In Favor of Flavor
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Key Points
Flavor’s power to influence behavior is incredibly complex. It is often thought of as a simple component of marketing and individual preference, but it is more deeply rooted in neurobiological processes than you might think.
Flavors help people quit smoking and stay smoke-free.
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Introduction
In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) to develop regulatory guidelines to manage the tobacco (and, later, nicotine) marketplace with the goal of reducing negative tobacco-related health outcomes. One of the CTP’s current priorities is understanding the public health implications of reduced-risk flavored tobacco and nicotine products, which include electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS, also referred to as vapes or e-cigarettes), heat-not-burn (HnB) products, and oral tobacco and nicotine products (snus, snuff, and nicotine pouches).
To assess these products’ effects on public health, the CTP must weigh both sides of the debate. On one side, opponents of flavored products believe that they lure adults and minors to start vaping, serving as a gateway to combustible cigarettes. On the other side, proponents of flavored products emphasize their value in helping individuals switch from incredibly harmful combustible cigarettes to an alternative product that provides the sensory experience they seek while greatly reducing their health risks.
Flavor’s power to influence behavior is incredibly complex. It is often thought of as a simple component of marketing and individual preference, but it is more deeply rooted in neurobiological processes than you might think (see our recent report that explores these concepts in more detail).
Read the rest of this study here.