Sociodemographic differences in beliefs in harm reduction tobacco products as cigarette cessation aids among United States adults in 2024: Results from the health information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 7.

OBJECTIVE

There is increasing interest in harm-reduction tobacco products as potential cigarette cessation aids. This study examined sociodemographic differences in the belief that harm-reduction nicotine and tobacco products could aid in cigarette cessation.

METHODS

We analyzed data from the Health Information National Trends Survey 7. We conducted four multivariable binomial logistic regressions on the belief that people can quit cigarette smoking using each harm reduction tobacco product by a priori predictors. The data were collected March to September 2024 in the United States.

RESULTS

E-cigarettes were more likely to be endorsed by adults who reported current e-cigarette use (aOR = 6.45, 95%CI = 3.84,10.81; vs. no-use). Nicotine pouches were endorsed by higher-income individuals (aOR = 1.82, 95%CI = 1.37,2.40; vs. lower-income individuals), and adults with depression or anxiety disorders (aOR = 1.58, 95%CI = 1.19,2.10; vs. without depression or anxiety disorders). Heated tobacco products were endorsed by males (aOR = 3.07, 95%CI = 1.78,5.32; vs. females). Other modified-risk tobacco products were endorsed by adults aged 18-34 (aOR = 2.69, 95%CI = 1.42,5.12; vs. aged ≥35).

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this is the first US population-level study to identify factors associated with endorsement of beliefs related to whether harm-reduction tobacco products could help with cigarette cessation, including younger age, male gender, higher income, mental health symptoms, and use of harm-reduction products.