Tobacco Prevention and Cessation (Mar 2019)
Trend in electronic cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in Italian adolescents, Global Youth Tobacco Smoke (GYTS), 2014, 2018
Abstract
Introduction Main aim was to describe prevalence trends in Italy, 2014-2018 of tobacco cigarettes, electronic cigarettes (e-cig), smokeless tobacco (snuff, chewing tobacco, heated tobacco products), and to describe cigarettes and e-cig access from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS). Methods GYTS is a nationally representative school-based, cross-sectional survey of students aged 13-15 years . GYTS has been carrying out in 61 countries worldwide and used a standard methodology. Ten items were selected in order to describe prevalence trends and access to tobacco cigarettes and e-cig. Results Ever and current tobacco use in Italy non-significantly decreased from 46.4% to 41.0%, and from 23.4% to 19.8%, respectively. Ever and current e-cig users significantly increased from 28.0% to 43.5%, and from 8.4% to 17.5%, respectively. Ever and current smokeless tobacco use in 2018 were 3.4% and 1.6%, respectively. In 2018, 68.0% and 76.0% of adolescents who were current cigarette smokers or e-cig users, respectively, reported retailers did not refuse to sell them cigarettes or e-cig because of their age; 19.7% and 15.3% of current smokers reported to buy cigarettes in stores, or in vending machines, respectively. Among current e-cig users, 10.2% reported to get e-cig from specialized shops. Conclusions From 2014 to 2018 current e-cig users doubled; in 2018, current smokeless tobacco users were 1.6%. Even though sale bans to minors were implemented in Italy for cigarettes and e-cig, about 2 out 3 tobacconists and managers of e-cig shops keep on selling their products to adolescents.
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