309486
Social smoking and use of alternative tobacco products among adult smokers in the US
Methods: Online cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative sample of 1,813 current or recently former (quit within last two years) smokers. Social smoking was measured as self-identified (SI) or behavioral (smoking mainly or only with others). Chi-square tests and regression were used to analyze associations between groups and tobacco use.
Results: Participants were classified into four groups: consistent social smokers (SI and behavior, 13% of participants), deniers (SI but not behavior, 33%), established smokers (not SI and not behavior, 52%), and behavior only (behavior but not SI, 3%). Consistent social smokers were significantly younger, had the lowest cigarette consumption, highest intentions to quit, and were more likely to report a quit attempt in the past year. Deniers had lower education, lower income, similar cigarette consumption as established smokers, and were most open to using alternative tobacco products. Making a cessation attempt predicted ever and 30 day use of e-cigarettes. Social smoking identification predicted ever use of snus and hookah and 30 day use of smokeless tobacco and hookah.
Conclusions: Social smokers who identify and behave as such were the most inclined to quit smoking. Use of e-cigarettes (which are promoted as cessation devices) was predicted by making a cessation attempt, while use of “social” alternative tobacco products (like hookah) was predicted by social smoker identification.
Learning Areas:
Public health or related researchSocial and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Differentiate among four groups of smokers based on their self-identification as social smokers and social smoking behavior.
Evaluate differences among different groups of social smokers on their use of alternative tobacco products (e-cigarettes, moist snuff, snus, dissolvables, hookah) and cigarette cessation attempts and intentions.
Describe how cessation attempts and social smoker self-identification differentially predict use of alternative tobacco products.
Keyword(s): Tobacco Control, Tobacco Use
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a postdoctoral fellow at the UCSF Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, and my research interests lie in alternative tobacco use, its relationship to tobacco cessation, and marketing of alternative tobacco products.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.