尼古丁输送系统（ENDS）设备和液体特性（例如，功率、尼古丁浓度）在决定产品吸引力、气溶胶体积/尼古丁水平和毒性方面差异很大且很重要。关于设备和液体特性如何因口味而异，我们对此知之甚少；我们解决了这一差距，以确定潜在的监管影响。
数据来自一项针对美国成年（≥21 岁）ENDS 用户（每周使用≥5 天）的纵向队列研究（波 2 和波 3；2020 年 12 月至 2021 年 12 月）。参与者报告并提交了他们最常使用的设备和液体的照片。参与者被分为我们样本和先前文献中高流行率的口味组：甜味、薄荷/薄荷醇或烟草。排除使用不含尼古丁或除甜味、薄荷/薄荷醇或烟草以外的口味的液体的参与者（n=320）。数据进行了横截面分析。使用卡方检验和线性回归（n=1489）按口味检查设备和液体特性。
甜味最常见（n=1135；76.2%），其次是薄荷/薄荷醇（n=214；14.4%）和烟草（n=140；9.4%）。与使用其他设备-液体组合的参与者相比，使用带一次性 pod/墨盒（尼古丁盐）的可重复使用设备的参与者中甜味较不常见（5.2%比 86.5-93.9%；p<0.001）。出于非口味原因而非口味原因使用ENDS 的参与者中甜味较不常见（73.5%比 90.4%；p<0.001）。甜味与较低的尼古丁浓度、较高的功率和较低的 ENDS 首次使用年龄相关（p<0.001）。
监管机构必须考虑设备和液体特性的规定如何可能影响 ENDS 用户的行为（例如，限制甜味的可用性可能会鼓励使用非甜味和较低的功率）。
