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

NCT05487625 | Completed Results DMC

• 2 other identifiers: IRB #22-4325P01CA217806
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 89
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Cigarette Smoking

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• 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.

  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).

  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.

  1 day

• Cigarette Demand Elasticity Alpha

  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. Elasticity alpha is reported, which represents the sensitivity of purchasing to changes in cigarette price.

  1 day

Study Arms (3)

Narratives

EXPERIMENTAL

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.

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

Fact sheet

EXPERIMENTAL

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.

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

Control

EXPERIMENTAL

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

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

Interventions

High-ventilated cigarette alone BEHAVIORAL

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.

Control; Fact sheet; Narratives

Low-ventilated cigarette alone BEHAVIORAL

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.

Control; Fact sheet; Narratives

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

High- and low ventilated cigarettes are available in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace with high-ventilated cigarettes increasing 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.

Control; Fact sheet; Narratives

Low- and high-ventilated cigarette with high-ventilated cigarettes increasing in price BEHAVIORAL

Low- and high-ventilated cigarettes are available in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace with low-ventilated cigarettes increasing 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.

Control; Fact sheet; Narratives

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

Usual cigarette, low- and high-ventilated cigarettes are available in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace with usual cigarettes increasing 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.

Control; Fact sheet; Narratives

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 21 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• 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

You may not qualify if:

• 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).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University: lead
• University of Minnesota: collaborator
• National Cancer Institute (NCI): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Addiction recovery Research center

Roanoke, Virginia, 24016, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Cigarette Smoking

Interventions

Commerce

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Tobacco Smoking; Smoking; Behavior; Tobacco Use

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Technology, Industry, and Agriculture

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Roberta Freitas Lemos
• Organization: Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC

rflemos@vtc.vt.edu

540 526 2106

Study Officials

• Warren K Bickel, Ph.D.

  Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Masking Details: Participants will be provided with study cigarettes (commercially available) however the brand will not be provided to them.
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Model Details: Participants will complete five ETM conditions, which include six trials assessing different cigarette prices: a) high-ventilated cigarette alone, b) low-ventilated cigarette alone, c) high- and low-ventilated cigarette with high-ventilated cigarettes increasing in price, d) high- and low-ventilated cigarette with low-ventilated cigarettes increasing in price, and e) usual, high- and low-ventilated cigarette with usual cigarettes increasing in price.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 31, 2022
• First Posted: August 4, 2022
• Study Start: August 8, 2022
• Primary Completion: March 19, 2024
• Study Completion: March 26, 2024
• Last Updated: July 2, 2025
• Results First Posted: July 2, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)