Experimental Tobacco Marketplace in Regulating Flavored Tobacco Products in Menthol Cigarette Smokers

Flavored Tobacco Product Regulation: Behavioral Economic Demand, Visual Attention, and Flavored Tobacco Product Availability

This trial uses an Experimental Tobacco Marketplace to study the purchase of tobacco products in menthol cigarette smokers. Determining the level of substitutability of both flavored and unflavored/tobacco flavored e-cigarettes when menthol cigarettes are available and unavailable can help determine if a flavor ban (of either menthol cigarettes and/or flavored e-cigarettes) will lead to smoking cessation and/or harm reduction. A greater understanding of tobacco product purchasing could help inform possible regulatory actions by the Food and Drug Administration.

Participants view and purchase hypothetical tobacco products during four distinctly different Experimental Tobacco Marketplace (ETM) conditions. During the session, participants are presented with these randomly ordered conditions: menthol cigarettes and five flavored e-cigarettes (menthol/mint, fruits, sweets, alcohol, snacks/meals), menthol cigarettes and both unflavored and tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes, non-menthol cigarettes and five flavored e-cigarettes, and non-menthol cigarettes and both unflavored and tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes. Participants' visual attention is evaluated by eye-tracking equipment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Menthol cigarette smokers who report smoking a brand that has a non-menthol equivalent.
• Residing in Western New York.
• Voluntarily provide informed consent to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any known history of macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, eye implant, permanently dilated pupils or the use of a screen reader/magnifier.

• The following special populations will not be included:

  • Adults unable to consent
  • Individuals who are not yet adults (infants, children, teenagers)
  • Prisoners
  • Pregnant women