Studying the Impacts of Higher Taxes and Bans on Electronic Cigarettes to Improve Public Health

Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age15+
SponsorOhio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center

About this trial

This clinical trial studies whether imposing higher taxes and bans on electronic cigarettes (EC) with appealing features impacts tobacco use among current and susceptible adolescents and young adults (AYA) EC users and adults who use EC or are open to EC use. ECs are currently the most popular form of nicotine or tobacco product in the United States. Compared to burned cigarette products, ECs generally pose fewer short-term harms, making them a promising tool for lowering users' exposure to toxins and cancer-causing chemicals from smoking, promoting better public health outcomes. However, evidence shows that EC marketing has increased overall initiation into nicotine use among AYAs, and that EC users are at a higher risk of becoming smokers, which could have negative public health outcomes. Therefore, understanding the public health impact of EC use and regulation remains a major goal in tobacco control research. This trial studies different scenarios which impose higher taxes or bans on ECs with appealing features. Researchers hope that by studying participant responses to the different scenarios they may be able to identify which ones best discourage EC use among AYAs while promoting adult EC users to quit smoking, which may improve public health.

Eligibility criteria

Qualifiers

AYAs aged 15-24 who are daily or nondaily users of ECs and are not smoking in the past 30 days

AYA tobacco nonusers aged 15-24 who are susceptible to EC or tobacco use (i.e., curiosity about the product, intention to try it in the near future, and likely response if a best friend were to offer them the product)

Adults aged 18+ who are daily or nondaily users of ECs and combustible tobacco in the past 30 days

Adults aged 18+ who are daily or nondaily users of combustible tobacco in the past 30 days, not currently using ECs but are open to trying ECs

Disqualifiers

None

Trial design

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Discrete Choice Study
  • Discrete Choice Study
  • Discrete Choice Study
  • Survey Administration

Treatment groups

3,400 Participants
are divided into 3 treatment groups