NCT07161050

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

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 70 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 21 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

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.

Detailed 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.

Conditions

• Cigarette Smoking
• E-cigarette Use

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Nicotine Content	In the full nicotine conditions, participants' preferred cigarettes and NVP products will be available in the LETM and preferred cigarettes will be available in the iETM. In the low nicotine conditions, a ban will permit only VLNCs in the LETM and preferred cigarettes will be available in the iETM.
BEHAVIORAL	Illegal cigarette price	At each level of nicotine content, we will manipulate the price of illegal cigarettes (1xMP, 1.5x MP, 2x MP). MP is market price.
BEHAVIORAL	E-cigarette price	At each level of nicotine content and illegal cigarette price, we will manipulate the price of e-cigarettes (1xMP, 1.5x MP, 2x MP). MP is the market price.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-12-01
• Primary completion: 2026-10-01
• Completion: 2026-10-07
• First posted: 2025-09-08
• Last updated: 2026-01-16

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States