Effect of Cigarette Constituent Messages With Engagement Text on Intention to Quit Smoking Among Adults Who Smoke Cigarettes

Abstract

Key Points Question Do cigarette constituent messages with US Food and Drug Administration sourcing and engagement text (ie, encouragement to quit) increase intentions to quit more than cigarette constituent messages alone or control messages? Findings In this randomized clinical trial of 789 adults who smoke cigarettes, participants assigned to the constituent plus engagement and constituent-only message conditions demonstrated increased quit intentions from preintervention to postintervention relative to participants in the control condition. Meaning These findings indicate that messages about cigarette smoke constituents increased smokers’ intentions to quit, which can inform national efforts to communicate harmful constituents in cigarette smoke among adults who smoke.

Believability of messaging concerning a hypothetical product standard to lower a constituent in cigarettes or smokeless tobacco among U.S. Adults who use tobacco

“…The hypothetical product standard statements tested in this study linked a reduced level of an HPHC with reduced cases of a health outcome, which may discourage adults and adolescents from wanting to use tobacco products, a possibility that could be further explored. In a randomized controlled trial, participants’ intentions to quit smoking increased after viewing statements about the chemicals in cigarette smoke, suggesting that information about HPHCs can influence behavior ( Goldstein et al, 2021 ). However, it is still unclear how statements about reducing the amount of HPHCs in tobacco products would influence behavior.…”

Perceived message effectiveness of cigar warning themes among adults in the United States

“…Our study demonstrates that this theme is an effective strategy for increasing perceptions of effectiveness. Previous research in tobacco communication has identified that communicating about specific constituents is promising ( Cho et al, 2018a , Cornacchione et al, 2016 , Goldstein et al, 2021 , Hall et al, 2014 , Lazard et al, 2018 , Sutfin et al, 2019 , Wiseman et al, 2016 ), but little is known about communicating about toxicity more broadly. It is possible that warnings that communicate about toxicity more broadly, rather than about a specific constituent, might be more effective because the language is universally understood, as opposed to individual constituents, which likely require a higher level of understanding.…”

“…For secondhand smoke effects , we created two warnings about harm to others and harm to children and included a general statement about secondhand smoke, reflecting similar themes as an existing cigar warning. For the chemicals/constituents statements, we selected four chemicals that performed well in previous research (arsenic, lead, formaldehyde, uranium) and another (carbon monoxide) that has appeared in other tobacco warnings ( Goldstein et al, 2021 ). Finally, for the statements about toxicity , we created two statements about cigar smoke being poisonous and toxic, similar to warnings used in other countries.…”

“…However, messages about other relevant topics could also be effective and could be used to expand the library of potential cigar warnings to effectively communicate the diverse harms of cigar use to consumers. Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of messages about the constituents in tobacco smoke or secondhand smoke effects ( Cho et al, 2018a , Cornacchione et al, 2016 , Goldstein et al, 2021 , Hall et al, 2014 , Lazard et al, 2018 , Sutfin et al, 2019 , Wiseman et al, 2016 ). These types of messages could potentially be used in warning statements for cigars.…”