Impact of del32-71-GH (exon 3 skipped GH) on intracellular GH distribution, secretion and cell viability: a quantitative confocal microscopy analysis.

BACKGROUND

Each year, tobacco-caused diseases kill 3 million people in the Western Pacific Region (WPR). Point-of-sale (POS) tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS) are utilized by tobacco and nicotine product companies to attract new customers, including youth; POS TAPS are associated with youth tobacco susceptibility, experimentation, and current use. E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs) are sold in the WPR, yet limited research exists on TAPS for these products. We examined POS cigarette, e-cigarette, and HTP sales and TAPS in Vietnam and the Philippines to understand current marketing strategies and assess compliance with existing regulations.

Methods

An observational study was conducted in urban and rural areas of several cities in Vietnam and the Philippines. A walking protocol was employed to identify all cigarette, e-cigarette, and HTP retailers within 100m of schools (Vietnam: n=371; Philippines: n=353). To represent areas without sales restrictions, retailers within 100m of post-offices (Vietnam: n=325) or 100-200m from schools (the Philippines: n=353) were also observed. An observation form documented product displays, advertising, and promotion. Descriptive statistics and ANOVA were used for analyses.

Results

Cigarette retailers were common in areas with sales restrictions (Vietnam: n=712, mean=1.9; Philippines: n=2070, mean 5.9) and without (Vietnam: n=751, mean=2.3; Philippines: n=4496, mean=12.7). E-cigarette (n=113) and HTP (n=123) retailers were found in the Philippines; fewer e-cigarette (n=12) and no HTP retailers were found in Vietnam. In areas without sales restrictions, compliance with TAPS regulations was low (Vietnam: 0%; Philippines: 0-10.8%). Marketing tactics varied across product types.

CONCLUSIONS

Cigarette sales and marketing are widespread in these two WPR countries; e-cigarettes and HTPs were also found. Compliance with sales and TAPS regulations is poor; stricter enforcement and more comprehensive regulations are recommended to prevent youth initiation. Other WPR countries may also consider monitoring, regulatory, and enforcement efforts to understand and limit youth initiation.