State T21, Restrictions on Flavored E-Cigarette Products, and Non-Medical Cannabis Sales Legalization in Relation to Young Adult Reports of Vape Shop Age Verification and Product Offerings: A Multilevel Analysis

Authors

Zongshuan Duan, Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA.
Yan Wang, Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA.
Katelyn F. Romm, TSET Health Promotion Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.
Lisa Henriksen, Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
Nina C. Schleicher, Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
Carla J. Berg, Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

11-16-2022

Journal

International journal of environmental research and public health

Volume

19

Issue

22

DOI

10.3390/ijerph192215079

Keywords

age verification; flavor ban; non-medical cannabis; tobacco 21; vape shop

Abstract

Vape shop practices related to age verification and product offerings (e.g., other tobacco, cannabis), which may affect young-adult tobacco/substance use, are likely impacted by state-level policies (i.e., Tobacco 21 [T21], flavored e-cigarette restrictions, non-medical cannabis legalization). Using data from young adults (18-34 years) in 6 US states representing variability in whether/when they implemented the aforementioned policies, this study focused on past 6-month e-cigarette users who visited vape shops (Wave 1 [W1]: September-December 2018, = 1127; W2: September-December 2019, = 702; W3: September-December 2020, = 549). Multilevel modeling examined T21 in relation to participants' reports of age verification at last vape shop visit (among those < 27), and flavor restrictions and cannabis legalization in relation to noticing other tobacco or cannabis products at last visit. At W1-W3, 69.7%, 78.7%, and 75.8% of participants < 27 reported age verification, and participants increasingly noticed other tobacco (W2: 36.9%; W3: 48.6%) and cannabis products (W1: 25.8%; W2: 41.3%; W3: 58.3%). State T21 was unrelated to age verification (aOR = 1.19, 95%CI = 0.80-1.79); flavored e-cigarette restrictions correlated with noticing other tobacco products (aOR = 1.96, 95%CI = 1.10-3.51); flavored e-cigarette restrictions (aOR = 2.26, 95%CI = 1.57-3.24) and cannabis legalization (aOR = 2.84, 95%CI = 1.78-4.51) correlated with noticing cannabis products. Regulatory efforts must be informed by ongoing surveillance of such policies and their impact.

APA Citation

Duan, Zongshuan; Wang, Yan; Romm, Katelyn F.; Henriksen, Lisa; Schleicher, Nina C.; and Berg, Carla J., "State T21, Restrictions on Flavored E-Cigarette Products, and Non-Medical Cannabis Sales Legalization in Relation to Young Adult Reports of Vape Shop Age Verification and Product Offerings: A Multilevel Analysis" (2022). GW Authored Works. Paper 1929.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/1929

Department

Prevention and Community Health