Experimental Tobacco Marketplace for smoking and vaping choices
The Experimental Tobacco Marketplace (ETM)
This project uses an online shopping simulation to see how adult cigarette smokers and people who both smoke and vape change what they buy when products, prices, or rules change.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical University of South Carolina NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11188999 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would use a web-based marketplace that mimics real shopping, where different tobacco and nicotine products, prices, and regulations are shown and you choose what to buy. The work focuses on adults who only smoke cigarettes and adults who both smoke and use vaping products, because those groups face the biggest health risks from smoking. Researchers will compare how different user types substitute between products, model how policies affect legal and illegal buying, and test whether lab findings hold up in real-world samples from the US, England, and Canada. Participation is conducted online using standardized scenarios drawn from the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace and the International Tobacco Control survey samples.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adult cigarette smokers and adults who both smoke and use nicotine vaping products (typically age 21+), located in the US, England, or Canada, are the ideal participants.
Not a fit: People who do not smoke or vape, minors, or those who only use non-nicotine products are unlikely to gain direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help shape policies and product rules that reduce harmful smoking, limit illegal tobacco sales, and guide safer options for people who use nicotine.
How similar studies have performed: This builds on prior Experimental Tobacco Marketplace and behavioral-economics studies that have consistently shown how product changes and price shifts affect purchasing choices.
Where this research is happening
Charleston, United States
- Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bickel, Warren K — Medical University of South Carolina
- Study coordinator: Bickel, Warren K
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 below.