Evaluating the Effect of the JUUL2 System With 5 Flavors on Cigarette Smoking and Tobacco Product Use Behaviors Among Adults Who Smoke Cigarettes: 6-Week Actual Use Study.

BACKGROUND

Adults who switch completely from smoking cigarettes to using electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) substantially reduce their exposure to toxicants and carcinogens that are associated with smoking-related diseases.

OBJECTIVE

This 6-week actual use study-a prospective uncontrolled real-world study designed to evaluate quasi-naturalistic product use-aimed to assess switching behavior among US adults who smoked cigarettes and were provided with JUUL2 ENDS products.

METHODS

US adults who smoked cigarettes every day but were predominantly not ready to quit (N=1160; mean age 39.42, SD 11.03 years; 641/1160, 55.26% female participants; 667/1160, 57.5% non-Hispanic White; mean cigarettes per day 14.11, SD 8.96; only 1% [11/1160] planning to stop smoking within 30 days; and 481/1160, 41.47% dual users) were recruited to use JUUL2 ENDS products (18 mg/mL nicotine) in 1 of 5 flavors in real-world environments for 6 weeks. Participants who expressed sufficient interest in using JUUL2 products were enrolled at 24 different consumer research sites across the United States into one of the two following study arms: (1) traditional flavors (Virginia Tobacco and Polar Menthol, 10 sites); or (2) complex flavors (Autumn Tobacco, Summer Menthol, and Ruby Menthol, 14 sites). No instructions regarding JUUL2 product use or cigarette smoking were provided. After a 1-week trial period, participants were provided with their preferred flavor for 6 weeks of ad libitum use (10 pods per week). In total, 6 weekly web-based surveys were used to assess switching (smoking abstinence) and smoking reduction; dependence and respiratory symptoms were assessed at baseline and week 6.

RESULTS

Across the 5 flavor groups at week 6, the rates of complete past-7-day switching away from cigarettes ranged from 38.2% (79/207) to 47.3% (95/201), and 24.3% (55/226) to 33.9% (74/218) of participants reported complete past-30-day switching. Participants who used the 3 menthol-flavored (vs 2 tobacco-flavored) JUUL2 products had significantly higher rates of past-30-day switching at week 6 (odds ratio 1.36, 95% CI 1.04-1.78). Compared to their baseline values when they were smoking, the past-30-day switchers at week 6 had significantly reduced their dependence (mean differences in dependence, cigarettes - JUUL2: 0.57-0.99; P<.001) and self-reported frequency of respiratory symptoms (P<.05). Among participants who continued to smoke at week 6, 50.9% (59/116) to 62.9% (73/116) reduced their daily cigarette consumption by at least 50% from baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

Adoption of JUUL2 ENDS products can likely help substantial proportions of US adults who smoke to switch completely away from cigarettes or meaningfully reduce their cigarette consumption, thereby reducing their dependence on tobacco products and improving their respiratory symptoms.