Effects of a Low Nicotine Standard and Tobacco Prices on Illegal Cigarette Purchasing

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Cigarette Smoking; E-cigarette Use

Treatments: Behavioral: Nicotine Content; Behavioral: Illegal cigarette price; Behavioral: E-cigarette price

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT07161050

5P01CA200512 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

VT IRB #25-813

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will investigate the effects of a very-low-nicotine cigarette (VLNC) standard, e-cigarette price, and illegal cigarette price on illegal product purchasing and alternative product use in a virtual marketplace.

Full description

This experiment will examine the effects of a VLNC standard, electronic cigarette price, and illegal cigarette price on illegal cigarette purchasing. Exclusive cigarette smokers and dual cigarette/nicotine vaping product (NVP) users, stratified by age, will complete multiple scenarios in the legal Experimental Tobacco Marketplace. The investigators will examine the effects of a VLNC standard, predicted to promote illegal purchasing. In the NNC conditions, participants' preferred normal nicotine content (NNC) cigarettes, NVPs, and a variety of other products will be available in the ETM, and preferred NNC cigarettes will also be available in the illegal marketplace. In the VLNC standard conditions, a ban will permit only VLNCs legally in the ETM, but preferred NNC cigarettes will continue to be available illegal marketplace. In this experiment, which will be completed in the lab, we will test three levels of NVP prices and three levels of illegal cigarette prices in scenarios under a VLNC standard or NNC condition. This study will involve a total of three sessions, including an assessment session, an ETM session, and a follow-up phone call.

Enrollment: 70 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Provide informed consent Be at least 21 years of age or older Provide a breath sample for measuring carbon monoxide (CO ≥ 8 ppm) Stable tobacco use patterns for at least two months

Exclusion criteria

For exclusive cigarette smokers:

Smoke at least 10 cigarettes daily and do not use NVPs regularly (no more than 9 times in the last month).

For dual cigarette/NVP users:

Smoke at least 10 cigarettes daily and use NVPs at least 3 times in a week (report use of closed nicotine salt system)

For both groups:

Have plans to move out of the area Have a serious or unstable physical or mental health condition Taking a tobacco cessation medication or medication that interferes with nicotine metabolism, motivation or reinforcement Report concrete, immediate plans to alter/quit using their usual nicotine products at the beginning of the study Being pregnant or lactating

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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70 participants in 2 patient groups

Exclusive cigarette smokers

Experimental group

Description:

Exclusive cigarette smokers will be recruited and will be exposed to all of the conditions described in the intervention section.

Treatment:

Behavioral: E-cigarette price

Behavioral: Illegal cigarette price

Behavioral: Nicotine Content

Dual cigarette/ nicotine vaping product users

Experimental group

Description:

Dual cigarette and nicotine vaping product users will be recruited and will be exposed to all of the conditions described in the intervention section

Treatment:

Behavioral: E-cigarette price

Behavioral: Illegal cigarette price

Behavioral: Nicotine Content