An American study has observed that the removal of sweet flavors (fresh mint, frozen fruit, etc.) present in e-cigarettes could encourage young people to stop using them.
- Puffs are disposable electronic cigarettes, which release different flavors (tobacco, menthol, frozen fruit, etc.).
- François Braun, Minister of Health and Solidarity, said he was “in favor of banning puffs”, which are very popular with young people.
- Removing the sweet flavors contained in the “puffs” could encourage the cessation of their use in adolescents and young adults.
On Wednesday, May 3, on France Interthe Minister of Health and Solidarity, François Braun, declared to be “in favor of banning puffs”, disposable electronic cigarettes, which diffuse aromas and are very popular with young people. For the Minister, these accessories “bring a young part of our population to smoke”, a scourge responsible for “75,000 deaths per year” In France.
The importance of flavors in e-cigarettes
According to a study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugsremoving the sweet flavorings from puffs could help end their use among adolescents and young adults.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers interviewed 1,414 e-cigarette users aged 14 to 21. The participants had all used a Puff at least once a day in the past 30 days prior to the survey. They were also asked about the flavors they usually used such as tobacco, menthol, fresh mint, icy fruit and sweet fruit.
70.8% of young people would stop puffing if tobacco was the only flavor offered
During this research, scientists asked them what they would do if tobacco and menthol flavored e-liquids were the only options available for e-cigarettes. Nearly 38.8% of volunteers said they would stop using e-cigarettes. If tobacco became the sole e-liquid proposition, 70.8 of the subjects said they would stop puffing.
Teenagers and young adults who use flavors like fresh mint, icy fruit, and sweet fruit in their e-cigarettes are therefore more likely to quit smoking if a regulation only allowed tobacco in puffs compared to users of menthol. “In this sample of adolescents and young adults, it appears that sweet flavors are important for their interest in and continued use of e-cigarettes,” pointed out Alayna P. Tackett, lead author of the study and assistant professor at the Center for Tobacco Research at Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University (USA). However, further studies are needed to confirm these self-reported responses.
