The Impact of Innovative Tax Proposals on Purchase Patterns

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cigarette Smoking

Treatments: Behavioral: Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) Tax Condition; Behavioral: Market Price Condition (control); Behavioral: Tobacco Parity Tax Condition; Behavioral: Harm-Reduction Tax Condition; Behavioral: Nicotine-Content Tax Condition

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05370313

VT IRB # 22-433

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will investigate the effect of four tax proposals (i.e. Tobacco Parity, Nicotine-Content, Harm-Reduction, and Modified Risk Tobacco Product-related taxes) on tobacco product purchasing patterns.

Full description

This study experimentally examines the effects of largely untried integrated tax proposals. Four tax proposals will be modeled: Tobacco Parity, Nicotine-Content, Harm-Reduction, and MRTP. Tobacco products are placed into three tax tiers: high-, medium-, and no-tax, according to the goals of each proposal. In a within-subjects design, cigarette smokers will complete two control (market price) trials and four conditions in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace, representing each of the four tax proposals. Within each condition, taxes will be increased proportionally across 5 trials (relative to tax tier) to examine how cigarette purchasing, substitution, and poly-tobacco purchasing (i.e., diversity in products purchased) are affected.

Enrollment: 285 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• provide informed consent
• provide a breath carbon monoxide sample ≥ 8 ppm,
• be at least 21 years of age (the legal age to purchase tobacco),
• smoke at least 10 cigarettes daily, and
• use other tobacco products less than weekly.

Exclusion criteria

• report uncontrolled physical or mental health conditions (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes, high blood pressure, major depressive disorder, etc.),
• use of smoking cessation medications (e.g., nicotine replacement, bupropion, varenicline) in the past 30 days,
• report concrete, immediate plans to alter/quit using their usual tobacco products in the next 30 days,
• be pregnant or lactating, or
• have plans to move out of the area during the experiment.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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285 participants in 4 patient groups

Cigarette smokers - Sequence 1

Experimental group

Description:

Exclusive cigarette smokers will be recruited and will be exposed to two control trials and each of the four tax policy conditions in this sequence: Tobacco Parity, Modified Risk Tobacco Products, Harm Reduction, Nicotine Content.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Nicotine-Content Tax Condition

Behavioral: Harm-Reduction Tax Condition

Behavioral: Tobacco Parity Tax Condition

Behavioral: Market Price Condition (control)

Behavioral: Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) Tax Condition

Cigarette smokers - Sequence 2

Experimental group

Description:

Exclusive cigarette smokers will be recruited and will be exposed to two control trials and the four tax policy conditions in this sequence: Nicotine Content, Tobacco Parity, Modified Risk Tobacco Products, Harm Reduction.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Nicotine-Content Tax Condition

Behavioral: Harm-Reduction Tax Condition

Behavioral: Tobacco Parity Tax Condition

Behavioral: Market Price Condition (control)

Behavioral: Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) Tax Condition

Cigarette smokers - Sequence 3

Experimental group

Description:

Exclusive cigarette smokers will be recruited and will be exposed to two control trials and each of the the four tax policy conditions in this sequence: Modified Risk Tobacco Products, Harm Reduction, Nicotine Content, Tobacco Parity.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Nicotine-Content Tax Condition

Behavioral: Harm-Reduction Tax Condition

Behavioral: Tobacco Parity Tax Condition

Behavioral: Market Price Condition (control)

Behavioral: Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) Tax Condition

Cigarette smokers - Sequence 4

Experimental group

Description:

Exclusive cigarette smokers will be recruited and will be exposed to two control trials and each of the the four tax policy conditions in this sequence: Harm Reduction, Nicotine Content, Tobacco Parity, Modified Risk Tobacco Products.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Nicotine-Content Tax Condition

Behavioral: Harm-Reduction Tax Condition

Behavioral: Tobacco Parity Tax Condition

Behavioral: Market Price Condition (control)

Behavioral: Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) Tax Condition