Tobacco Harm Reduction as a Path to Restore Trust in Tobacco Control

Harm perceptions of vaping nicotine relative to cigarette smoking among sexual and gender minority young adults

INTRODUCTION

To address gaps in existing research, the current study used a mixed-methods approach to describe, contextualise and understand harm perceptions of vaping nicotine relative to cigarette smoking and associations with nicotine and tobacco (NT) use among young adults who identify their genders and sexualities in ways that classify them as sexual and gender minorities (SGM).

METHODS

Results are based on cross-sectional surveys and online qualitative interviews with 98 SGM young adults (18-25 years old) in California's San Francisco Bay Area who currently or formerly used combustible tobacco. We generated a measure assessing participants' relative harm perceptions of e-cigarette use versus cigarette smoking and identified those who perceived cigarette smoking as more harmful than e-cigarette use compared to those who perceived it to be equally or less harmful.

RESULTS

We found that relative harm perceptions of cigarette smoking versus e-cigarette use are likely related to much uncertainty and confusion about the harms of e-cigarette use. Moreover, findings illustrate that public health messages regarding the risks of e-cigarette use may have unintended consequences of increasing cigarette use to replace e-cigarette use for some SGM young adults, a practice that is incongruent with scientific evidence demonstrating that cigarettes and other combustible tobacco products are riskier than e-cigarettes and other forms of NT use.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest the need for evidence-based, clear, and direct messaging about the relative harms of cigarettes versus e-cigarettes to reduce NT-related inequities in SGM populations.

Electrodialysis Metathesis (EDM) Desalination for the Effective Removal of Chloride and Nitrate from Tobacco Extract: The Effect of Membrane Type

Electrodialysis Metathesis (EDM) desalination was investigated using a squad of three ion-exchange membranes (ACS, TW-A, and A3) and simulated tobacco extract liquid for selective ions removal. We have studied various factors affecting EDM desalination efficiency using a complete experimental design. First, diffusion dialysis (DD) was conducted to determine the permeation rate of different anions in tobacco liquor with different membrane materials. We conclude that A3 had the fastest permeation rate of anions. However, ACS has the lowest permeation rate for different salts. The investigation of the EDM process showed the excellent ion permeation ability of A3 by detecting the current, conductivity, and ion concentration of the target tobacco liquor in the metathesis chamber of the EDM process. The EDM had shown the most excellent chloride ion removal ability. We found that A3 was the best membrane for the EDM process of tobacco liquor.