Abstract
IntroductionWe evaluated how effective an advertising campaign that was piloted by Cancer Research UK in January/February 2018 was at promoting quit attempts by increasing awareness of the relative harms of e-cigarettes compared with smoking.MethodsAdults (≥16 years, n = 2217) living in Greater Manchester (campaign region), Yorkshire & Humber and the North East of England (control regions) completed cross-sectional surveys immediately before and after the campaign period. Surveys measured socio-demographics, perceptions and use of e-cigarettes, and motivation and attempts to quit smoking. We tested interactions between time (pre, post) and region (campaign, control).Results36.7% (95% CI 33.0%–40.6%) of those in the intervention region recognized the campaign. In the general population, interactions were nonsignificant for all outcomes except for perception of e-cigarettes as effective cessation aids, with smaller increases from pre- to post-campaign in the campaign (49.9% to 54.0%) compared with the control region (40.5% to 55.0%; odds ratio [OR] = 0.66, 95% CI .45–0.98). Among smokers, motivation to quit increased in the intervention region (44.0% to 48.0%) but decreased in the control region (40.5% to 21.5%; OR = 2.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25–7.16), with no other significant differences between regions over time. Bayes factors confirmed that nonsignificant results were inconclusive.ConclusionsCompared with the control region, the campaign was associated with an increase in smokers’ motivation to quit but a smaller increase in adults’ perception of e-cigarettes as an effective cessation aid. There was insufficient evidence to determine whether the campaign affected other outcomes.ImplicationsPast extended mass media tobacco control campaigns have been shown to change public attitudes towards smoking, improve motivation to quit smoking, and reduce smoking prevalence. Much less is known about shorter, targeted campaigns. Here we show that using mass media to communicate accurate information about the relative harms of e-cigarettes compared with smoking may be an effective strategy in increasing smokers’ motivation to quit. Moreover, even when only run for a month, such campaigns can reach a large proportion of the targeted population. Further research is needed to evaluate effects on quit attempts and success.
Highlights
Ep Conclusions Compared with the control region, the campaign was associated with an increase in c smokers’ motivation to quit but a smaller increase in adults’ perception of e-cigarettes as an Ac effective cessation aid
We evaluate the effectiveness of an advertising campaign designed to address misperceptions around e-cigarette p harms relative to tobacco smoking
We r recruited a pre- and post-intervention boost sample (n=580) of smokers from the targeted group c (Greater Manchester residents in C2DE social grade) to facilitate a more detailed examination of the s intervention’s targeting. anu Intervention M The intervention was an advertising campaign developed by Cancer Research UK that aimed to d correct misperceptions about relative harms of using e-cigarettes compared with smoking tobacco. te The main messages of the campaign were: p (i) Research so far shows that vaping is far less harmful than smoking. ce (ii) E-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco, which is proven to cause cancer
Summary
Ep Conclusions Compared with the control region, the campaign was associated with an increase in c smokers’ motivation to quit but a smaller increase in adults’ perception of e-cigarettes as an Ac effective cessation aid. We evaluate the effectiveness of an advertising campaign designed to address misperceptions around e-cigarette p harms relative to tobacco smoking. D M surveys have indicated that public perceptions of the relative harms of using e-cigarettes te compared with smoking tobacco are generally inaccurate. There is a need for effective interventions to increase the accuracy of perceptions of the relative harm associated with e-cigarettes, among smokers from groups with high prevalence of smoking or low likelihood of quitting. P surveys were conducted in the designated control regions Yorkshire & Humber and the North e East
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