Abstract

Background: Senate Bill 793, passed in 2022, made California the second state in the United States to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes. This legislation aimed to curb smoking rates, particularly among youth, and mitigate the adverse health effects of tobacco use. Our study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the ban on flavored tobacco products.
Methods: Between May and September of 2023, a Google Forms survey was conducted among California residents, collecting demographic data, smoking status, and awareness of the ban. Data was analyzed in EpiInfo7.2.6 and GraphPad Software to examine significance through chi-squared tests and one-way t-tests.
Results: Responses from 248 California residents showed that 89% of smokers and 41% of non-smokers were aware of the ban. The majority of smokers did not quit post-ban, with 73% of tobacco smokers, 81% of e-cigarette users, and 73% of dual users continuing to smoke. Among those who supported the ban, 24% ceased smoking, 66% continued smoking flavored products, and 10% transitioned to non-flavored products.
Discussion: Awareness of the ban is high among smokers, but quitting the use of flavored products is low. The majority of smokers who agreed with the ban continued to smoke flavored tobacco products after the ban. Policymakers should focus on enforcing the ban by prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products and implementing measures to help people overcome addiction or transition to non-flavored alternatives.

Keywords

smoking cessation, tobacco, electronic cigarettes, flavored tobacco products