Understanding and improving how adults who smoke view e-cigarettes as a switch option
Official title: Misperceptions that prevent complete switching to e-cigarettes among adult smokers: A more nuanced communication strategy
Funded at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11540834 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant tests messaging that helps adult smokers understand the relative risks of e-cigarettes and cigarettes to see if clearer information can encourage switching to noncombustible nicotine.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | July 15, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 4R00DA059626-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11540834 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 21+ who currently smoke cigarettes and may consider switching to a noncombustible nicotine product.
✕Less likely to help
Non-smokers or individuals not considering nicotine products would not directly benefit from this research.
What this research studies
The project focuses on how adults who smoke perceive the risks of e-cigarettes compared with traditional cigarettes. It will develop and test educational messages and use brain-related measures to see how people process these messages in real time. By applying neurocognitive tools like fNIRS, researchers hope to identify messages that more effectively promote switching to noncombustible nicotine when full quitting isn’t achievable. The aim is to craft communication that aligns beliefs with evidence about relative risks and encourages healthier choices. Results could guide public health messaging and improve strategies for reducing harm among smokers who cannot quit completely.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Clearer, more effective messages could help smokers switch to less harmful nicotine products when quitting nicotine entirely isn’t possible.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies show that carefully designed messages can influence beliefs and intentions, with potential added value from neurocognitive measures; this area is promising but still developing.
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Weiger, Caitlin Victoria — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Weiger, Caitlin Victoria
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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.