"I Like the Vibes it Gives": Adolescent Perspectives on Cannabis Billboards and Print Advertising in Nevada.

An influx of laws permitting recreational cannabis sales in the US has allowed for increased advertising. The purpose of this study was to describe how adolescents perceive outdoor and print cannabis advertising and to identify aspects of advertising that are appealing or eye-catching, focusing on five themes: price promotion, sex appeal, wellness, party, and text-only. We recruited adolescents ages 11-17 to participate in seven focus groups (44 participants) from 2019 to 2020. Participants viewed cannabis advertisements and responses were summarized using deductive thematic analysis. The party-themed advertisements were the most salient to participants, who desired to emulate the behaviors shown. Participants favored ads featuring young people and containing multiple colors. Participants disliked advertisements perceived to portray misleading or contradictory messages, such as the promotion of physical activity or use of sex appeal, and ads perceived to lack authenticity. Identification of youth appealing features can help inform cannabis advertising regulations.

Increasing lifetime and past 30-day marijuana use among middle school students regardless of recreational marijuana sales.

PURPOSE: This study investigated whether adult use marijuana sales were associated with changes in lifetime and past 30-day (P30D) marijuana use among middle school students in Nevada (NV), which had adult-use marijuana sales during the study period, compared to New Mexico (NM), which did not have adult-use marijuana sales during the study period. METHODS: Data were drawn from the middle school 2017 and 2019 NV Youth Risk Behavior and NM Youth Risk and Resiliency Surveys. Difference-in-difference analyses compare changes in lifetime and P30D marijuana use in NV (adult-use sales implemented July 2017) vs. NM (no adult-use sales during the study period). RESULTS: There was no difference in lifetime (aOR 1.11; 95% CI 0.91,1.36) and P30D (aOR 1.17; 95% CI 0.91,1.51) marijuana use by adult-use sales status. The odds of lifetime and P30D marijuana use increased in both states, particularly among students who were female, older, non-White, or attending a Title 1 school. DISCUSSION: Adult-use sales were not associated with an increase in lifetime or P30D marijuana use. State-level prevention efforts should focus on sub-populations with increasing lifetime and P30D use regardless of adult-use sales status.

Acute effects of charcoal filters and package color on cigarette perceptions and use behaviors: Results from a randomized pilot study examining Natural American Spirit "Sky".

INTRODUCTION: Charcoal-filtered cigarettes have been available for decades but have never held a major share of the U.S. cigarette market. This pilot study gathered initial behavioral data characterizing how "Sky"-a recently introduced charcoal-filtered cigarette variety that uses potentially misleading marketing features-is used and what impact its packaging color has on consumer perceptions. METHODS: Forty adult daily non-menthol cigarettes users (52.5% male, 75.0% White, mean age = 46.1, 14.3 mean cigarettes/day) completed a single-session deception study utilizing a 2 ×2 mixed factorial design to manipulate cigarette filter condition (charcoal vs. non-charcoal) and pack color (light vs. dark). Participants smoked two cigarettes identical in appearance and packaging but differing in filter type (blinded and order counterbalanced) and completed pre- and post-cigarette CO samples and post-cigarette questionnaires. RESULTS: Participants endorsed more favorable subjective ratings, puffed less of, held more correct beliefs about risks, and expressed greater intentions to use the charcoal (vs. non-charcoal)-filtered cigarette (p's <0.05). Pack color had few effects on outcomes; however, cigarettes in light vs. dark colored packs were rated as cleaner tasting (p <0.01). Neither filter condition nor pack color affected CO boost. There were no interaction effects on any outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Under blinded conditions, Sky charcoal-filtered cigarettes are initially appealing independent of their packaging color. Findings warrant further study of these effects on perceptions, behavior, and harm exposure after longer, open-label use periods. Findings may inform regulatory decisions regarding cigarette packaging and filter composition.