Novel Nicotine Concentration Labels Improve adolescents’ and Young adults’ Understanding of the Nicotine Strength of Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Products.

Introduction:
This text discusses a study that aimed to improve the understanding of nicotine strength and influence perceptions of addictiveness among young electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) users. The study developed and tested four novel nicotine concentration labels to determine if they were superior to current market labels in terms of conveying information about nicotine concentration strength.

Key Points:

* The study found that the horizontal stoplight label performed best in conveying information about nicotine strength and addictiveness.
* Participants had difficulty understanding nicotine concentrations presented as mg/mL and percent nicotine.
* The new labels were associated with more correct strength responses and lower rates of underestimating nicotine strength compared to current market labels.
* The new labels were also associated with increased perceived addictiveness at higher concentrations.
* The study controlled for various factors such as age, sex, race, region, and ENDS use experience.
* attention check questions were included to ensure data quality.
* The study was approved by the Oberlin College Institutional Review Board and participants were compensated for their time.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of effective labeling in conveying information about nicotine concentration strength and addictiveness in ENDS products. The new labels, particularly the horizontal stoplight label, improved understanding and influenced perceptions of addictiveness among young ENDS users. The study provides evidence for the development of more informative and effective nicotine concentration labels for ENDS products.

Morean ME, Wackowski Oa, Eissenberg T, Delnevo CD, Krishnan-Sarin S, Gueorguieva R. Novel Nicotine Concentration Labels Improve adolescents’ and Young adults’ Understanding of the Nicotine Strength of Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Products. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. 2022;24(7):1110-1119. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntac024