Amplifying menthol-cigarette ban effects with a quit-smoking campaign for menthol smokers
Official title: Amplifying the menthol cigarette ban’s impact in priority populations with a quit smoking campaign
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11400541 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large study tests whether adding quit-smoking messages to a menthol-flavor ban can help menthol cigarette smokers quit rather than switch to other cigarettes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $647,080 |
| NIH project number | 5U54DA060049-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11400541 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Menthol cigarette smokers who are adults and participate in the trial as part of the randomized design.
✕Less likely to help
Non-menthol smokers or individuals not willing to participate in a behavioral intervention may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project asks whether pairing a menthol cigarette ban with targeted quit- smoking messages helps menthol smokers quit for good. Researchers will create and test messages through focus groups and expert feedback, then run a randomized trial using a Mini Mart to study real-world purchasing behavior. The study uses a three-arm design to compare the ban alone, the ban with quit messages, and a control condition, aiming to generate data that reflect real shopping behavior and policy impact. The goal is to provide rigorous evidence on whether menthol restrictions plus supportive messaging boosts quitting beyond the ban alone.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could strengthen public health efforts to reduce menthol smoking and increase quit rates.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests messaging can influence quitting, but this trial tests a combined policy-plus-communication strategy in a real-world setting.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hall, Marissa — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Hall, Marissa
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.