Gravely Shannon, Novotny Thomas E, Cummings K Michael, East Katherine A, Hyland Andrew, Driezen Pete, Hoek Janet, Morphett Kylie, Sellars David, O'Connor Richard J, Quah Anne C K, Fong Geoffrey T, Gartner Coral E
Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
Epidemiology and Biostatistics, San Diego State University, School of Public Health, San Diego, United States.
Nicotine Tob Res. 2024 Nov 16. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntae270.
In line with historical tobacco industry marketing claims, many consumers perceive cigarettes with filters as less harmful than cigarette without filters. However, scientific evidence indicates that cigarette filters do not reduce the risks associated with smoking. We examined opposition to banning the sale of cigarettes with filters, beliefs about whether removing filters makes cigarettes much more harmful, and whether this belief is associated with opposition to banning filters among adults who smoke cigarettes from four high-income countries.
Data are from 2,980 adults who smoke cigarettes and participated in the 2022 ITC Smoking and Vaping Survey in Australia, Canada, England, and the United States (US). Weighted descriptives estimated opposition to a cigarette filter ban and the belief that removing filters makes cigarettes 'much more', 'a little more', 'not more' harmful, or 'don't know'. Adjusted regression analyses examined the association between opposition to banning filters (vs. support/don't know) and the belief that removing filters would make cigarettes much more harmful (vs. otherwise).
Across all counties, 69.3% opposed banning filters, 11.5% of respondents supported banning filters, and 19.1% did not know (main effect for country differences: p=0.001). Country differences remained significant after adjusting for covariates (p=0.047), with adults who smoke in Australia and the US being significantly more likely to oppose a filter ban than those in England. Canada did not differ significantly from any of the countries. Nearly half (45.9%) believe that removing filters would make cigarettes much more harmful, 28.6% reported a little more harmful, 15.3% were unsure, and 10.2% reported not more harmful (country differences: p=0.002). Country differences were no longer significant after adjustment (p=0.18). Believing that removing filters makes cigarettes much more harmful was strongly associated with opposing a filter ban (78.5%) (vs. otherwise: 62.1%, p<0.001).
Across all four countries, three-quarters of adults who smoke erroneously believe that removing filters would make cigarettes more harmful, and believing that doing so would make cigarettes much more harmful was the strongest predictor of opposing a filter ban.
More than 90% of manufactured cigarettes worldwide contain filters. Contrary to marketing claims by the tobacco industry, cigarette filters do not offer any health protection from cigarette smoke; however, three-quarters of adults who smoke erroneously believe that cigarettes with filters are much less harmful than cigarettes without filters. To protect public health and the environment, the World Health Organization has recommended that policymakers consider banning cigarette filters as they are unnecessary single use plastics.
与烟草行业过去的营销宣传一致，许多消费者认为带过滤嘴的香烟比不带过滤嘴的香烟危害更小。然而，科学证据表明香烟过滤嘴并不能降低吸烟相关风险。我们调查了来自四个高收入国家的成年吸烟者对禁止销售带过滤嘴香烟的反对态度，关于去除过滤嘴是否会使香烟危害大幅增加的看法，以及这种看法与反对禁止过滤嘴之间的关联。
数据来自2980名成年吸烟者，他们参与了2022年澳大利亚、加拿大、英国和美国的国际烟草控制（ITC）吸烟与电子烟调查。加权描述统计估计了对香烟过滤嘴禁令的反对态度，以及认为去除过滤嘴会使香烟“危害大幅增加”、“危害略有增加”、“危害不会增加”或“不知道”的看法。调整后的回归分析检验了反对禁止过滤嘴（与支持/不知道相比）与认为去除过滤嘴会使香烟危害大幅增加（与其他情况相比）之间的关联。
在所有国家中，69.3%的人反对禁止过滤嘴，11.5%的受访者支持禁止过滤嘴，19.1%的人表示不知道（国家差异的主效应：p = 0.001）。在调整协变量后，国家差异仍然显著（p = 0.047），澳大利亚和美国的成年吸烟者比英国的吸烟者更有可能反对过滤嘴禁令。加拿大与其他任何国家相比没有显著差异。近一半（45.9%）的人认为去除过滤嘴会使香烟危害大幅增加；28.6%的人表示危害略有增加；15.3%的人不确定；10.2%的人表示危害不会增加（国家差异：p = 0.002）。调整后国家差异不再显著（p = 0.18）。认为去除过滤嘴会使香烟危害大幅增加与反对过滤嘴禁令密切相关（78.5%）（与其他情况相比：62.1%，p < 0.001）。
在所有四个国家中，四分之三的成年吸烟者错误地认为去除过滤嘴会使香烟危害更大，并且认为去除过滤嘴会使香烟危害大幅增加是反对过滤嘴禁令的最强预测因素。
全球超过90%的制造香烟都带有过滤嘴。与烟草行业的营销宣传相反，香烟过滤嘴并不能为免受香烟烟雾的健康危害提供任何保护；然而，四分之三的成年吸烟者错误地认为带过滤嘴的香烟比不带过滤嘴的香烟危害小得多。为了保护公众健康和环境，世界卫生组织建议政策制定者考虑禁止使用香烟过滤嘴，因为它们是不必要的一次性塑料制品。
