Awareness of and support for banning e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products among Mexicans who smoke

Abstract

Objective. This study investigates awareness of and support for Mexico’s bans on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products among adults who smoke. Methods. Data were analyzed from a 2020 survey of adult Mexicans who exclusively smoked cigarettes (n = 1 324) or smoked cigarettes and used e-cigarettes (n = 654). Weighted multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression models estimated crude and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) for awareness of and support for bans on each product, regressing these outcomes on variables for sociodemographic characteristics, product use, perceptions of harms, norms and exposure to advertising. Results. Weighted results indicated that 27.2% of respondents were aware of the e-cigarette ban and 15.5% supported it. Among the 805 respondents who had heard of heated tobacco products, 32.5% were aware of the ban on them, and 18.8% expressed support. Awareness of the e-cigarette ban was correlated with the frequent use of cigarettes (AOR: 2.15), while awareness of heated tobacco products was associated with current use of them (AOR: 2.36). Awareness of the bans was positively associated with support for them (AOR for e-cigarettes: 1.73; AOR for heated tobacco products: 2.17). Lower support was found among those who perceived the banned product as less harmful than cigarettes (AOR for e-cigarettes: 0.51; AOR for heated tobacco products: 0.32) or perceived information about the banned product as positive (i.e. in contrast to negative or neutral; AOR for e-cigarettes: 0.21; AOR for heated tobacco products: 0.43). Conclusions. Awareness of and support for bans on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products were low among Mexicans who smoke, especially among those who use these products or had favorable perceptions of the products and information about them.

Keywords

• health policy
• electronic nicotine delivery systems
• tobacco products