Considerations and Future Research Directions for E-Cigarette Warnings-Findings from Expert Interviews

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Tobacco Control
• Risk Communication

Background:

• Historically, tobacco warning label research has focused primarily on cigarettes.
• E-cigarettes present unique challenges and considerations for risk communication due to potential harm reduction relative to cigarettes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To inform future research directions for electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) warning labels.
• To explore expert opinions on effective warning content, themes, and execution for e-cigarettes.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving interviews with 10 researchers specializing in tobacco warning labels.
• Interviews were conducted with participants from a 2016 National Cancer Institute grantee meeting.

Main Results:

• Experts suggested e-cigarette warnings need to resonate with young people and evolve with emerging science.
• Research on additional warning themes (nicotine exposure, harmful constituents) and pictorials was deemed important.
• Mixed opinions existed on reduced-risk messages, but consensus favored research on communicating relative risks between cigarettes and e-cigarettes.

Conclusions:

• More research is crucial for non-cigarette tobacco product warnings, particularly for e-cigarettes.
• Future research should investigate message content, placement, execution, and impact on audience knowledge, risk perception, and use intentions.
• Unique considerations for e-cigarettes, including potential harm reduction, require tailored warning strategies.