E-cigarettes and Novel Products
Electronic cigarettes or “e‑cigarettes” entered the market in the United States around 2006–2007, and since then the distribution and purchase channels for these products have evolved immensely.
E-cigarettes, and other novel and emerging tobacco and nicotine products, continue to enter global markets. Most e‑cigarettes contain nicotine which is highly addictive to users.
E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults, 2016The Issue
The tobacco and related industries have used strategies and tactics to market and attract youth to tobacco and nicotine products, such as e‑cigarettes.
These industries are moving swiftly to launch novel products to expand their market share before regulations are in place, as much tobacco control legislation does not cover the marketing, sale or use of new products.
Addiction at Any Cost: Philip Morris International Uncovered, 2019Role of Surveillance to Monitor the Issue
Surveillance is key in understanding the use and uptake of e-cigarettes and other novel products as it provides valuable information and data on emerging patterns and trends. Surveillance contributes to better prevention and management of non-communicable diseases, of which tobacco use is a key risk factor.
The data collected allows countries and localities to set their priorities and develop programs, policies and interventions to protect people from the harmful effects of nicotine and tobacco.
Global E-cigarette Monitoring
The Global Tobacco Surveillance System (GTSS), which is comprised of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) and the Tobacco Questions for Surveys (TQS) Initiative, monitors tobacco use and key tobacco control measures globally.
GTSS provides globally standardized data to track adult and youth tobacco use across the world, with the intent for countries to use the data to effect change through tobacco control policies and programs.
Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS)
GATS is the global standard for systematically monitoring adult tobacco use and tracking key tobacco control indicators using a standardized protocol. It is a nationally representative household survey of adults 15 years of age or older.
From 2011-2018, 19 countries released at least one round of GATS e-cigarette data.
Adults aged 15 years or older who currently use e-cigarettes
Russian Federation GATS 2016
Romania GATS 2018
Greece GATS 2013
Kazakhstan GATS 2014
Ukraine GATS 2017
Turkey GATS 2016
Costa Rica GATS 2015
Qatar GATS 2013
China GATS 2018
Malaysia GATS 2011
Philippines GATS 2015
Mexico GATS 2015
Indonesia GATS 2011
Bangladesh GATS 2017
Uruguay GATS 2017
Viet Nam GATS 2015
Senegal GATS 2015
Ethiopia GATS 2016
India GATS 2016
Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS)
GYTS is the global standard for systematically monitoring youth tobacco use and tracking key tobacco control indicators using a standardized protocol. It is a nationally representative, self-administered, school-based survey of students in grades associated with 13 to 15 years of age.
FROM 2012-2018
57 countries released at least one round of GYTS e-cigarette data
Current e-cigarette use among students aged 13 to 15 years in 57 countries ranged from 1.6% to 23.4%
Monitoring Other New and Novel Products
Surveys such as GATS and GYTS can help countries monitor new and novel tobacco and nicotine products. For example, Romania conducted its second round of GATS in 2018, and it was the first country to include GATS questions on heated tobacco products.
According to the GATS Romania 2018:
tobacco products
tobacco products
tobacco products
It is vital that countries and localities monitor use of e-cigarettes and other novel products to track trends in use over time. As the tobacco and nicotine landscape is ever changing, robust data on new and emerging products can help countries and localities understand the problem at hand to inform effective programs and policies and curb the epidemic.
