Abstract
Abstract In the last decade, while tobacco consumption has decreased, there has been a significant rise in e-cigarette usage particularly among young people. Tobacco-free generations and other endgame strategies are being considered in several countries, moving from tobacco control towards ending the tobacco epidemic. This online survey of 18-34-year-olds evaluated opinions on potential endgame measures and e-cigarette regulations, to generate evidence to inform policy decisions. The survey was developed with input from the World Federation of Public Health Associations and Tobacco-Free Ireland, asking participants about support (yes/no) for 20 endgame measures in 4 domains and attitudes towards e-cigarettes. Utilising convenience sampling, the survey was distributed through international networks. Of 295 responses in 34 countries, 72% were never smokers and 56% were never e-cigarette users. 31% were aware of tobacco endgame. 68% supported increasing tobacco purchasing age to 21. 70% supported restricting tobacco sales to a limited number of licenced shops. 73% supported reducing nicotine content in cigarettes. 74% supported tobacco companies having to pay for health costs from smoking. 73% would like to see tobacco-free generation legislation in their country, but only 31% expected it would be successful. Regarding e-cigarettes, they were judged as more desirable than cigarettes mostly due to different flavours and visual appearance (both 74%). They were perceived to be an important health risk (82%) and as or more addictive than cigarettes (78%). 65% believed overall harms from e-cigarettes outweigh benefits for society. 86% felt they should be subjected to the same advertising restrictions as cigarettes and 66% supported increasing their cost. There was strong support for various tobacco endgame measures and tobacco-free generation legislation in this 18-34-year-old cohort. The majority recognised health risks of e-cigarettes and favoured stricter regulation of these products. Key messages • An international survey of 295 young adults in 34 countries demonstrated strong support for various tobacco endgame measures including tobacco-free generation legislation. • For e-cigarettes, there was wide acknowledgement of addictiveness and health risk, and support for increased education and warnings, lower nicotine content and reduced advertising and availability.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call