Potential predictors of adoption of the Tobacco Heating System by U.S. adult smokers: An actual use study

Abstract

Background: This was a pre-market actual use study with the Tobacco Heating System (THS), a candidate modified risk tobacco product, conducted with adult smokers in eight cities in the United States. The main goal of the study was to describe THS adoption in a real-world setting. The aim of this analysis was to identify potential predictors for adoption of THS using stepwise logistic regression method. Methods: This actual use study was an observational study assessing self-reported stick-by-stick consumption of the THS product compared with the use of commercial cigarettes over six weeks. The study aimed at replicating the usage of THS in real-world conditions with participants being able to consume cigarettes, THS, and any other nicotine-containing products (e.g., e-cigarettes, cigars, etc.) ad libitum. Results: 14.6% of participants adopted THS, which comprised 70% or more of their total tobacco consumption by the end of the observational period (in Week 6). The main predictors of adoption were the liking of the smell, taste, aftertaste, and ease of use of THS. The proportion of adoption was higher in participants aged 44 years and older and in Hispanic or Latino adult smokers. Additionally, adoption of THS was more likely in participants who had never attempted to quit smoking and in participants who smoked up to 10 cigarettes per day. Finally, the adoption of THS was higher in participants who consumed both regular and menthol THS compared with those who consumed only one THS variant. Conclusions: The main predictors of THS adoption were positive sensory assessment and the ease of use. Socio-demographic characteristics and smoking habits appeared much less important. Post-marketing studies will provide further insights on the impact of the THS at the individual and the overall population level.

Prevalence, Use Behaviors, and Preferences among Users of Heated Tobacco Products: Findings from the 2018 ITC Japan Survey

“…Among current HTP users, the odds of using IQOS were higher among young adults, while the opposite was true for Ploom TECH users, indicating a highly important sociodemographic difference between the two HTP brands. This contrasts with the PMI-funded study that reported IQOS adoption was higher in people aged 44 years and older [31]. While there have been instances where PMI’s marketing strategy for IQOS was geared towards young people [32], we did not find evidence that Ploom TECH was marketed to an older age group.…”

Concurrent Daily and Non-Daily Use of Heated Tobacco Products with Combustible Cigarettes: Findings from the 2018 ITC Japan Survey

“…Concurrent cigarette-HTP users were younger and wealthier than exclusive smokers, indicating important sociodemographic differences between the two tobacco user groups. Notably, this contrasts the findings of an 'actual use' study conducted by Philip Morris International in the US, which suggested that uptake of IQOS was more likely among middle-aged smokers than young adults [27]. Prior studies has depicted alternative tobacco products as being popular among young adults, in part due to perceptions of lower risk and marketing strategies targeting younger users [28][29][30].…”

Use of quantitative in vitro to in vivo extrapolation (QIVIVE) for the assessment of non-combustible next-generation product aerosols

“…In this study, we assumed the same use-behaviour for cigarettes and HTPs users as the difference in nicotine levels between cigarettes and HTPs were not clear in all studies ( Mallock et al, 2018 ; Salman et al, 2019 ; Rabenstein et al, 2023 ). Nicotine delivery and consumer satisfaction has also been shown to remain comparable between cigarette smoking and HTP use ( Ogden et al, 2015 ; Picavet et al, 2016 ; Brossard et al, 2017 ; Roulet et al, 2019 ).…”