Impact of Exposure to Electronic Cigarette Advertising on Susceptibility and Trial of Electronic Cigarettes and Cigarettes in US Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction:
This text provides an overview of a randomized controlled trial investigating the impact of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) advertisement exposure on perceptions, intentions, and subsequent use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes in a national young adult sample. The study offers valuable insights into the role of advertising in shaping tobacco product use behaviors among young adults.

Key points:

1. The study utilized data from the Truth Initiative Young Adult Cohort Study, focusing on Wave 4 (January 2013) and Wave 5 (July 2013) survey responses.
2. Participants were randomly assigned to either the ad exposure group (n = 2110) or the control group (n = 2178).
3. Exposure to e-cigarette ads was associated with increased curiosity to try e-cigarettes and greater likelihood of e-cigarette trial at follow-up, particularly among e-cigarette never users.
4. Exploratory analyses did not find a significant association between ad exposure and cigarette trial or past 30-day use among never users, nor cigarette use among smokers over time.
5. Curiosity mediated the relationship between ad exposure and e-cigarette trial among e-cigarette never users.
6. The study had a cumulative response rate of 6.3%, which may introduce nonresponse bias, although previous studies suggest little indication of nonresponse bias in KnowledgePanel surveys.
7. The chosen ads may not represent the full range of e-cigarette marketing strategies, and the study could not assess the impact of different themes of e-cigarette messaging on e-cigarette curiosity, trial, and use.

Main message:
The randomized trial emphasizes the potential impact of e-cigarette advertisements in enhancing curiosity and trial of e-cigarette use among young adults. The findings suggest a need for further research to understand the implications of advertising messages and trial use of e-cigarettes in terms of their impact on patterns of combustible tobacco use, particularly among youth and young adults.

Villanti, Andrea C., Jessica M. Rath, Valerie F. Williams, Jennifer L. Pearson, Amanda Richardson, David B. Abrams, Raymond S. Niaura, and Donna M. Vallone. “Impact of Exposure to Electronic Cigarette Advertising on Susceptibility and Trial of Electronic Cigarettes and Cigarettes in US Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Nicotine & Tobacco Research 18, no. 5 (May 2016): 1331–39. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntv235.