Research from McMaster University published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health examined how health warnings, nicotine strength, packaging, and price influence preferences for e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and cigarettes. Researchers surveyed 2,961 Canadians, including 1,839 e-cigarette nonusers aged 16-29 and 1,122 current users, using an online discrete choice experiment featuring JUUL pods, IQOS heated tobacco sticks, and du Maurier cigarettes. Health warnings printed directly on products had the largest effect on preferences. When warnings appeared on all three product categories, the predicted probability of choosing none of the products increased from 50% to 65% among nonusers and from 10% to 18% among current e-cigarette users. Warnings also reduced preferences for vape pods without increasing predicted preferences for cigarettes.
A 40% increase in vape prices reduced current users’ predicted preference for vape pods from 55% to 48%, while increasing preferences for heated tobacco and cigarettes. Higher cigarette prices did not increase preferences for vaping. Lower nicotine concentrations increased the appeal of vape pods among nonusers and users who did not also smoke, while plain packaging had little effect on product preferences. The researchers cautioned that the experiment measured hypothetical choices rather than actual purchasing behavior and that the results may not reflect real-world consumption.
