What this study is
The main purpose of this trial is to evaluate the impact of a menthol cigarette ban accompanied by a quit smoking campaign on tobacco purchasing behavior. Investigators will conduct a randomized clinical trial with ~1,185 US adults (ages 21+ years) who currently smoke menthol cigarettes.
What's being tested
- Menthol ban + campaign
Intervention · BEHAVIORAL
Menthol cigarettes and flavored little cigars and cigarillos will not be available for purchase in the store. Participants will receive quit smoking campaign ads via text message. These ads will also be displayed inside the store during the shopping tasks.
- Menthol ban
Intervention · BEHAVIORAL
Menthol cigarettes and flavored little cigars and cigarillos will not be available for purchase in the store. Participants will receive control ads about a neutral topic (i.e., password security) via text message. These ads will also be displayed inside the store during the shopping tasks.
- Control
Intervention · BEHAVIORAL
Menthol cigarettes and flavored little cigars and cigarillos will be available for purchase in the store. Participants will receive control ads about a neutral topic (i.e., password security) via text message. These ads will also be displayed inside the store during the shopping tasks.
Study details
- Official title
- UNC Tobacco Convenience Store Study
- Sponsor
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Conditions
- Health Behavior
- Enrolling
- 1,185 people
- Starts
- 2026-04-20
- Est. completion
- 2028-04
- Design
- Open-label, randomized, parallel groups
- Record
- View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Who can join
Age 21 Years and overSex ALLHealthy volunteers Not acceptedYou may qualify if
- Are ages 21 years and older
- Smoke cigarettes currently (i.e. currently smoke some days or every day and have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime)
- Smoke menthol cigarettes
- Purchased menthol cigarettes in a store in the past month
- Read and speak English
- Can complete a survey on a computer without help
- Can receive images by text message
- Can attend 2 in-person appointments involving shopping tasks and computer surveys
You can't join if
- Are pregnant
- Are breastfeeding
- Enrolled currently in another research study about quitting smoking
Sign in and we'll check these against your records.Full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Study locations (1)
1 openUNC Mini Mart
Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
- UNC Mini Mart Office UNC Mini Mart · Contact919-966-0233minimartstudy@unc.edu
- Marissa Hall, PhD · Principal investigator
Recruiting
Study team
Sponsor
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Study ID 24-0398
Study director
Marissa G. Hall, PhD
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Frequently asked questions
The sponsor hasn't published answers to common questions for this trial.