The role of IQOS risk perceptions on cigarette smoking behaviours: results from a prospective pilot study

Abstract

BackgroundIQOS is a heated tobacco product marketed as an alternative to combustible cigarette smoking. Little is known about cigarette smokers’ IQOS health risk perceptions and if these risk perceptions impact IQOS use and cigarette smoking behaviour.MethodsAdult, daily, non-treatment-seeking cigarette smokers (n=27), naïve to IQOS, were recruited from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Participants were introduced to IQOS and then completed measures of risk perceptions. Participants were given an IQOS 2.4 holder, charger and HeatSticks, and asked to switch completely from cigarettes to IQOS for 14 days. The effects of risk perceptions on changes in IQOS use, cigarettes per day (CPD), the substitution of IQOS for cigarettes and motivation to quit smoking were evaluated.ResultsOver the 14-day switch period, CPD significantly decreased (B=−0.18, 95% CI=−0.26 to –0.09, p<0.0001), IQOS use significantly increased (B=0.02, 95% CI=0.00 to 0.03, p=0.042), as did the percentage IQOS HeatSticks that replaced CPD (B=0.02, 95% CI=0.01 to 0.03, p=0.005). Participants who perceived IQOS as less risky than cigarettes used fewer IQOS HeatSticks per day. A lower percentage of IQOS HeatStick substitution for cigarettes was observed for participants with higher versus lower risk perceptions (B=−0.14, 95% CI=−0.28 to –0.01, p=0.042). Motivation to quit increased from a mean of 5.53 to 6.79 on the contemplation ladder from baseline to day 14 (B=1.26, 95% CI=0.54 to 1.97, p<0.001).ConclusionsSmokers reduced their smoking rate and increased motivation to quit smoking while using IQOS. IQOS risk perceptions did not directly account for reductions in smoking, although they may contribute indirectly through increased IQOS use.

Impact of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) and heat-not-burn/heated tobacco products (HnB/HTP) on asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a viewpoint of the Italian Society of Internal Medicine

“…Recent publications, including a commentary in Nature [60] and a comprehensive review [59], have reported higher smoking cessation rates in individuals using nicotine electronic cigarettes compared to those using nicotine replacement therapy. These findings align with what has been previously reported in systematic reviews and randomized controlled and population studies [61][62][63][64][65]. However, the current data are still insufficient to support unanimous recommendations in this regard [66,67].…”

Comparison of smoking traditional, heat not burn and electronic cigarettes on salivary cytokine, chemokine and growth factor profile in healthy young adults–pilot study

“…In our experiment, the study groups consisted of both traditional cigarette smokers and users of modern methods of nicotine delivery to the body: e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. Due to numerous modifications and marketing campaigns, the above-mentioned “new” devices that supply nicotine to the body are gaining enormous popularity among young people, leading to “renormalisation” of the smoking habit ( DeAtley et al, 2022 ; Harlow et al, 2022 ; Jankowski et al, 2022 ). Their high popularity is influenced by the fact that there are many flavors of e-cigarette liquids/cigarette sticks for heat-not-burn products on the market (over 8,000) ( Xu et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Electronic cigarettes and heat-not-burn products, considered by the public to be less harmful, were supposed to become an alternative to traditional cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes are mechanical devices that heat special solutions for inhalation, giving the user a sensation similar to ordinary smoking ( DeAtley et al, 2022 ; Harlow et al, 2022 ). The liquid of e-cigarettes mainly consists of odorless carriers (propylene glycol, glycerol), nicotine, and a wide range of flavorings ( Leventhal et al, 2019 ).…”

Table1.docx

“…In our experiment, the study groups consisted of both traditional cigarette smokers and users of modern methods of nicotine delivery to the body: e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. Due to numerous modifications and marketing campaigns, the abovementioned "new" devices that supply nicotine to the body are gaining enormous popularity among young people, leading to "renormalisation" of the smoking habit (DeAtley et al, 2022;Harlow et al, 2022;Jankowski et al, 2022). Their high popularity is influenced by the fact that there are many flavors of e-cigarette liquids/cigarette sticks for heat-not-burn products on the market (over 8,000) (Xu et al, 2022).…”

“…Electronic cigarettes and heat-not-burn products, considered by the public to be less harmful, were supposed to become an alternative to traditional cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes are mechanical devices that heat special solutions for inhalation, giving the user a sensation similar to ordinary smoking (DeAtley et al, 2022;Harlow et al, 2022). The liquid of e-cigarettes mainly consists of odorless carriers (propylene glycol, glycerol), nicotine, and a wide range of flavorings (Leventhal et al, 2019).…”