Current e-cigarette users cited flavours as a reason for use more often than past users

Flavours were frequently indicated as reason for use across smoking and non-smoking e-cigarette users

Flavours in e-cigarettes significantly predicted lower perceptions of product harm and ability to help someone quit smoking

Adult e-cigarette users reported flavours as being the most positive feature of the product

E-cigarette users who were former smokers were more likely to prefer fruit and sweet flavours compared with current smokers

E-cigarette users reported that the variability of e-cigarette flavours was an important factor in reducing or quitting cigarette smoking and a greater number of flavours used was associated with smoking abstinence

The variability of flavours was cited as one of the reasons for initiating e-cigarette use, though it was not a primary reason

Fruit and sweet flavours were perceived as more likely to be tried by young never smokers than adult smokers trying to quit

The perceived harmfulness of e-cigarettes was moderated by-product flavours

Availability of flavours was a primary reason for experimentation with e-cigarettes, and appealing flavours were particularly important to high school students

Use and preference for sweet e-cigarette flavours was high among adolescents regardless of cigarette smoking status

For cigarette-only users, losing flavours significantly reduced the price participants were willing to pay for e-cigarettes

Flavoured e-cigarettes did not increase male adolescents’ willingness to try e-cigarettes compared with plain varieties

Few adult e-cigarette users reported starting e-cigarette use because of the available flavours

The interest of non-smoking teens in trying flavoured e-cigarettes was very low, and interest was not influenced by flavour descriptors. Though adult smokers’ interest was also modest, their interest was significantly higher than that of non-smoking teens for each flavour

Use of flavoured e-cigarettes varies by smoking status, with smokers being more likely to try flavours than non-smokers

A common reason for e-cigarette use is for the taste

Most e-cigarette users reported a preference for vaping non-traditional flavours.

Those who reported vaping non-tobacco and non-menthol flavours were more likely to have quit smoking

Flavoured, compared with non-flavoured, e-cigarette advertisements elicited greater appeal, interest in buying and trying e-cigarettes

Most e-cigarette users began use with a device shaped like a cigarette (first-generation devices) and transitioned to a larger advanced generation device with a more powerful battery and a wider choice of liquid flavours

Advanced generation device e-cigarette users report the variety of flavours as being important characteristic of e-cigarettes

Cigarettes

Few ever smokers reported specific flavours as being important in their initial smoking, but flavours were significantly associated with initial smoking in younger smokers

Current smokers, particularly female smokers, reported specific flavours as important in their cigarette brand preference

Positive and negative expectancies were influenced by flavour, with higher positive and lower negative expectancies for flavoured cigarettes compared with non-flavoured cigarettes. Positive expectancies significantly predicted the likelihood of trying flavoured cigarettes

No differences were observed between cigarette packs with and without flavour descriptors in ratings of tar delivery and health risk, though participants rated packs with flavour descriptors as better tasting and more appealing

Fully branded cigarette packs with flavour descriptors were rated as better tasting than the same packs without flavour descriptors

Removing flavour descriptors from cigarette packs significantly reduced measures of appeal and taste and increased measures of health risk

Flavoured cigarette use was associated with not intending to quit among females but not among males

Among high sensation-seeking adolescents, the flavour descriptors led to more favourable hedonic brand beliefs and higher trial intentions than the traditional descriptors

Preference and ratings of harshness/irritation were not related to whether the cigarette brand was flavoured

Adults who preferred brands with flavour capsules viewed their variety of cigarettes as having better taste and to be more appealing and less harmful (except Australian smokers) than other brand varieties compared with adult smokers of regular non-flavoured cigarettes.

Preference for flavour capsule cigarettes (though primarily menthol varieties) has significantly risen in the past few years in Mexico and Australia, particularly among young adults

The plain packs with flavour descriptors were given significantly higher appeal and taste ratings than the plain without flavour descriptor packs, though no significant differences were observed between packs in health risk ratings

Little cigars, cigarillos and cigars

A clear preference was observed for cigar brands that produce flavoured varieties among youth, young adult, female, and black cigar smokers

Preference for flavoured cigars was associated with current cigarette smoking.

Ever use of flavoured tobacco was associated with being a current cigar, cigarillo or little cigar smoker

Flavour was the primary reason cited for smoking cigarillos

Hookah

A significant difference between users and non-users was found, where more users indicated that hookah ‘contains pleasant flavors’ compared with non-users

Participants preferred fruit-flavoured varieties to tobacco flavour

High school students cited flavours of the hookah as one of the reasons they believed hookah to be safer or less addictive than cigarettes

Smokeless tobacco

The majority of respondents indicated no difference in opinions regarding health risk and appeal between smokeless tobacco product packaging with or without flavour descriptors

Among those who did report differences, youth and young adults were more likely to indicate the smokeless tobacco pack with the flavour descriptor as more appealing, attractive and having reduced health risks.

A majority of respondents’ first and current choice of smokeless tobacco product was mint flavoured.

A significant number of respondents switched from a non-flavoured to a flavoured smokeless tobacco product

Bidi

Few adolescents cited liking the flavour as a reason for smoking bidis rather than cigarettes

Various tobacco products

Majority of ever-users reported the first product they used was flavoured

Product flavouring consistently reported as a reason for tobacco product use across all types or products

Respondents who used flavoured cigars or cigarettes had a lower intent to quit than non-flavoured users

The use of flavoured products was associated with multiple product use

Never smokers who have ever tried ATPs, and particularly flavoured ATPs, are at significantly increased odds of being susceptible to cigarette smoking