Use of tobacco, nicotine and cannabis products among students in Switzerland

Affolter, Jana; Rohland, Eveline; Philippe, Marc; Tal, Kali; Auer, Reto; Jakob, Julian

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1076217

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 20 publications

(34 reference statements)

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“…Overall, like studies in other countries, this study suggested an extremely low prevalence of use of TFNPs among Dutch youth. Similar to the Netherlands, a study of 9,515 Swiss secondary school students aged between 15 and 21, conducted in late 2021/early 2022, reported a low prevalence of current infrequent TFNP use and a very low prevalence of frequent (daily) use of TFNPs [80]. Overall, these studies indicated that the use of TFNPs was less prevalent than tobacco-containing products, such as cigarettes, snus, snuff, and hookah, which are reported to contain more toxicants than those without tobacco and are, therefore, likely to be more harmful.…”

Section: Motivation and Intention To Use Tfnps Among Youthmentioning

confidence: 85%

Tobacco-Free Nicotine Pouches and Their Potential Contribution to Tobacco Harm Reduction: A Scoping Review

Grandolfo,

Ogden,

Fearon

et al. 2024

Cureus

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Tobacco harm reduction (THR) refers to strategies designed to reduce the health risks associated with tobacco smoking but may involve continued use of nicotine and/or tobacco. Next-generation products (NGPs) are a THR alternative as they do not burn tobacco or produce smoke and deliver nicotine and have fewer and substantially lower levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes. Tobacco-free nicotine pouches (TFNPs) are an emerging category of nicotine-containing oral products that do not combust or contain tobacco leaf. Similar to Swedish snus, TFNPs are placed between a user's lip and gum, and nicotine is absorbed through the oral mucosa rather than being inhaled. The aim of this scoping review was to systematically collate and evaluate published scientific evidence (cut-off of 31 May 2023) identified from bibliometric databases investigating the potential of TFNPs to contribute to THR. Overall, studies examining chemical constituents indicated that the use of TFNPs may result in lower exposure to toxicants than other tobacco or nicotine-containing products, both combustible and non-combustible. This reduction in toxicant exposure has been demonstrated by multiple human biomarker studies and in vitro toxicological assessments to translate to harm reduction potential in smokers switching to TFNPs. However, further study is warranted. At present, there is some evidence from human behavioral research that TFNPs can support either transitioning away from smoking or reducing cigarette consumption. Furthermore, TFNP use appears very much limited to current users of traditional tobacco products, and youth uptake has been limited. In conclusion, the findings of this review indicate that TFNPs have the potential to support THR efforts and may help inform evidence-based regulation.

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Section: Motivation and Intention To Use Tfnps Among Youthmentioning

confidence: 85%

Tobacco-Free Nicotine Pouches and Their Potential Contribution to Tobacco Harm Reduction: A Scoping Review

Grandolfo,

Ogden,

Fearon

et al. 2024

Cureus

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Smoking trends and health equity in Switzerland between 1992 and 2017: dependence of smoking prevalence on educational level and social determinants

Wehrli,

Gilljam,

Koh

et al. 2023

Front. Psychiatry

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BackgroundSwitzerland ranks among the top three healthcare systems in the world with regards to healthcare access, suggesting a high degree of health equity. However, Switzerland has few preventive strategies against smoking abuse. The aim of this study is to clarify whether educational level and citizenship status have an influence on the prevalence of smoking in Switzerland and whether there is health inequity related to a lack of preventive strategies.MethodsWe based our analysis on publicly available health data published in the Swiss government's Swiss health survey (1992–2017). We compared the prevalence of smoking across the years and correlated these data with levels of educational attainment, citizenship status and age.ResultsA continuous significant decline in smokers is observed in the highest education group (TERT). Over time, prevalence was reduced from 29% in 1992 to 23% in 2017 (p < 0.001). The intermediate-level educational group (SEK 2) showed smaller but also significant decline on a 0.05 sigificance level over the same period, from 31% to 29% (p = 0.003). The lowest educational group showed a nonsignificant decline from 28% to 27% (p = 0.6). The population who holds Swiss citizenship showed a decrease in smoking from 28% to 26% within the time frame (p < 0.001). People without Swiss citizenship had a much higher prevalence of smokers, at 38% in 1992 and declining to 32% in 2017 (p < 0.001). All cohorts from age 15 to age 64 have a far higher prevalence of smokers than cohorts at an older age, with the highest prevalence in the 25–34 age group.ConclusionIn Switzerland, individuals with lower levels of education and non-Swiss populations are more susceptible to health risk of smoking. This is despite the existence of a high-quality healthcare system that has nevertheless failed to negated health inequities.

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A Scoping Review of Behavioural Studies on Heated Tobacco Products

Fearon,

Cordery,

Fitzpatrick

et al. 2024

Cureus

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Heated tobacco products (HTPs) are electronic devices that heat tobacco sticks to temperatures much lower than those which cause pyrolysis and combustion in cigarettes. While this electrical heating causes the formation of an inhalable aerosol which contains nicotine, the aerosol from HTPs contains significantly fewer and lower levels of the harmful and potentially harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke. As a result, HTP use potentially conveys reduced risks to health compared to cigarette smoking. While this relative reduction in individual health risk is becoming clearer, what is less certain is the impact of HTPs on overall population-level health, taking into account both the potential positive impact on adult smokers who completely switch to using HTPs and any unintended impacts such as use by tobacco non-users and particularly by youth. The aim of this scoping review was to collate and evaluate the published scientific evidence to date, with a cut-off of 1 January 2024, investigating the impact of HTPs on population-level health. This evaluation suggests that HTP use is almost exclusively observed among those with a history of cigarette smoking, and there is a growing body of evidence for the ability of HTPs to provide support for adult smokers to transition away from cigarette smoking, in the absence of any significant "gateway" into tobacco use initiation. Many studies have reported a significant degree of dual use of cigarettes and HTPs, and efforts to assess the reasons for such patterns of use, whether these provide overall exposure reductions, and whether dual use acts as a bridge towards a complete transition away from cigarette smoking, requires further investigation. In addition, correction of the widespread and increasing misperceptions of HTPs among adult smokers is recommended to promote HTP uptake as a potentially less harmful alternative to smoking in this population.

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Use of tobacco, nicotine and cannabis products among students in Switzerland

Cited by 3 publications

References 20 publications

Tobacco-Free Nicotine Pouches and Their Potential Contribution to Tobacco Harm Reduction: A Scoping Review

Tobacco-Free Nicotine Pouches and Their Potential Contribution to Tobacco Harm Reduction: A Scoping Review

Smoking trends and health equity in Switzerland between 1992 and 2017: dependence of smoking prevalence on educational level and social determinants

A Scoping Review of Behavioural Studies on Heated Tobacco Products

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