Examining Risk Perceptions Among Daily Smokers Naive to Reduced Nicotine Content Cigarettes

Introduction: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated its interest in reducing the addictiveness of combustible cigarettes by lowering their nicotine content. Delineating risk perceptions of reduced nicotine content (RNC) cigarettes prior to federal regulation may inform the content of future educational campaigns accompanying this policy. Methods: Five hundred non-treatment-seeking, daily smokers naive to RNC cigarettes (63.0% male, 51.6% nonWhite, mean [SD] cigarettes per day = 15.69 [7.58], age = 43.44 [11.46]) completed a 10-item RNC cigarette risk perception questionnaire at baseline in two, unrelated experimental studies. We used multinomial logistic regression models to identify demographic (eg, gender) and smoking-related (eg, nicotine dependence) correlates of RNC cigarette risk perceptions. Results: Although the majority of participants did not misperceive RNC cigarettes as less harmful than regular or high nicotine cigarettes, a large portion of the sample held misperceptions about RNC cigarettes' addictiveness (56.4%) and cessation aid potential (63.4%). More than 20% of the sample reported being unsure about RNC-related risks, especially tar content (51.8%). NonWhite smokers were 2.5 to 3 times more likely to be incorrect about multiple RNC cigarette risks (p =.002-.006). Conclusions: If the FDA mandates a reduced nicotine content standard for cigarettes, educational campaigns will be needed to correct misperceptions about RNC cigarettes' addictiveness and potential to aid cessation as well as inform consumers about their safety risks. Campaigns tailored toward nonWhite smokers may also be needed to correct misperceptions of RNC cigarette risks held by this subgroup.