Protocol - Tobacco Product Adulteration - Vent or Filter Blocking

Questions about cigarette filter ventilation.

1. Have you ever seen or heard that one or more rings of small holes are on the filters of some cigarettes?

1 [ ] yes

2 [ ] no

[ ] don’t know

2. How do you know about these holes?

[ ] Saw them

[ ] Read about them in the news or magazine

[ ] Someone told me

[ ] Saw a television advertisement about them

[ ] Saw or heard a news report about them

[ ] Other

[ ] Don’t Know

[ ] Refused

3. Did you ever try to block the filter holes on cigarettes?

1 [ ] yes

2 [ ] no

[ ] don’t know

4. How did you block the filter holes?

5. At the present time do you block holes when you smoke?

1 [ ] yes

2 [ ] no

[ ] don’t know

6. Do you think that blocking filter holes would make a cigarette taste stronger, milder, or have no effect?

[ ] a lot stronger

[ ] moderately stronger

[ ] a little stronger

[ ] no effect

[ ] a little milder

[ ] moderately milder

[ ] a lot milder

[ ] don’t know

7. Do you think that blocking filter holes would increase, decrease, or have no effect on the tar a smoker gets from these cigarettes?

[ ] greatly increase

[ ] moderately increase

[ ] slightly increase

[ ] no effect

[ ] slightly decrease

[ ] moderately decrease

[ ] greatly decrease

[ ] don’t know

8. Do you think that blocking filter holes would increase, decrease, or have no effect on the nicotine a smoker gets form these cigarettes?

[ ] greatly increase

[ ] moderately increase

[ ] slight increase

[ ] no effect

[ ] slightly decrease

[ ] moderately decrease

[ ] greatly decrease

[ ] don’t know

Analyses:

Responses to the last three questions were recoded in the following manner: those who responded "no effect," "a little milder," "moderately milder," "a lot milder," or "don’t know" to the question regarding the effect of blocking on cigarette taste, for example, were classified as being "unaware." Similarly, those participants who responded "no effect," "slightly decrease," "moderately decrease," "greatly decrease," or "don’t know" to the questions regarding the effect of blocking on tar and nicotine yields were also classified as being "unaware."

Response percentages were calculated within each brand category, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Between-group tests were done using analyses of variance with Bonferroni adjustments for comparisons or with X² analyses.³⁰ Within-group comparisons were done with paired t tests. Multiple regression analyses (ordinary least squares, linear probability model) were used to explore predictors of knowledge of vents (scored 1 = yes, 2 = no, don’t know) and knowledge that blocking increased tar intake (scored 1 = increase tar, 2 = no effect, decrease tar, don’t know). Brand category was included in the regression analyses to adjust for group membership effects. All probability values are for two-sided tests.

³⁰ Snedecor, G. W., & Cochran, W. G. (1980). Statistical methods (7th ed.). Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press.