Active Research

Electronic cigarettes in Latin America: Evaluation of impacts and policy options

E-cigarettes are rapidly spreading around the world, including to low- and middle-income countries.  This study is characterizing the patterns of e-cigarette use in Mexico and Guatemala and assessing the public health impact of policies used to regulate them.  Project activities will strengthen the research capacity in Guatemala and Mexico to address e-cigarettes, as well as other emerging products, such as flavor capsule cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

Research Activity: Collect observational, experimental and product data on e-cigarettes in Mexico and Guatemala, ultimately using these data in simulation models to identify e-cigarette policies that are most likely to benefit public health.

Funding Agency: Fogarty International Center/NIH (PIs Thrasher & Barnoya, R01 TW010652)

People: Jim Thrasher (PI), Joaquín Barnoya (PI), James Hardin (Co-Investigator), José Monzón (Co-Investigator), Adebusola Ogunnaike, Yoojin Cho, Farahnaz Islam, Brian Senk, Victoria Lambert, Julia Budiongan, Edna Arillo-Santillán, Katia Gallegos, Inti Barrientos, Rosibel Rodriguez, Liz Cruz,

 

Evaluating how tobacco control policies are shaping the nicotine delivery market

This project will collect experimental, observational and laboratory evidence on vaporized nicotine products (VNPs) across countries (US, UK, Canada) to assess how the policy environment influences uptake of and transitions from smoked tobacco to VNPs, as well as to validate methods for predicting responses to different VNP regulatory strategies.

Funding agency: National Cancer Institute/NIH (PIs KM Cummings & G Fong, P01 CA200512)

People: Jim Thrasher, Yoojin Cho, Emily Loud

Patient decision aid about electronic cigarettes

This project involved collecting pilot data from physicians and smokers to assess needs, utility and feasibility assessment of integrating an iPad delivered patient decision aid on information about electronic cigarettes for use in clinical encounters.  Based on positive results for the intervention, we have developed an NIH proposal to conduct a cluster-randomized trial, which is under review.

Funding agency: Greenville Hospital System (PI Thrasher); ASPIRE, University of South Carolina (PI Strayer).

People/Students: Jim Thrasher, Emily Loud, Charity Ntansah