Correcting Public Misperceptions About Very Low Nicotine Content Cigarettes

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

Status: Completed

Conditions: Tobacco Use, Cigarette Use

Treatments: Behavioral: Myth-refuting messages about the harm of VLNC; Behavioral: Control messages about littering; Behavioral: Continued-harm-framed messages about the harm of VLNC; Behavioral: Emotion-based messages about the harm of VLNC

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT04974489

R21CA234968 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

19-1284

Details and patient eligibility

About

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of cancer and cancer deaths in the US. While most (69%) smokers want to quit, only 6% succeed in doing so each year. For many smokers, the addictiveness of nicotine makes quitting very difficult. To reduce cigarette smoking and resulting harms, FDA has announced a comprehensive approach to tobacco and nicotine regulation that includes moving toward a very low nicotine content (VLNC) standard for cigarettes. Greatly reduced nicotine levels would facilitate smoking cessation. However, the maximal success of the policy may require public understanding that, although these new cigarettes are less addictive, their high toxicity and carcinogenicity are unchanged. Yet, nearly half of adult smokers incorrectly think smoking VLNC cigarettes is less harmful than smoking current cigarettes (the VLNC misperception). Additionally, 24% of smokers said they would be less likely to quit if a VLNC regulation is enacted. Thus, the VLNC misperception may partially undermine a nicotine reduction policy. Although communication research suggests it is challenging to change people's incorrect understanding, new communication techniques may help reduce the VLNC misperception. In this randomized trial we will examine whether messages about the harm of VLNC cigarettes can reduce the VLNC misperception and increase intention to quit in a nicotine reduction scenario.

Full description

In this study we will assess whether messages about the harm of VLNC cigarettes reduce the misperception that they are less harmful than regular cigarettes.

Recruitment:

We will enroll participants from an existing nationally representative panel.

Informed Consent:

Potential participants are part of an existing nationally representative panel and have already consented to participate in the panel. Before enrolling, participants will also be asked to consent to participate in this study via a consent form included in the study survey.

Randomization:

Survey software will randomly allocate participants to one of the four arms of the study (3 intervention arms or a control arm). Each study arm will have approximately the same number of participants.

Assessment:

Participants will complete a 15-minute survey. The survey will begin with an introduction to the concept of VLNC cigarettes. Then participants will be shown intervention or control messages, and their beliefs will be assessed.

Detailed Description of the Intervention:

Participants will be shown a set of 3 messages about the harms of VLNC cigarettes (intervention arms) or about littering (control arm). Each of the 3 intervention arms use a different theme to attempt to correct the VLNC misperception.

Enrollment: 1,153 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Current Cigarette Smoker
• Age 18 or older
• Enrolled in existing nationally representative panel where recruitment is based

Exclusion criteria

• None

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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1,153 participants in 4 patient groups

Emotion-based messages about the harm of VLNC

Experimental group

Treatment:

Behavioral: Emotion-based messages about the harm of VLNC

Continued-harm-framed messages about the harm of VLNC

Experimental group

Treatment:

Behavioral: Continued-harm-framed messages about the harm of VLNC

Myth-refuting messages about the harm of VLNC

Experimental group

Treatment:

Behavioral: Myth-refuting messages about the harm of VLNC

Control messages about littering

Active Comparator group

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control messages about littering