Effects of Tax Proposals and Cigarette Availability on Tobacco Purchasing

Summary

This study will investigate the effects of normal-nicotine versus low-nicotine cigarette availability in the context of four tax proposals (Tobacco Parity, Nicotine-Content, Harm-Reduction, and Modified Risk Tobacco Product-based taxes) on tobacco product purchasing patterns in a virtual marketplace.

Conditions

• Cigarette Smoking

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Harm Reduction Tax - Normal Nicotine Cigarettes Available

In the Harm Reduction Tax Condition, tobacco products in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace are placed into three tax tiers: high-, medium-, and no-tax. All combustible products with high abuse liability are placed in the high-tax tier. All non-combustible products or combustible products with low abuse liability are placed in the medium-tax tier. Nicotine Replacement Therapy products are placed in the no-tax tier. The participant's preferred normal-nicotine content cigarettes are available in the marketplace. Participants complete two trials with all products offered at market price, and five trials with prices for each product increasing proportionally to tax tier.

BEHAVIORAL

Harm Reduction Tax - Normal Nicotine Cigarettes Not Available

In the Harm Reduction Tax Condition, tobacco products in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace are placed into three tax tiers: high-, medium-, and no-tax. All combustible products with high abuse liability are placed in the high-tax tier. All non-combustible products or combustible products with low abuse liability are placed in the medium-tax tier. Nicotine Replacement Therapy products are placed in the no-tax tier. The participant's preferred normal-nicotine content cigarettes are NOT available in the marketplace. Participants complete two trials with all products offered at market price, and five trials with prices for each product increasing proportionally to tax tier.

BEHAVIORAL

Modified Risk Tobacco Product Tax - Normal Nicotine Cigarettes Available

In the Modified Risk Tobacco Products tax condition, tobacco products in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace are placed into three tax tiers: high-, medium-, and no-tax. In this condition, all non-MRTP tobacco products are placed in the high-tax tier, MRTPs are placed in the medium-tax tier, and Nicotine Replacement Therapy products are placed in the no-tax tier. The participant's preferred normal-nicotine content cigarettes are available in the marketplace. Participants complete two trials with all products offered at market price, and five trials with prices for each product increasing proportionally to tax tier.

BEHAVIORAL

Modified Risk Tobacco Product Tax - Normal Nicotine Cigarettes Not Available

In the Modified Risk Tobacco Products tax condition, tobacco products in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace are placed into three tax tiers: high-, medium-, and no-tax. In this condition, all non-MRTP tobacco products are placed in the high-tax tier, MRTPs are placed in the medium-tax tier, and Nicotine Replacement Therapy products are placed in the no-tax tier. The participant's preferred normal-nicotine content cigarettes are NOT available in the marketplace. Participants complete two trials with all products offered at market price, and five trials with prices for each product increasing proportionally to tax tier.

BEHAVIORAL

Nicotine Content Tax - Normal Nicotine Cigarettes Available

In the Nicotine-Content Tax Condition, products in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace are placed into three tax tiers: high-, medium-, and no-tax. In this condition, products with greater than 3 mg nicotine per single unit are placed in the high-tax tier, products with 0.6-3.0 mg/unit in the medium-tax tier, and those with 0.5 mg/unit or less in the no-tax tier. The participant's preferred normal-nicotine content cigarettes are available in the marketplace. Participants complete two trials with all products offered at market price, and five trials with prices for each product increasing proportionally to tax tier.

BEHAVIORAL

Nicotine Content Tax - Normal Nicotine Cigarettes Not Available

In the Nicotine-Content Tax Condition, products in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace are placed into three tax tiers: high-, medium-, and no-tax. In this condition, products with greater than 3 mg nicotine per single unit are placed in the high-tax tier, products with 0.6-3.0 mg/unit in the medium-tax tier, and those with 0.5 mg/unit or less in the no-tax tier. The participant's preferred normal-nicotine content cigarettes are NOT available in the marketplace. Participants complete two trials with all products offered at market price, and five trials with prices for each product increasing proportionally to tax tier.

BEHAVIORAL

Tobacco Parity Tax - Normal Nicotine Cigarettes Available

In the Tobacco Parity Tax condition, tobacco products in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace are placed into three tax tiers: high-, medium-, and no-tax. In this condition, all tobacco products are placed in the high-tax tier while products that do not contain tobacco (e.g., herbal cigarettes and nicotine-free ENDS) are placed in the medium-tax tier. Nicotine Replacement Therapy products are placed in the no-tax tier. The participant's preferred normal-nicotine content cigarettes are available in the marketplace. Participants complete two trials with all products offered at market price, and five trials with prices for each product increasing proportionally to tax tier.

BEHAVIORAL

Tobacco Parity Tax - Normal Nicotine Cigarettes Not Available

In the Tobacco Parity Tax condition, tobacco products in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace are placed into three tax tiers: high-, medium-, and no-tax. In this condition, all tobacco products are placed in the high-tax tier while products that do not contain tobacco (e.g., herbal cigarettes and nicotine-free ENDS) are placed in the medium-tax tier. Nicotine Replacement Therapy products are placed in the no-tax tier. The participant's preferred normal-nicotine content cigarettes are NOT available in the marketplace. Participants complete two trials with all products offered at market price, and five trials with prices for each product increasing proportionally to tax tier.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• National Cancer Institute (NCI)

  collaborator NIH

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Jeff S Stein, Ph.D. · Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC

• Christine E Sheffer, Ph.D. · Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

21 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-08-14

Primary Completion

2026-09-15

Completion

2026-09-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations