title: Young adults' perceptions about established and emerging tobacco products: results from eight focus groups.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In order to sustain their market, tobacco producers target young adults through novel product design and marketing strategies. Public health professionals need to understand young adults' risks perceptions about and use of new tobacco products to best inform tobacco control interventions.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2009, researchers conducted 8 focus groups with 67 young adults stratified by self-reported tobacco use and nonuse, residence in rural and urban areas, and living in a state with or without a statewide smoking restriction policy. Participants provided feedback about their knowledge and risk perceptions about and use of tobacco products and marketing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants reported a high level of familiarity with a wide range of novel tobacco products. A great deal of confusion and disagreement appeared with regard to absolute and relative risk of different tobacco products. Participants readily discussed using smokeless tobacco products as alternatives to smoking when smoking is prohibited. Fewer differences in tobacco-related knowledge risk perceptions and use were found between urban and rural participants and those in smoke-free policy and nonpolicy states than between user and nonuser groups. Both users and nonusers were familiar with and skeptical about tobacco marketing and prevention efforts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Young adults are familiar with many tobacco products, but they convey little understanding of relative risks of new or trendy tobacco products, such as snus or hookah. Mindful of industry innovation, tobacco control advocates must continuously update prevention efforts, seeking new strategies to limit promotion, marketing, and use of new and conventional products.
authors: Division of Behavior Science & Health Education, Saint Louis University School of Public Health, 3545 Lafayette Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA. wray@slu.edu
authors: Ricardo J
authors: RJ
authors: Wray
authors: Keri
authors: K
authors: Jupka
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Berman
authors: Stacie
authors: S
authors: Zellin
authors: Santosh
authors: S
authors: Vijaykumar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D040541:Marketing / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D057566:Self Report; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D019460:Tobacco Industry; D020340:Tobacco Use Cessation / Q000523:psychology; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult; D014026:Nicotiana