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. 2020 May;6(3):213-223.
doi: 10.18001/trs.6.3.6.

Smokers Awareness and Risk Perceptions of Filter Ventilation

Rosalie V Caruso  1 , Brian V Fix  1 , Marie J Ingabire  1 , Maansi Bansal-Travers  1 , Vaughan W Rees  2 , K Michael Cummings  3 , Peter G Shields  4 , Dorothy K Hatsukami  5 , Richard J O'Connor  6
Affiliations

Smokers Awareness and Risk Perceptions of Filter Ventilation

Rosalie V Caruso et al. Tob Regul Sci. 2020 May.

Abstract

Objectives: The addition of tiny rows of holes in the tipping paper (filter ventilation) of cigarettes allows air to mix with the smoke, which can change risk perceptions. In this study, we examine smokers' knowledge and beliefs about filter ventilation.

Methods: Web-based panel surveys conducted in 2016 and 2017 of current adult cigarette smokers (N = 2355) provided data on awareness and understanding of filter vents in their cigarettes, whether they believed blocking the holes would change the taste of their cigarettes, and their perceptions about their future risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer. The most commonly used cigarette brands reported by participants also were characterized on the presence and level of ventilation holes.

Results: Approximately 40% of participants (mostly younger and male) reported awareness of the filter ventilation in their cigarettes. Only 30% of the participants were both aware of and understood the function of filter ventilation; they also were significantly more likely to worry about developing lung cancer.

Conclusion: Although misleading descriptors associated with filter ventilation are prohibited, most smokers still smoked cigarettes with filter vents, and many are unaware and misunderstand the potential risks of filter ventilation.

Keywords: cigarette filter; filter ventilation; smoker perception of risk; smoking behavior; tobacco product characteristics.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cigarette Evaluation Scale Awareness and Understanding
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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