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There is little awareness of the chemical components of cigarette smoke amongst US adults, even though many adults report having looked for relevant information. In a study published in the BMC Public Health, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggest that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should expand its messaging activities so that information about these constituents reaches all segments of the US population, especially those most vulnerable to tobacco product use and its associated health risks.
The study was covered globally by national and local news outlets online. It did particularly well in US and India, reported by BABW news,Inquisitr and Headlines and Global News in US; and The Times of India, Chennai Online and Business Standard in India. Other coverage includes Le Figaro in France; Abruzzo in Italy; ABC.es in Spain; Terrain Peru; De Morgen in Belgium and bignewsnetwork.com in United Arab Emirates.
Understanding how perceptions of tobacco constituents and the FDA relate to effective and credible tobacco risk messaging: A national phone survey of U.S. adults, 2014–2015
BMC Public HealthBMC series – open, inclusive and trusted201616:516
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-3151-5
© The Author(s). 2016
Received: 2 February 2016
Accepted: 25 May 2016
Published: 23 June 2016
Abstract
Background
The passage of the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act has necessitated the execution of timely, innovative, and policy-relevant tobacco control research to inform Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory and messaging efforts. With recent dramatic changes to tobacco product availability and patterns of use, nationally representative data on tobacco-related perceptions and behaviors are vital, especially for vulnerable populations.
Methods
The UNC Center for Regulatory Research on Tobacco Communication conducted a telephone survey with a national sample of adults ages 18 and older living in the United States (U.S.). The survey assessed regulatory relevant factors such as tobacco product use, tobacco constituent perceptions, and tobacco regulatory agency credibility. The study oversampled high smoking/low income areas as well as cell phone numbers to ensure adequate representation among smokers and young adults, respectively. Coverage extended to approximately 98 % of U.S. households.
Results
The final dataset (N = 5,014) generated weighted estimates that were largely comparable to other national demographic and tobacco use estimates. Results revealed that over one quarter of U.S. adults, and over one third of smokers, reported having looked for information about tobacco constituents in cigarette smoke; however, the vast majority was unaware of what constituents might actually be present. Although only a minority of people reported trust in the federal government, two thirds felt that the FDA can effectively regulate tobacco products.
Conclusions
As the FDA continues their regulatory and messaging activities, they should expand both the breadth and availability of constituent-related information, targeting these efforts to reach all segments of the U.S. population, especially those disproportionately vulnerable to tobacco product use and its associated negative health outcomes.
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