Risk Perceptions of Menthol Cigarettes compared to Regular Cigarettes among New Jersey Adults

1
Risk Perceptions of Menthol Cigarettes compared
to Regular Cigarettes among New Jersey
Adults Olivia Wackowski, MPH, M. Jane Lewis,
DrPH, Cristine D. Delnevo, MPH, PhD, University
of Medicine Dentistry of New Jersey - School of
Public Health
Introduction
Summary of Results
Results

• OBJECTIVE
• To examine current risk perceptions of menthol
  cigarettes as compared to non-menthol cigarettes
  among New Jersey adults.
• BACKGROUND
• Menthol cigarettes may be perceived as less risky
  because of
• Advertising
• earliest marketing promoted menthol
  cigarettes as throat
  cigarettes, use of
  medicinal themes
• later marketed with themes of
  
  coolness, naturalness
• Physiological characteristics
• menthol cigarettes create cooling sensation in
  smokers, may feel smoother and less harsh
• associated mildness/smoothness may be
  interpreted as meaning menthol cigarettes have
  fewer health risks
• Cultural reasons
• menthol found in Vicks Vaporub, decongestant
  known for use among low income Hispanics, African
  Americans

• Few respondents (3.4) believed menthol
  cigarettes to be somewhat less risky than regular
  cigarettes
• In contrast, a sizeable number (22.2) believed
  menthols to be somewhat more risky than regular
  cigarettes
• Current smokers about twice as likely to believe
  as
• non-smokers
• Among smokers, non-menthol smokers more likely
  to believe this than menthol smokers
• Among all groups, this belief was predominant
  among young adults

Figure 1. Prevalence of risk perceptions about
menthol cigarettes among current smokers and
non-smokers, 2005 NJATS
Salem ad, 1957
Limitations

• Data based on self-report, which may be subject
  to under- or overreporting
• Survey not designed to test hypothesis related
  to menthol cigarettes and risk perceptions
• Findings of NJ adults may not be generalizable
  to other areas

Table 1. Prevalence of risk perceptions about
menthol cigarettes among menthol smokers and
non-menthol smokers, 2005 NJATS
Menthol Smokers Menthol Smokers Menthol Smokers Menthol Smokers Non-Menthol Smokers Non-Menthol Smokers Non-Menthol Smokers Non-Menthol Smokers
Somewhat Less Risky About the Same Somewhat More Risky Dont Know Somewhat Less Risky About the Same Somewhat More Risky Dont Know
Gender
Male 0.3 57.7 26.8 15.2 1.4 42.2 50.8 5.6
Female 3.7 63.5 27.7 5.1 3.2 41.9 42.6 12.3
Race
White 3.6 65.8 26.0 4.9 1.8 44.0 45.4 8.7
Black 0 53.2 28.9 17.8 4.1 14.7 74.1 7.1
Hispanic 1.8 62.9 24.7 10.6 0 48.3 42.6 9.1
Other 0 49.3 38.9 11.8 8.7 41.6 45.3 4.4
Age Group
18-24 0 52.0 44.9 3.1 0 37.3 57.8 4.9
24-44 2.0 65.2 25.4 7.4 2.5 36.3 58.3 2.8
45-64 2.8 62.2 19.7 15.2 1.5 55.8 35.7 7.1
65 6.8 56.8 17.9 18.7 3.5 34.8 24.4 37.3

Total 2.2 60.9 27.3 9.6 2.2 42.1 47.3 8.4
Implications
This study produced unexpected findings. Why
might so many people believe that menthol
cigarettes are somewhat more risky? Possible
reasons include 1) Smokers sense that they
inhale menthol cigarettes more deeply and feel
effects of menthol cigarettes more strongly. (But
does not explain age differences) 2) Urban
legends/rumors about menthol cigarettes such as
KKK association fiberglass contamination - 2
studies found young adults mentioned fiberglass
issue - Tobacco documents show awareness of
fiberglass rumor More research is needed to
explore if these findings exist in broader
sample, to decipher what the risk perceptions
are, how they develop, and how they may
contribute to smoking behavior.
Methods

• DATA SOURCE
• 2005 New Jersey Adult Tobacco Survey (NJATS), a
  point-in-time survey monitoring tobacco use
  behavior, knowledge, attitudes.
• Random-digit-dial (RDD) telephone survey
  over-sampling for young adults (aged 18-24),
  current smokers, and recent quitters.
• 3062 adults completed the 2005 NJATS, February to
  April 2005.
• MEASURE
• 2005 survey asked all respondents to indicate how
  risky they thought menthol cigarettes are
  compared to regular cigarettes. Response
  categories included somewhat less risky, about
  the same, somewhat more risky, dont know.
• STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
• Sample weights adjusted for non-response, varying
  probabilities of selection, including those
  resulting from oversampling.
• Differences between estimates considered
  statistically significant at the p 0.05 level
  if 95 confidence intervals did not overlap.

Table 2. Prevalence and adjusted odds ratio of
believing menthol cigarettes to be somewhat more
risky than regular cigarettes, 2005
Corresponding Author Olivia Wackowski,
MPH E-mail Olivia.Wackowski_at_umdnj.edu
Completion of this work was financially supported
in part through funding from New Jersey
Department of Health and Senior Services through
funding from New Jerseys cigarette excise tax.
The interpretations of data, and conclusions
expressed in this manuscript are those of the
authors and do not necessarily represent the
views of the New Jersey Department of Health and
Senior Services.