Effects of Narratives on Demand for Low and High Ventilated Cigarettes and Substitution for Alternative Products

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cigarette Smoking

Treatments: Behavioral: Low- and high-ventilated cigarette with high-ventilated cigarettes increasing in price; Behavioral: High- and low-ventilated cigarette with high-ventilated cigarettes increasing in price; Behavioral: Low-ventilated cigarette alone; Behavioral: High-ventilated cigarette alone; Behavioral: Usual, high- and low-ventilated cigarette with usual cigarettes increasing in price.

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT05487625

IRB #22-432

5P01CA217806 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will investigate the effects of narratives on demand for low and high ventilated cigarettes and substitution for alternative products in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace.

Full description

An important aim of tobacco control is to reduce demand for the most harmful products. One product feature that could be changed to benefit public health is cigarette filter ventilation. A recent review examined the effects of cigarette filter ventilation and concluded that filter ventilation, by changing how a cigarette burns, yields more mutagens and carcinogens, and results in greater puff volume and possibly depth of inhalation, which has led to increases in peripheral lung adenocarcinomas. This study will use a novel method, the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace (ETM), to compare the impact of a narrative and a factsheet on the negative consequences of filter ventilation on tobacco product purchases. High-ventilated cigarette smokers will complete multiple scenarios in the ETM.

Enrollment: 89 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 three months
• Be willing to sample the study cigarettes (high- and low-ventilated cigarettes)
• Report smoking a high-ventilated cigarette (>= 20% ventilation)
• Report smoking at least 10 cigarettes per day

Exclusion criteria

• 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

Note: Participants may be withdrawn from the study after providing consent if they submit an invalid breath sample (CO ≥ 8 ppm).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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89 participants in 3 patient groups

Narratives

Experimental group

Description:

High-ventilated cigarette smokers will be exposed to a narrative about the negative consequences of smoking ventilated cigarettes and all of the conditions described in the intervention section.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Usual, high- and low-ventilated cigarette with usual cigarettes increasing in price.

Behavioral: High-ventilated cigarette alone

Behavioral: Low-ventilated cigarette alone

Behavioral: High- and low-ventilated cigarette with high-ventilated cigarettes increasing in price

Behavioral: Low- and high-ventilated cigarette with high-ventilated cigarettes increasing in price

Fact sheet

Experimental group

Description:

High-ventilated cigarette smokers will be exposed to fact sheet about the negative consequences of smoking ventilated cigarettes and all of the conditions described in the intervention section.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Usual, high- and low-ventilated cigarette with usual cigarettes increasing in price.

Behavioral: High-ventilated cigarette alone

Behavioral: Low-ventilated cigarette alone

Behavioral: High- and low-ventilated cigarette with high-ventilated cigarettes increasing in price

Behavioral: Low- and high-ventilated cigarette with high-ventilated cigarettes increasing in price

Control

Experimental group

Description:

High-ventilated cigarette smokers will be not be exposed to any messages and will complete all of the conditions described in the intervention section.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Usual, high- and low-ventilated cigarette with usual cigarettes increasing in price.

Behavioral: High-ventilated cigarette alone

Behavioral: Low-ventilated cigarette alone

Behavioral: High- and low-ventilated cigarette with high-ventilated cigarettes increasing in price

Behavioral: Low- and high-ventilated cigarette with high-ventilated cigarettes increasing in price