Abstract

Introduction: The tobacco industry is actively developing new types of tobacco products (TP), which are rapidly spreading throughout the world, especially among youth. Young people in Ukraine are more predisposed to TP use due to living in war conditions and searching for means to combat stress.

Aims: To study the prevalence of different types of TP use among youth in Ukraine during the war.

Methods: The online survey was conducted during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in November-December 2022. The questionnaire was distributed among the target audience via groups in social networks and instant messaging apps.

Results: We received answers from 203 respondents (RS) with a mean age of 19.7 ± 1.7 years (136 women (67%), 67 men (33%)). TP use was noted by 168 RS (82.8%). The most common types were heat-not-burn tobacco devices - 99 RS (48.8%) and e-cigarettes - 83 RS (40.9%). Traditional cigarette smoking took third place - 76 RS (37.4%). A quarter of the participants used hookah - 50 RS (24.6%). Snus was used by 8 RS (3.9%), snuff ? 4 RS (2%), and chewing tobacco ? 4 RS (2%).

Only one type of TP used by 67 RS (33%) - heat-not-burn tobacco devices in 21 cases (10.3%), e-cigarettes - in 19 cases (9.4%), cigarettes - in 17 cases (8.4%), hookah ? in 8 cases (4.0%), snus ? in 2 cases (1.0%). Two TP types were used by 56 RS (27.6%), 39 RS (19.2%) ? three TP types, 4 RS (2%) ? four TP types, and 2 RS (1%) used 5 TP types.

Conclusions: Most young people in Ukraine use heat-not-burn tobacco devices and e-cigarettes. More than a third of RS smoke cigarettes. Two-thirds of RS use two or more TP.