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

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University89 enrolled

Overview

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.

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.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Cigarette Smoking

Interventions

High-ventilated cigarette aloneBEHAVIORAL

High-ventilated cigarettes are the only available cigarettes in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace which increases in price across trials. Other nicotine/tobacco products are available in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace at market price. Note that all participants will complete all the specified conditions.

Low-ventilated cigarette aloneBEHAVIORAL

Low-ventilated cigarettes are the only available cigarettes in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace which increases in price across trials. Other nicotine/tobacco products are available in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace at market price. Note that all participants will complete all the specified conditions.

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

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 21 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

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).

Locations (1)

Addiction recovery Research center

Roanoke, Virginia, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Nicotine/Tobacco Products Substitution Intercept

Participants completed purchasing trials in an Experimental Tobacco Marketplace (ETM), where cigarette prices increased (type varied by condition) while other product prices remained at market value. The extent to which other nicotine/tobacco products substituted for usual, high-, and low-ventilated cigarettes was assessed. The quantity of products purchased in the ETM was converted to milligrams (mg) of nicotine to standardize the unit of measurement across products. The data reflect the relationship between nicotine purchased (mg; y-axis) and cigarette price (x-axis). To obtain estimates of substitution of price-constant products in the different ETM conditions, the investigators used ordinary least squares regression to predict total mg of nicotine purchased of the price constant product. Y-intercept of price-constant products is reported.

Time frame: 1 day

Cigarette Demand Intensity q0

Participants completed purchasing trials in an Experimental Tobacco Marketplace (ETM), where cigarette prices increased (type varied by condition) while other product prices remained at market value. The extent to which other nicotine/tobacco products substituted for usual, high-, and low-ventilated cigarettes was assessed. The quantity of products purchased in the ETM was converted to milligrams (mg) of nicotine to standardize the unit of measurement across products. The data reflect the relationship between nicotine purchased (mg; y-axis) and cigarette price (x-axis). Demand was estimated using the exponential equation: Q = Q0 \* 10\^k(exp(-αQ0C) - 1), where Q is nicotine purchased (mg), C is price, Q0 is demand intensity (purchases at no cost), k is the function's logarithmic span, and α is demand elasticity. Intensity q0 is reported, which represents the estimated mg of nicotine purchased when cigarettes are free (price = 0).

Time frame: 1 day

Nicotine/Tobacco Products Substitution Slope

Participants completed purchasing trials in an Experimental Tobacco Marketplace (ETM), where cigarette prices increased (type varied by condition) while other product prices remained at market value. The extent to which other nicotine/tobacco products substituted for usual, high-, and low-ventilated cigarettes was assessed. The quantity of products purchased in the ETM was converted to milligrams (mg) of nicotine to standardize the unit of measurement across products. The data reflect the relationship between nicotine purchased (mg; y-axis) and cigarette price (x-axis). To obtain estimates of substitution of price-constant products in the different ETM conditions, the investigators used ordinary least squares regression to predict total mg of nicotine purchased of the price-constant product. Slope of price-constant products is reported, which represents the change in mg of nicotine purchased of price-constant products divided by the change in cigarette price.

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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