Objectives: In the USA, some tobacco companies replaced the marketing phrase '100% natural additive-free tobacco' with 'tobacco ingredients: tobacco & water' (T&W) after receiving warnings from the US Food and Drug Administration. This study assesses how people interpret the now-restricted additive-free claims and newer T&W claims on Natural American Spirit (NAS) and L&M cigarette packs.
Methods: An online between-subjects experiment randomised 2526 US adults to view one of three packs: an NAS additive-free pack, an NAS T&W pack or an L&M T&W pack. Participants provided their interpretations of the claim they viewed in an open-text response box. n=810 responses were coded, with frequency reported overall, by experimental condition, and by product harm perceptions.
Results: Interpreting the claim as meaning 'fewer chemicals/harmful ingredients' was significantly more frequent in the NAS additive-free (47.7%) condition but remained common among those in the NAS T&W (27.2%) and L&M T&W (20.3%) conditions (p<0.01). For all conditions, the 'fewer chemicals' interpretation was more common among those who believed the product was less harmful than other cigarettes (p<0.001). Some participants (8%-15%) interpreted the claim they saw to mean the product was less addictive or had less nicotine than other cigarettes, with no significant differences by condition.
Conclusions: Like 'additive-free', 'tobacco and water' marketing claims are commonly interpreted as meaning cigarettes have fewer chemicals or harmful ingredients, suggesting they may similarly function as unauthorised modified exposure claims. Regulatory action and educational interventions are warranted to reduce use of these misleading claims and to correct misperceptions.
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Decoding consumers' interpretations of 'additive-free' and 'tobacco & water' cigarette advertising claims.
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Objectives: In the USA, some tobacco companies replaced the marketing phrase '100% natural additive-free tobacco' with 'tobacco ingredients: tobacco & water' (T&W) after receiving warnings from the US Food and Drug Administration. This study assesses how people interpret the now-restricted additive-free claims and newer T&W claims on Natural American Spirit (NAS) and L&M cigarette packs.
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Department of Health Behavior, Policy, and Administration Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA.
Article Synopsis
- The study explores how many US adults believe that "organic" and "additive-free" tobacco products are less harmful compared to regular tobacco, particularly focusing on differences among smokers and those who prefer the Natural American Spirit brand.
- Analyzing data from over 29,000 participants, the research finds that a notable percentage of adults, especially young adults and smokers, have these beliefs, with the strongest convictions among those who currently smoke.
- The findings suggest that despite the risks of tobacco use, many smokers hold on to the perception that these alternative products are safer, highlighting the need for better public education regarding tobacco harm.
From "Additive-Free" to "Tobacco & Water": Assessing the Impact of Marketing Claim Changes on Natural American Spirit and L&M Cigarettes.
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Rutgers Institute for Nicotine & Tobacco Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
Introduction: The 2017 agreement between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the makers of Natural America Spirit (NAS) cigarettes restricted the use of "additive-free" (AF) in brand marketing, which the company replaced with "tobacco ingredients: tobacco & water" (TW), a phrase subsequently adopted by L&M.
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Introduction: While previous research has examined misperceptions related to Natural American Spirit (NAS), a premium cigarette brand using 'natural'-themed marketing, the longitudinal relationship between NAS-related harm beliefs and switching to NAS has not been established.
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