Perceived Relative Harm of Selected Cigarettes and Non-Cigarette Tobacco Products-A Study of Young People from a Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Rural Area in Poland.
The perceived health risk of recently introduced nicotine and tobacco products may influence both their uptake and continued use. The aim of the study was to assess how adolescents rate relative harmfulness of slim and menthol cigarettes, water pipes, e-cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco compared to regular cigarettes. Cross-sectional survey data from students aged 13-19 years from Piotrkowski district, Poland were analyzed. Among the sample of 4050 students, 3552 respondents completed anonymous, confidential, self-administered questionnaire adapted from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS). The study results indicate that the students perceived slim cigarettes and menthol cigarettes as less harmful, which is in line with the message created by tobacco companies. On the other hand, less popular products such as water pipes and smokeless tobacco were considered as more harmful. The current study indicates insufficient and misleading perception of harmfulness of different tobacco/nicotine products available on the Polish market. Simultaneously, there is insufficient countrywide public health education in this matter. Preventive measures are necessary to discourage young people from smoking uptake and to ensure that potential consumers can, based on objective data, make informed decisions about cigarettes and non-cigarette tobacco products.
Department of Tobacco Control, Preventive Medicine Department, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz 90-752, Poland. dkaleta@op.pl.
Dorota
D
Kaleta
Department of Tobacco Control, Preventive Medicine Department, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz 90-752, Poland. kinga.polanska@umed.lodz.pl.
Kinga
K
Polanska
Department of Nutrition in Digestive Tract Diseases, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz 93-338, Poland. leokadia.bak-romaniszyn@umed.lodz.pl.
Leokadia
L
Bak-Romaniszyn
Department of Tobacco Control, Preventive Medicine Department, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz 90-752, Poland. pwojtysiak@wp.pl.
Piotr
P
Wojtysiak
D000293:Adolescent; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine; D010465:Perception; D011044:Poland; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D062789:Tobacco Products; D035862:Vulnerable Populations; D055815:Young Adult
D009538:Nicotine
cigarettes; electronic cigarettes; harm reduction; health communication; public health education; smokeless tobacco; tobacco control; water pipe