NCT03446170

Effect of Cigarette Pack Warnings and Packaging Among Young Adult Smokers

Examining the Impact of Cigarette Package Warnings and Packaging Regulations Among Young Adult Smokers

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 400 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Georgetown University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 30 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The objective of this study is to examine whether cigarette packaging regulations including graphic health warning labels on cigarette packs and requiring plain, unbranded packaging reduce the appeal of cigarettes and prompt young adult smokers to quit.

Detailed description

The study includes young adult smokers ages 18 to 30. Eligible participants are young adults ages 18 to 30 years inclusive who report smoking at least 100 lifetime cigarettes and now smoking on all or some days. Participants must also reside in the metro Washington, DC area. The first portion of the study is a within-subjects experiment simulating point of sale cigarette purchase behaviors based on 2 packaging features: (1) graphic warning messages framed to emphasize either the health benefits of quitting (i.e., gain framed) or the health risks of smoking (i.e., loss-framed) and (2) industry branded or plain (i.e., standardized unbranded) packaging. In the second portion of the study, the same participants take part in a prospective experiment to determine the impact of graphic cigarette warning message framing (gain versus loss) and packaging (branded versus plain) on motivation to quit and smoking behavior. Participants are randomized to use 1 of 4 experimentally adapted cigarette packs in place of their regular packs for 4 weeks, or to a control condition which will continue to use their regular packs. All participants complete baseline and follow-up assessments and respond to daily mobile phone text message prompts on their personal mobile phones during the 4 week exposure period. Participants complete follow-up assessments capturing motivation to quit, smoking behavior, and quit attempts at the conclusion of the 4 week exposure period and 1- and 3-months later.

Conditions

• Tobacco Use

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Graphic cigarette warning labels, plain packaging	This study tests the effects of graphic cigarette warning labels that include pictures and text, and plain or standardized packaging

Timeline

• Start date: 2014-09-01
• Primary completion: 2020-08-31
• Completion: 2020-08-31
• First posted: 2018-02-26
• Last updated: 2022-01-04

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States