National longitudinal tobacco product discontinuation rates among US youth from the PATH Study: 2013–2019 (waves 1–5)

Abstract

ObjectiveDetermine longitudinal tobacco product discontinuation rates among youth (ages 12–17 years) in the USA between 2013 and 2019.MethodsThe Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study, a nationally representative, longitudinal cohort study, was used to determine annual/biennial rates of tobacco product discontinuation behaviours among youth across 2013–2019: (1) discontinuing product use (transition from past 30-day use to no past 30-day use), (2) attempting to quit product use and (3) discontinuing product use among those who attempted to quit. Discontinuing use was evaluated separately for cigarettes, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), cigars, hookah, smokeless tobacco and any tobacco. Attempting to quit and discontinuing use among those who attempted were each evaluated for cigarettes and ENDS. Generalised estimating equations were used to evaluate linear and non-linear trends in rates across the study period.ResultsBetween 2013 and 2019, biennial rates of discontinuing tobacco product use among youth increased for cigarettes from 29% to 40%, increased for smokeless tobacco from 39% to 60%, and decreased for ENDS from 53% to 27%. By 2018/2019, rates of discontinuing use among attempters were 30% for those who used ENDS and 30% for those who smoked cigarettes.ConclusionsFindings show decreasing rates of discontinuing ENDS use among youth in the USA alongside the changing ENDS marketplace and increasing rates of discontinuing cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use. Findings will serve as benchmarks against which future tobacco product discontinuation rates can be compared with evaluating impacts of subsequent tobacco regulatory policies, ENDS product development and public education campaigns.