Galimov Artur, Leventhal Adam M, Hamoud Josef, Meza Leah, Unger Jennifer B, Huh Jimi, Baezconde-Garbanati Lourdes, Sussman Steve
Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, USA.
Institute for Addiction Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
Prev Med Rep. 2024 Mar 15;41:102692. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2024.102692. eCollection 2024 May.
Synthetic nicotine (SN) e-cigarettes emerged on the market as an alternative to tobacco-derived nicotine (TDN) vaping products. It is critical to understand the harm perceptions, purchase, and use of SN vs. TDN e-cigarettes.
From November 2021 to February 2023, we conducted intercept interviews with 263 adult customers at 37 vape shops in Southern California. Self-reported use and harm perceptions towards SN vs TDN e-cigarettes were examined. A qualitative analysis of researcher-obtained photographs of vaping items just purchased by customer participants was conducted.
Past 30-day SN e-cigarette use was reported by 44 (16.7 %) customers. Past 30-day SN e-cigarette users vs. non-users reported vaping on more days in the past month (29.3 vs. 26.1 days, p = 0.02). Overall, 23.8 % of participants perceived SN e-cigarettes as less harmful than TDN ones; never-smoking vapers and dual users perceived SN e-cigarettes as less harmful than salt-based TDN e-cigarettes. Among 44 customers who purchased SN products (verified through qualitative analysis of photographs), only 13 (29.6 %) self-reported using SN products in the past month, while 5 (11.4 %) indicated they were not aware of the existence of SN products. Most SN vaping products (71.4 %) displayed a modified "tobacco-free" warning label.
Misperceptions about SN e-cigarettes were documented in this study, including the perception that SN is either less or more harmful than TDN. Further, some customers may be unknowingly purchasing and using SN e-cigarettes. Regulating "tobacco-free nicotine" terminology in SN vaping products marketing is suggested. SN product labeling should not imply that SN is safe/safer than TDN.
合成尼古丁（SN）电子烟作为烟草衍生尼古丁（TDN）电子烟产品的替代品出现在市场上。了解SN与TDN电子烟的危害认知、购买和使用情况至关重要。
2021年11月至2023年2月，我们在南加州的37家电子烟商店对263名成年顾客进行了拦截式访谈。调查了顾客对SN与TDN电子烟的自我报告使用情况和危害认知。对研究人员获取的顾客参与者刚购买的电子烟产品照片进行了定性分析。
44名（16.7%）顾客报告在过去30天内使用过SN电子烟。过去30天内使用SN电子烟的用户与未使用用户相比，报告在过去一个月中更多天数吸食电子烟（29.3天对26.1天，p = 0.02）。总体而言，23.8%的参与者认为SN电子烟比TDN电子烟危害小；从不吸烟的电子烟使用者和双重使用者认为SN电子烟比盐基TDN电子烟危害小。在44名购买了SN产品的顾客中（通过照片定性分析验证），只有13名（29.6%）在过去一个月内自我报告使用了SN产品，而5名（11.4%）表示他们不知道SN产品的存在。大多数SN电子烟产品（71.4%）展示了修改后的“无烟草”警告标签。
本研究记录了对SN电子烟的误解，包括认为SN比TDN危害小或大的认知。此外，一些顾客可能在不知情的情况下购买和使用SN电子烟。建议规范SN电子烟产品营销中“无烟草尼古丁”术语。SN产品标签不应暗示SN比TDN安全/更安全。
