Prevalence and correlates of flavour capsule cigarette use among Australian adolescents

Introduced relatively recently in the Australian market, flavour capsule cigarettes pose a risk to adolescents by providing a palatable pathway to smoking initiation. The present study aimed to establish the prevalence of the use of flavour capsule cigarettes in Australian adolescents and to examine the association between frequency of use and smoking behaviour and intentions and perceptions of cigarette brand differences.

Data were from a 2017 cross-sectional school-based survey of secondary students aged 12-17 years (N = 4266) in Victoria who self-reported their smoking behaviours, smoking intentions and cigarette brand perceptions. Regression analyses were conducted controlling for sex, age group, education sector and other covariates.

Overall, 5% (n = 195) of all students reported ever using flavour capsule cigarettes. Of the 675 students who had ever smoked, 29% (n = 194) had tried a flavour capsule cigarette. The likelihood of past-month and past-week smoking was significantly higher, and future smoking intentions were significantly stronger, for ever-smokers who had used flavour capsule cigarettes multiple times compared to those who had never used this type of cigarette. Ever-smokers were more likely to agree that 'some brands of cigarettes are easier to smoke than others' if they had tried a flavour capsule cigarette.

There are high levels of use of flavour capsule cigarettes among Australian adolescent smokers, with more frequent use associated with greater involvement in smoking. SO WHAT?: These findings add to those of other studies suggesting that flavour capsule cigarettes may have negative impacts on youth smoking, strengthening the case for their prohibition in Australia.