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Shop displays of e-cigarettes and smoking paraphernalia could undermine effectiveness of banning tobacco display
Highly visible displays of e-cigarettes and smoking related products found in almost all shops and supermarkets that sell tobacco
Peer-Reviewed PublicationEfforts to discourage people from smoking by banning tobacco retail displays in shops and supermarkets could be weakened by prominent displays of electronic (e) cigarettes and smoking paraphernalia, suggests new research published in the journal Tobacco Control.
Researchers found that the vast majority of retailers that sell tobacco, albeit out of view, had prominent displays of e-cigarettes (used as a smoking cessation aid) and smoking paraphernalia, such as cigarette lighters.
Displays of tobacco products at the point of sale in retail stores are banned in many countries because of their potential link to increased smoking and higher susceptibility to smoking in children.
Twenty countries, including England, implemented tobacco point of sale display bans between 2001 and 2016 and increasingly they have been replaced with covered tobacco storage units often placed alongside tobacco signage and displays of e-cigarettes and smoking paraphernalia.
However, the extent of this potential problem is unknown because the visibility and placement of e-cigarette and smoking paraphernalia point of sale displays has not been described in detail.
A team of researchers from the universities of Bristol and Cambridge aimed to address this gap to inform future research by examining the impact of e-cigarette and smoking paraphernalia point of sale displays on tobacco smoking, particularly in children, as well as differences in visibility according to area of deprivation.
Researchers visited 166 stores in Bristol and Cambridge, of which 133 sold the relevant products and agreed to take part. These included small and large format stores of four supermarket chains and a randomly selected sample of convenience stores.
A standardised checklist was used to create a total visibility score for point of sale displays of e-cigarettes and smoking paraphernalia that were encountered, while other measures of visibility and placement were also captured.
Results showed that both e-cigarette and smoking paraphernalia point of sale displays were present in 96% of stores. These point of sale displays were highly visible across all stores with an average visibility score of 14.7 out of 17 for e-cigarettes and 12.7 out of 17 for smoking paraphernalia on the checklist.
Analysis of the results also revealed that the use of multiple display units was more common for e-cigarettes (53%) than for smoking paraphernalia (12%). Signage was present in most stores (62%) for e-cigarettes, but not for smoking paraphernalia (5%).
Visible pricing was present in most stores (70%) for e-cigarettes, but less so (45%) for smoking paraphernalia.
Most stores had smaller e-cigarette (74%) and smoking paraphernalia (93%) displays than their tobacco storage unit, and these were positioned next to it (49% and 50%, respectively).
Just over half (53%) of stores had some form of promotional material for e-cigarettes, with the most common types involving price (23%), ease of use (15%), and flavours (14%).
The researchers did not find any clear evidence of a relationship between visibility and deprivation status of the store’s location.
The authors acknowledged that having data from stores in only two cities could limit how generalisable its findings were. However, this is the first study (to their knowledge) to describe the visibility and placement of e-cigarettes and smoking paraphernalia in large tobacco retailers and a standardised measure of visibility was used.
They conclude: “E-cigarette and smoking paraphernalia point of sale displays are near ubiquitous and highly visible in supermarkets and convenience stores in two cities in England.
“The high frequency and visibility of these displays could be undermining the effectiveness of the tobacco point of sale display ban. Their impact on smoking in children merits urgent attention.”
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JOURNAL
Tobacco Control
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Observational study
SUBJECT OF RESEARCH
People
ARTICLE TITLE
Electronic cigarette and smoking paraphernalia point of sale displays: an observational study in England
ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE
13-Sep-2021
Vaping is linked to heightened eating disorder risk among U.S. college students
An increase in eating disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic and the prevalence of vape pens and e-cigarettes among young people is cause for concern
Peer-Reviewed PublicationToronto, ON – A new study published in the journal Eating Behaviors found that vaping or e-cigarette use is associated with a heighted risk of developing an eating disorder among US college students. This finding is particularly important given the common use of vape pens and e-cigarettes and an increase in the prevalence of eating disorders amidst the COVID-19 pandemic among young people.
The study, which analyzed a sample of over 51,000 U.S. college students who participated in the 2018-2019 Healthy Minds Study, highlights the need for more research and clinical assessment and intervention for those who exhibit both substance use and eating disorders.
“The higher prevalence of vaping among those with eating disorder symptoms is concerning given that the co-occurrence of these behaviors can exacerbate physical health complications such as cardiovascular, pulmonary, and neurological problems,” says lead author Kyle T. Ganson, PhD, MSW, assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.
The researchers also found that participants who reported receiving an eating disorder diagnosis, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, over the course of their life had a higher prevalence of vaping or e-cigarette use. Additionally, among those who reported vaping or e-cigarette use, nicotine vaping was the most common to have been recently used among participants with and without eating disorder symptoms.
“Nicotine vaping may be used by individuals to support eating disorder behaviors and goals, such as suppressing appetite and catalyzing weight loss,” says Ganson. “Nicotine vaping can lead to dependence and future polysubstance use.”
“The study’s findings are especially relevant as we have seen a surge in referrals for eating disorders and substance use disorders during the pandemic,” said co-author Jason M. Nagata, MD, MSc, assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco’s Department of Pediatrics. “Young people who are struggling with their eating or substance use should seek help from a health professional. Clinicians should screen young people for disordered eating and substance use, especially during the pandemic.”
The researchers emphasize the need for further clinical assessment of eating disorders among college students who report vaping or e-cigarette use, as well as additional federal and state regulation of vape pens and e-cigarettes to protect the health and well-being of young people.
JOURNAL
Eating Disorders
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Survey
SUBJECT OF RESEARCH
People
ARTICLE TITLE
Associations between Vaping and Eating Disorder Diagnosis and Risk among College Students
ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE
11-Sep-2021
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