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Introduction: The Food and Drug Administration announced intent to reduce the nicotine content in cigarettes. There is limited evidence on how reduced nicotine content cigarette (RNC) marketing affects product beliefs and use, and research on this is needed to inform regulations.Methods: In an online experiment, 426 young adult cigarette smokers (aged 18-30 years) were randomized in a 2 (implicit: red package vs. blue package) × 2 (explicit: corrective message vs. no corrective message) design to view an advertisement for previously commercially available RNCs. Outcomes were advertisement content recall, product beliefs, and use intentions. Participants' responses to open-ended assessment of their beliefs about the stimuli were coded to identify prevailing themes.Results: Red packaging and corrective messaging were independently associated with greater advertisement content recall (p = .01 and p = .04, respectively). There were no significant main or interaction effects on product beliefs or use intentions. Controlling for condition, advertisement content recall was significantly associated with less favorable product beliefs (p < .001) and favorable product beliefs were associated with intent to use the product (p < .001). Open-ended responses converged on the finding that respondents were interested in RNCs, but expressed skepticism about effectiveness and value.Conclusions: Brief exposure to an RNC advertisement with red packaging and corrective messaging were each independently associated with greater advertisement content recall. The results indicate: (1) interest and confusion among young adult smokers regarding RNCs, (2) beliefs about RNCs are influenced by marketing, and (3) beliefs are associated with intention to use RNCs.Implications: Findings from this study demonstrate the importance of advertising effects on beliefs about RNC products and support the need to regulate advertising and labeling alongside product regulation. More detailed study of advertisement features that affect consumers' beliefs about RNCs and how they impact their processing of explicit messaging about product risks will be important to guide regulatory decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study assesses the relationship between tobacco/e-cigarette marketing exposure and single, dual, and polytobacco product use, among adolescents. Given the increased use of noncigarette tobacco products (eg, cigars, e-cigarettes, hookah) among youth, it is imperative to understand if marketing exposure is associated with dual and polytobacco product use.Methods: Data were obtained from the 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey and weighted to be representative of US middle and high school students. Multivariable multinomial logistic regression models were used to assess the relationships between product marketing (via internet, print, retail, and TV/movies) and past 30-day single, dual, and poly (three or more) tobacco product use. Three analyses were conducted using different categories as referent groups to allow for comprehensive examination of the relationships between all groups.Results: Marketing exposure was significantly correlated with a greater risk of single, dual, and polytobacco product use relative to nonusers. Relative to single product users, product marketing exposure was significantly correlated with a greater relative risk of dual and polytobacco use. There was no statistical difference in the association of marketing exposure between dual and polytobacco use, in any model.Conclusion: A positive relationship between tobacco product marketing exposure and number of tobacco products used was observed. The magnitude of the relationship grew from single product to dual/poly use. Restrictions of marketing of all tobacco products, similar to cigarettes, particularly in the retail setting, should be considered.Implications: This study has two primary public health implications. First, self-reported exposure to tobacco/e-cigarette marketing is widespread among adolescents of all tobacco product categories. Second, this widespread exposure to tobacco/e-cigarette marketing appears to not only be correlated with use of a single tobacco product (eg, cigarettes, e-cigarettes), but also multiple tobacco products. While longitudinal studies are needed to further investigate the relationships observed in this study, findings justify further study given the known relationship between tobacco marketing exposure and subsequent cigarette use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]