Nearly 30% of flavored cigar smokers say they would switch to cannabis if flavored cigars were banned
In a national survey of 343 flavored cigar smokers, 29.2% said they would substitute cannabis if flavored cigars were restricted, with racial/ethnic minorities more likely to make this switch.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
In response to a hypothetical flavored cigar sales restriction, 15.1% would quit cigars, 41.6% would smoke plain cigars, 33.4% would switch to other flavored tobacco, and 29.2% would substitute cannabis. Blunt smokers and large cigar smokers were less likely to quit. Racial/ethnic minorities were more likely to substitute cannabis.
Key Numbers
343 flavored cigar smokers; 15.1% would quit; 41.6% would smoke plain; 33.4% would switch to other flavored tobacco; 29.2% would switch to cannabis.
How They Did This
Online survey of a nationally representative sample of 343 adult flavored cigar smokers (age ≥21) in 2021. Weighted logistic regressions examined associations between demographics, tobacco history, and behavioral change intentions in response to a hypothetical restriction.
Why This Research Matters
Tobacco flavor bans may have unintended consequences, including increasing cannabis use, particularly among populations already experiencing substance use disparities.
The Bigger Picture
This study illustrates how tobacco and cannabis policies interact: restricting one substance may increase use of another, underscoring the need for comprehensive substance use strategies rather than siloed policies.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Hypothetical scenario; stated intentions may not match actual behavior. Self-selected online sample. Small sample size. Cannabis substitution may reflect existing dual use rather than new initiation.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would actual flavor bans produce the predicted substitution patterns?
- ?Are blunt smokers (who use cannabis with cigar wraps) driving the substitution signal?
- ?Should cannabis policy be considered when designing tobacco restrictions?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 29% of flavored cigar smokers would switch to cannabis under a ban
- Evidence Grade:
- Nationally representative survey, but hypothetical scenario limits real-world applicability.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2022 with 2021 survey data.
- Original Title:
- Correlates of behavior change intents in response to a hypothetical flavored cigar sales restriction among U.S. adult flavored cigar smokers.
- Published In:
- Preventive medicine, 165(Pt B), 107128 (2022)
- Authors:
- Chen-Sankey, Julia(10), Elhabashy, Maryam, Ajith, Aniruddh, Jewett, Bambi, Hacker, Kiana, Phan, Lilianna, Choi, Kelvin
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03752
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Would banning flavored cigars increase cannabis use?
In this survey, 29.2% of flavored cigar smokers said they would switch to cannabis. However, these are stated intentions, not observed behaviors, so actual substitution rates may differ.
Who would be most affected by a flavored cigar ban?
Racial/ethnic minorities were more likely to say they would switch to cannabis, and blunt smokers (who use cigar wraps with cannabis) were less likely to quit cigars altogether.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03752APA
Chen-Sankey, Julia; Elhabashy, Maryam; Ajith, Aniruddh; Jewett, Bambi; Hacker, Kiana; Phan, Lilianna; Choi, Kelvin. (2022). Correlates of behavior change intents in response to a hypothetical flavored cigar sales restriction among U.S. adult flavored cigar smokers.. Preventive medicine, 165(Pt B), 107128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107128
MLA
Chen-Sankey, Julia, et al. "Correlates of behavior change intents in response to a hypothetical flavored cigar sales restriction among U.S. adult flavored cigar smokers.." Preventive medicine, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107128
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Correlates of behavior change intents in response to a hypot..." RTHC-03752. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/chen-sankey-2022-correlates-of-behavior-change
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.