Impact of Aversive Warnings on E-Cigarette Cessation

This project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of aversive visual health warnings on e-cigarette cessation among young adults through a randomized controlled trial, as e-cigarette use among this population has been steadily increasing, posing significant public health concerns. While traditional tobacco products have long featured health warnings, e-cigarettes lack similarly aversive visual warnings, and this study seeks to inform the development of targeted e-cigarette cessation strategies and contribute to a deeper understanding of how visual health warnings can be utilized to reduce e-cigarette use and ultimately improve public health. The project has three main aims, which include a rigorous assessment of the academic literature on e-cigarette risks and adverse effects to develop evidence-based mock visual health warnings for e-cigarettes; assessing the effectiveness of aversive visual health warnings in increasing intent to cessate e-cigarettes, with a particular focus on individuals who have experienced adverse events; and examining the long-term impacts of visual health warnings on e-cigarette cessation. This study will also investigate the underlying mechanisms that may explain the relationship of the intervention on cessation. To generate visual warnings, the research team will conduct a thorough review of the scientific literature on e-cigarette risks and adverse effects and collaborate with a graphic designer. Experimental warnings will be annotated and categorized in order to understand the influence of different imagery on variations in participant response. The study will be conducted as a randomized controlled trial, recruiting participants through market research firms that will distribute an online survey to their panels of e-cigarette users. Participants will be eligible for inclusion if they are 18-29 years old and currently use e-cigarettes at least once per week. A quota will be included to ensure sufficient responses from individuals who have